I've been a loyal customer here for years. With three cats, the cost of premium pet food, litter, toys, products, etc. adds up. I'm sure I spend thousands each year.
My 14-year old male cat is in liver failure, and can no longer groom himself. He's been given 4-5 months by my vet, and is now completely deaf. It's heartbreaking to watch him lose the ability to care for himself, and as he's a long haired cat, I don't have the expertise to properly groom him.
I called PetSmart to ask if they could help me, because he's struggling in the heat from all the matts that have accumulated.
I was shocked at the poor response... and quite honestly, offended.
As soon as they answered the phone in the grooming salon, it sounded like chaos was going on. The woman who spoke with me had a terribly harsh voice, and screamed across the grooming salon to ask if they groom cats over 10 years old. She said, 'sorry we don't do older cats they're too sensitive' and started to hang up. WHAAAA??!?!
I stopped her and pointed out that, while it was their right to set their own policies, perhaps in exchange for turning away their loyal customers based on the fact that our cats are now OLD, they could offer some suggestions on who could help?? She gave me the name of someone up in North Greece (I live in Brighton... how would a 25-minute drive up to Greece not be stressful for my cat?).
She didn't care one bit about my cat's situation or have any interest in helping.
I found this so offensive, I am stopping any further patronage to this store. I spend $100/week on my three cats. PETCO will now be getting those sales.
Incidentally, after this terrible experience, I did call Petco on Monroe Ave. in Pittsford. The response could not have been more different. They spent 10 mins. on the phone with me just figuring out the best approach for my cat, since he's older and sick. They then fit me into their next available slot, and I took him in. They were incredibly kind and gentle with him, and did an amazing job.
He is so much happier since coming home from Petco... his matts were pulling on him, making him hot and uncomfortable. No one wants their pet who've they've loved for years, suffering unnecessarily. But for the groomers at Petco to care about his comfort, too... that flat out impressed me.
If you want the best grooming experience for your pet, ditch these unprofessional bozos at PetSmart and head to Petco, where they are clean, courteous and caring. read more