This store does not have ethical practices.
The food they sell for rats, mice, and guinea pigs is not safe because it includes dried corn. Dried corn is known to have mold that will grow inside during the drying process which can very easily kill your small animal.
The food mixes (not a professional brand but homemade), do not have the proper type of food that meets any of the animal's needs. Rats and mice are omnivores which means they need a specific % of protein and fat, which is not met when only given bird seed, corn, and other high sugar low protein/fat.
The last time I was in there they didn't even sell actual small animal food that wasn't homemade, which means there is no research done on what the animals actually need.
The fact that the rats and mice are also kept in fish tanks, which is unsafe and known to cause upper respiratory infections (URI), due to the tank's lack of ventilation. A URI can very quickly turn deadly for rats and mice. Because to nurse a small animal back to health, not only will you need to take the animal to a vet for antibiotics, but also someone to feed the animal and monitor it 24/7 until healthy or the animal's health fails them. Many small animal parents tend to devote 100% of their time to caring for that 1 animal, while the animal is sick. (Highly doubt the employees do this.)
Nor do they properly inform people of the actual cost, and care of the animals they sell.
Did you know that a majority of the cages sold as rats, mice, guinea pigs, and rabbit cages are not appropriate?
1 rat needs 2 cubic feet of space, and you can't have only 1 rat because they are very social creatures on par with a dog.
A standard rabbit cage is too small because the rabbit can't run or jump. Most rabbit owners end up free-roaming their rabbits because they need space equal to a cat or dog (except they can't be taught to not chew on unsafe items such as cords).
This is all on top of having rats and mice right next to each other, which can be unsafe because Rats are omnivores and can be predator's to mice. read more