Post by neonxvintage on Sept 5, 2006 14:11:48 GMT -8
When I decided to finally get gerbils after wanting them since I was about 8, we looked around in my city, and all the gerbs were about 3 weeks old. I wasn't too interested in waiting, so I called a nearby bigger city, and ended up with a complete jerk. I was pretty annoyed after hearing, "No, we don't have any gerbils right now," and he didn't help. I asked if he had any, and I got something along the lines of, "I used to be the largest breeder of gerbils in SC. They're terrible pets. They get scared easily, and their appearance degenerates over time." I said, "Ohk, but do you have any." "Ma'am, I recommend hamsters, as I said, gerbils are terrible pets." "Uhm, but do you have any?" "MA'AM, you aren't listening to me!" And he hung up. Well, I thought he'd have at least a few gerbils since he used to be "the largest breeder of gerbils in SC." Plus, I wanted to see this awful guy. I went into the store with my dad, and asked if he had any, which is when he pointed to a cage, and I was extremely excited. I had the idea that I was going to rescue these poor things from this awful guy. They were hampsters. 
Not only were they hampsters, but there were loads in this tiny tank. I told him, and he went into the same speech. "Ma'am, gerbils make terrible pets. They're jumpy, they try to escape, there appearance degenerates over time. My I ask why you want them and not gerbils?" Which is when my dad took over with "This will be her sixteenth and she loves them." That, of course was a complete lie, and we left with a "Their appearance degenerates? How about yourself?" in the middle of his speech. Probably not the most adult approach, but I was extremely annoyed.
Three weeks later, I got two gerbils, Boom and Bang, and I have nooo idea why he wouldn't recommend them. I'm not sure if mine were nearly hand tame when I bought them, or if they were just young enough to trust anything, but they were tamed and giving me gerbil kisses by the second day. I've had several small animals (I still have a parakeet who I'm hoping to get a friend for, after his mate died), and I'd have to say they're some of the most amusing animals out there. They're extremely sweet, and I can spend an hour watching them just run around and be crazy. Plus, they're amazingly curious, and it's always quite interesting when they have a new tube, or I let them run around in a new area.
Anyway, I thought I'd share that, so maybe other gerbil owners can share their disgust with this guy.
Not only were they hampsters, but there were loads in this tiny tank. I told him, and he went into the same speech. "Ma'am, gerbils make terrible pets. They're jumpy, they try to escape, there appearance degenerates over time. My I ask why you want them and not gerbils?" Which is when my dad took over with "This will be her sixteenth and she loves them." That, of course was a complete lie, and we left with a "Their appearance degenerates? How about yourself?" in the middle of his speech. Probably not the most adult approach, but I was extremely annoyed. Three weeks later, I got two gerbils, Boom and Bang, and I have nooo idea why he wouldn't recommend them. I'm not sure if mine were nearly hand tame when I bought them, or if they were just young enough to trust anything, but they were tamed and giving me gerbil kisses by the second day. I've had several small animals (I still have a parakeet who I'm hoping to get a friend for, after his mate died), and I'd have to say they're some of the most amusing animals out there. They're extremely sweet, and I can spend an hour watching them just run around and be crazy. Plus, they're amazingly curious, and it's always quite interesting when they have a new tube, or I let them run around in a new area.
Anyway, I thought I'd share that, so maybe other gerbil owners can share their disgust with this guy.