|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Pet stores commonly sell fish for home aquariums, small birds such as parakeets, small mammals such as fancy rats and hamsters, and small reptiles such as lizards and snakes. Mice, goldfish, and other animals used as live food (called feeders) for reptiles and fish are also usually sold.
Less common in pet stores are larger mammals such as dogs and cats. In the UK and many other countries, dogs and cats are not sold at pet stores.
A leash or a lead or lead line is a rope or similar material attached to the neck or head of an animal for restraint or control. On the animal, some leashes clip or tie to a collar, harness, or halter, while others go directly around the animal's neck.
Exotic pets such as sugar gliders, large snakes and large parrots are available at some pet shops. Because the care of these types of animals is difficult and expensive, these are most often carried only in stores that specialize in exotic animals.
The definition is an evolving one; some rodents, reptiles, and amphibians have become firmly enough established in the world of animal fancy to no longer be considered exotic. Sometimes any unique or wild-looking pet (including common domestic animals such as the ferret and the domestic rat) is called an exotic pet. "Exotic" may also be used for a species which is non-indigenous to the owner's locale.
Many major pet stores and service providers (such as veterinary insurance carriers or online retailers) tend to classify any animal besides cats, dogs, or fish as "exotic".
Dry food is recommended by some based on the idea that the animal break apart dry food with their teeth, which causes the food to scrape off dental plaque.[citation needed] The degree of benefit this provides has been disputed in recent years.
Some dry foods use meat and bone meal (MBM) for reasons of cost. Since the occurrence of BSE infection through contaminated MBM, its use in pet foods has been prohibited in parts of the world (e.g. Japan and France) but is still common practice in other parts (e.g. USA).
Major brand-name manufacturers often use primarily grain-based ingredients like corn and rice with meat by-products or animal digest making up the meat ingredients. Some manufacturers offer formulas that contains a higher proportion of meat, are by-product free and contains less or no grains. Grain-free dry diets still contain carbohydrates, from sources such as potato or tapioca as the starch in those ingredients is needed to allow the kibble to hold its shape. Terms like "premium", "natural" or "holistic" have no legal definition and do not necessarily reflect the quality of a product.
