Why do people seem to hate the "big box" pet stores like Petsmart and Petco so much? In my experience, when it comes to birds, they seem to do a much better job than most small independent pet stores. Granted, I know every store is different and there are ones out there like the one Michael has posted videos from that are great. But honestly, in every small pet store I've ever been in, the birds were kept in mediocre to downright bad conditions. Small, dirty cages, food dishes full of sunflower seeds, etc. Meanwhile at the Petsmart near me the two sun conures they have are kept in a huge, clean aviary with plenty of toys, climbing gyms and food. The budgies and other birds have good accomodations as well. Similarly, at the last Petco I was in, the birds (conures, cockatiels and budgies) were in large, clean enclosures with plenty of food, water and toys.
So why do they get such a bad rap from a lot of bird people? Do I just happen to have a really good Petsmart near me? Or unusually bad independent pet stores? It's fashionable to hate on big corporations, and while they certainly have their faults the big-box stores seem to do a decent job with birds. The downside is that they are a bit more expensive, but the difference isn't drastic compared to smaller stores. What are other peoples' experiences with them? Ever get a bird from Petco or Petsmart? If and when I get another parrot it will almost certainly be from a breeder, but I'd feel much better buying one at Petsmart than any of the smaller pet stores near me.