Animal Writings

This afternoon I was at Petco, looking at the small animals in their cages. Some were sleeping. Some were on the exercise wheel. Some were drinking from their water bottle.

A customer asked a salesperson how much it would cost to buy a mouse. The salesperson said $1.99. He asked the customer why he wanted to buy a mouse. "For a game," he said. At least he was honest. The mouse was going to be used for a competition modeled after TV's "Fear Factor." The salesperson said "just a minute" and walked away.

I asked the customer what he was going to do with the mouse after the game. "Maybe return it, maybe throw it outside," he said.

To Petco's credit, they didn't sell this person a mouse. However, the fact that we have mice for sale in stores may be what gives people the idea that they can go buy a mouse practically on impulse. Like a commodity. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to tell a couple of lies and "beat the system," and that at some stores it would be easier than at others.

I explained to the customer that I was a volunteer for an animal shelter, and that buying an animal about which he knew nothing, using it as a game prop, and throwing it out was cruel, and that the mouse would likely be terrified the entire time. He said it's no different than buying a mouse for a snake. I have to admit he had a point, but I replied that the snake has to eat rodents but he doesn't have to use a live mouse as a toy. I told him there was a great party supply store down the block, and that they would probably have a selection of real-looking creatures of all sorts. I suggested going with that option, as there would be no cruelty involved, and he could use the fake creatures over and over. I'm not certain, of course, but I think this idea appealed to him.

The "Fear Factor" party in which a live mouse was going to be used was a church-sponsored event.

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Related site:

Rat and Mouse Club of America