The Animal Store

I bough a female chinchilla from there, but they gave me a male. I call back there and told them and they said sometimes will make a mistake and cut my call

Please don’t support this store by buying a bird here! I wish I could save them all… but that would encourage them to keep stocking them, and inevitably the cycle will continue.
The reason I say please don’t purchase your bird here is because they are fed basically an all sun flower seed diet! For anyone who isn’t aware– that’s basically the same thing as a person eating Big Macs everyday.
A bird needs a variety of fresh food daily. Most of their diet should consist of a mix of pellets (preferably organic) with a good supply of fresh veggies, and a tiny bit of fruit. Also beans & sprouts are great. Seeds are to be used VERY sparingly, as an occasional treat!
Believe me, if you buy a bird from a pet store that is hooked on sunflower seeds, it will be very difficult to transition them to a healthier diet.
A bird who eats all sunflower seed is destined to be a sick bird! The bird will get fatty liver disease, which will guarantee a short lifespan. Along with a whole other host of illness.
Please! Don’t buy a bird here! There are so many already looking for homes in rescues .If you do insist in buying from a pet store, atleast make sure that bird has been conditioned to eat a healthy varied diet.

So wonderful, all of the pets that I have gotten from here have been in perfect health and the staff is always so helpful. I switched to this place after horrible experiences at Thee Fish Bowl, they take forever to get to you, are constantly judging you, and might not even allow you to get anything, the owner is also extremely rude. But the animal store is the opposite, all the help you need, as well as awesome pets, supplies, and advice!

This place is appalling. Everything is way overpriced. The reptiles are in disgusting conditions, and the employees are children with no knowledge of the animals they care for. The bearded dragons have no heat or lighting that they need mind you uvb is essential and rarely penetrates 14 inches yet I only see lights at the top of Theron two enclosures and the dragon on top is still in poor condition not to mention over priced. There a severely underweight dragon in one of the other tanks that is way to small for him. He’s dying. You shouldn’t keep two different species in the same tank I.e. Carpet pythons and ball pythons. They often require different habitats and lights and humidity. There’s a veiled chameleon that is so underweight you can see his ribcage, and I doubt he gets properly calcium dusted crickets. I’ve owned reptiles and things like rabbits and ferrets and rats since the 3^rd grade, this guy has no idea what he’s doing and I don’t understand how he plans to bring In profit of it doesn’t put the work in in the first place. Maybe he should visit Chicago reptile house for a good lesson. Even petsmart does better than this.

I have to admit, I have always loved finding an excuse to visit what would seem to be a very difficult business to run these days. The Animal Store had a great reputation back when people were still using yellow pages. I’m never in the market for a pet, but if I am making a coffee run, I make sure to stop in and quietly observe their animals. My last visit I had a chance to speak with the guy who I assume is the shop owner. Of course, he was just checking in with me to see if I needed help with anything, and I told him I was just admiring the animals.
I wondered where the cats were and he said he only carries them in the summer, when most females have given birth. I asked him what kinds of breeds he carries and he told me only domestic short-​hair cats. When I asked why he let me know in so many words that he did not agree with cat breeders and their methods of breeding. As a cat mom, I got a little offended because I own a Cornish Rex. Not just any Cornish Rex, but the most handsome Cornish Rex on the entire planet (yes, please smile and laugh).
I picked up Spock from a very loving home and the breeders were an amazing and loving couple. I’m sure breeding animals will always be morally questionable when it comes to just naturally allowing them to find each other and reproduce. I wonder if it will be socially unacceptable for single women to hit up sperm banks one day. I suppose it becomes something entirely different once you consider the process men go through to donate.
I think it’s safe to say female cats are all going to reproduce when left in the wild. Eventually. The clerk used the expression «push them out» when explaining how people breed cats. All I know is that I love my kitty to pieces and he behaves just like any other domestic short hair I’ve owned. I’m sure the shop owner wasn’t out to hurt anyone’s feelings. I think the two of us are very opinionated individuals, and entitled to have them for sure.

Super knowledgeable and helpful. The owner helped me find exactly what I was looking for (and helped me save money while doing it).
Having a pet ball python in Chicago has turned out to be a surprisingly tricky thing since there isn’t a big herpetological society here, but The Animal Store carries plenty of supplies to keep my reptile happy and healthy at decent prices.
He was extremely friendly, and really knew his stuff. Great for fish owners, too. Awesome little local store!

Excellent place! Just purchased a Quaker parrot as a Christmas gift for my mother. Such a sweet bird. I can tell the owner takes great care of all the animals there and hand feeds them. He’s extremely knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. I will definitely be purchasing another bird from here again.

Kenn is a very knowledgeable and responsible pet store owner. He took the time to talk to us about our bird purchase, and how to care for it, and the bird was comfortable on our fingers within an hour of being home. Animals are very healthy and well treated.

This shop is really awesome I got 2 fire bellied toads, 2 fire bellied newts, and 1 anole. They are still alive exept for the the anole. Ken told me that the fire bellied toads and anole will get along but 3 days later Rex my anole was poisoned by the FBT toxins. Next time he better tell me the truth or I’ll make a really bad review

This place is a staple for my six year old and me. Kenn is great and his staff is friendly. We really count on them to complete our pet care family.

Really love this store. They have the most unique bird toys there. Their animals are very healthy. They clip wings there for you, if you call them in advance to schedule a time. They carry good quality cages. They also have gliderade there, for sugar gliders! This was a great find! The owner has always been very friendly. Nice little pet store.

I am a firm believer in supporting local businesses whenever possible and that applies tenfold for pet stores. It takes a special kind of person to own a pet store, a person who is passionate about animals, and who comes to work every day because they enjoy what they do, not because they are trying to get rich. Kenn is that person, and his store is a reflection of that.
Reasonable prices, good selection, healthy animals.

Highly recommended: Customer Service, Knowledge, and Experience. The place to go for reptiles. I inherited a 5yr old bearded dragon from a friend. I had no experience or knowledge of reptiles. After reading a lot of varied information on the internet, I decided I needed to speak to a professional. Ken was extremely helpful in explaining what the bearded dragon needs, why it’s needed, and myths/​bad info circulating on the web. The store also sells fish and other supplies. With excellent service and reasonable prices, it is well worth the drive from the city.

I WISH I could give this place 0 stars. Here’s the short review:
— RUDEST, MOST UNHELPFUL OWNER EVER!
— Insanely marked up prices (x15 higher, with some things)
Longer review: I have never been so offended in a store in my life. The store was decent, a little small, but the animals seemed well-​maintained. However, the customer service was atrocious!!!
Firstly, My boyfriend tried to get some advice from the owner regarding cages etc., the place wasn’t busy, so we didn’t think anything of it. Instead of trying to help, the owner just kept telling us to «go on the internet» (three or four times). When my boyfriend asked him about his cage, he replies. «Oh, the $ 1500 one»… Okay, we were simply asking about where he purchased it from.
Secondly, when we decided on a thermostat, the owner had showed it to us initially then put it back on the shelf and after a few minutes of conversation, my boyfriend asked him if we could purchase said thermostat. The owner couldn’t find where he put it and instead of saying something like «Oh I know it was just here», he proceeds in saying to my boyfriend… «Where did you put it?»… Are you freaking serious right now? Firstly, we’re new customers, secondly, regardless of that fact. YOU NEVER SAY THAT SORT OF THING TO A CUSTOMER!!! I was so disgusted. Sadly, we needed the thermostat anyway, so went ahead and purchased it (at a really marked up price). After that he rushed us out the door so he could get another sale.
Finally, his feeder animal prices are insane (that is what I’m referring to in my short review). Animals he is selling for $ 20 and $ 40, we found online for $ 1.75 and $ 5, respectively. RIDICULOUS!
Needless to say. we will never be returning to this store.
My advice: If you’re looking for a place that knows reptiles, is friendly, and that takes the time to chat with you (regardless of the volume of customers in store), make the drive to the Chicago Reptile House. We would have gone there ourselves yesterday had we not been North of the loop.

Really great hidden Gem of a store. Their prices are even cheaper than one of their «big box» competitors down the street. The owner was very nice and greeted me kindly. He also mentioned he was the only one of two stores in Illinois that currently has hedgehogs. Pretty cool! His animals are so beautiful and the birds are very vibrant. I stopped in on a whim and almost left with a fish, but I’ll be back when I’m better prepared and can afford the whole package.

I have not been to The Animal Store in years… only because I don’t live in the area. However, I bought my Sun Conure «Romeo» there 13 years ago, Kens staff always helped me find the right «stuff» for him and I have been very satisfied. They have a great selection of toys for birds, which I can not find elsewhere and now I will be heading back, even though it is quite a ride. However, it is real nice to be able to support the independents!

I needed a bird carrier for my bird in order to travel via airplane and after calling around or looking on the website of a few places, including Petsmart and Petco and none had what I needed. I eventually called a clinic that specializes in the care of birds and they recommended The Animal Store.
This store saved me since they carried the appropriate carrier and the owner was helpful regarding transporting my bird. Even better, the store was not as expensive as I feared.
Since it is always good to support local businesses, this will be the first place I will go when buying the necessities for my bird.

I am a proud ball python papa, so it’s important to have somewhere that sells a variety of reptile pet supplies, as well. Most of Chicago focuses solely on dog and cat merchandise – not really my thing. However, the variety at this place was astounding!
My only complaint: the prices are a bit steep. But, considering its location, you get what you paid for I suppose.

Nice neighborhood location which has been here for a great many years. Most that have visited would remember the 1500 gallon fish tank that holds a fish by the name of Ernie, whose been around for some time. I remember walking in here maybe a decade or more ago and seeing a bigger fishy in this tank, not sure. Animal store was a quick stop for me back when I had multiple freshwater tanks, I’d have the occasional need for fish food and bird feed. Prices are comparable to the chain stores and the owner has a good knowledge of everything he sells. Pet shops like these are the best place to get the correct information about your pet. I tend not to trust some of the employees at chain pet stores, there’s a bit of disinterest when they talk.
Shops like this one tend to carry a few items which are hard to find like this über awesome looking self contained fish tank. It’s sleek, comes in light or dark wood, built in filtration and has a glass containment which suspends the aquarium in the air. Or edible tiki housing for guinea pigs, kind of exciting to me; anyways. The Animal store has a lot. Say that you plan on a new pet for yourself or a kid, bring them in here and figure it out. Whether its a bird, lizard, snake, turtle, frog, guinea pig, hamster, fish. I can keep going, but you’ll have to take a look for yourself. I wish their space was bigger, it alarms me sometimes when taking a tight corner and hearing a bird «ack-​ack-​ack-​ing» next to my ear. You feel as though you’re walking through a bird cage.

What a fun way to kill 30 minutes or so!
I cannot tell a lie. The owner, Ken, has been rude to me in the past. But then we came in to shop for a bearded dragon and ended up buying one there. Now he knows us and is always super friendly and helpful. I’m guessing that he gets a lot of schmoes in there who bug him to take the animals out, don’t buy anything and waste his time… hence the occassional attitude. I’d probably have one too.
What a like about this place is that they have animals there that they own and are not for sale. They can be hired for birthday parties or whatever. It makes me feel better buying things from them because in general, I am not a fan of pet shops (hence three starts instead of four… adopt your pets, people!).