Pet World

We’ve shopped at Pet World for a long time. We started to use the store when we needed specialized cat products that were only available at Pet World—not at the big box stores. Because they carry specialized items and high quality pet foods, it’s expected that prices will be higher at Pet World. It’s the same as the difference between Dollar Tree and Target. Dollar Tree has many great products for $1.25, but not the same quality and selection as Target. We also purchase items for our pup that are not available elsewhere. If you need a special product, food, OTC medicine, try Pet World first! We have always found the employees to be very helpful and informative. We are glad Pet World is in Metrowest! 5 stars!

Really like this place — but I started out at the other franchises but ended up here. This is a legacy place — I see the comments center around sales counter help which can vary anywhere. I have always received the best of help and their prices can be unbelievable depending upon the item. This is worth checking out for the specialty item and/​or pet.

I had been shopping at Pet World for a few years and was always happy. My husband recently bought some new fish for one of our tanks and within days all the new fish were dead and over the next week all the other fish in the tank were dead as well. My husband contacted the store to, at a minimum, keep this from happening to any other fish owner but never got a response. Poor customer service + lots of dead fish = no good.

Nice staff, they even help me get my purchases out to the car. The selection is good if you need a specific type of food, they even stock more than one brand of hay which is impressive as most stores only stock one brand. One of the lines is local which is the best option.
I do wish they would stop selling rabbits, hamsters and other small mammals. They would get five stars if they did that, there are so many homeless pets, selling them seems cruel. I do appreciate the floorspace they give to SPIN but it breaks my heart to see them support the adoption of one species and profit off the exploitation of another.

Don’t expect a «typical» pet store experience when going to Pet World.
Pet World is one of the three pet stores throughout the Golden Triangle (mega shopping area between Natick & Framingham). The other two being Petsmart, and Petco (which is literally 500 feet away from this place).
Depending upon what I’m looking for, This could be either the best, or the worst place for me to shop at.
First off, the location isn’t very good. It sits in the far west side of the Sherwood Plaza in a separate area, with limited parking and direct access to Route 9.
Second, they don’t carry all that much. Yeah, it’s not a chain, but I expect for the store to still carry all of the basics. They don’t carry Pedigree, and according to the cashier, no «supermarket» stuff. Much more gourmet stuff.
Third, selection vs size is weird. Imagine Costco or BJ’s in a space that is 10x smaller than what it is, and carrying the same, MEGA products. They wouldn’t be able to carry much… Right? Well, Pet World is very small with much less space to move around in than Petco or Petsmart, yet they don’t carry things in little quantity, like the chains mentioned, and only carry either large bags or boxes (specifically, in the dog aisles). It just make absolutely no sense, what-​so-​ever.
Overall, it’s a fine place, and is nice to have a spot like this to avoid chains (which most people, as myself, don’t like to always have to shop… Local flavor is a nice change), and the staff were all friendly and helpful. I do wish they’d move to a new spot in this area with uch more square footage. Ultimately, for now, 3 stars.

Poor service! High price! Ignoring customers!
Go somewhere else!
Why did the owner hire staff like robots?
without smiling without saying hi and totally ignoring customers
The old woman who has long straight hair try to force us to buy something we don’t need with a bad attitude. How ridiculous it is!
Won’t come back!!!

The people working in this store are horrible, inconsiderate IGNORANT people. I have never felt so disrespected in my life. I have a medical condition and yes that means I smoke a little marijuana. It just so happened that my clothing must have still smelt like it when I went to this store (hours after smoking) because when I asked for an employee’s assistance in purchasing a hamster I was rudely told with a mean look and horrible attitude that I would have to sober up first. The disrespect of these people and to kick me out of a store for smelling like weed because I have a medical condition. Pretty sure that is against the law. Its not like I was messing up anything or causing any problems — I was simply looking at animals trying to make a purchase. I would give this place ZERO stars if I could.

I’ve shopped here a lot of times in my life — I think it’s a very neat little place, and I love that it’s not a big superstore chain like Petco or wherever else I’ve shopped. I’ve always found neat toys for my guinea pig, and I trust the quality! But ever since my hunt for a birdcage… nope, not going there again.
I’m a very new bird owner — in fact, I don’t even have my bird yet, so I’m just gathering supplies. So I called and asked if there was someone I could talk to about bird cages… after about five minutes on hold they transferred me. I spoke to someone who was very very rude; I asked about stainless steel cages, and he gave me an answer with a tone of «why the hell would we have those?» I asked what their cages WERE made of, he basically said «…metal.» I asked about sizes, he acted like I was an idiot for not knowing exactly the size, just the range, then answered «yeah, we have those.» He also felt the need to laugh the sort of «I can’t believe you’d need to ask that» laugh and commented that «stainless steel cages are extremely expensive» … yes, I know that, but I was clearly looking for one anyways.
I work in the area, and as I mentioned, I would love to support an independent store rather than a chain, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and stopped there on my way home from work. I asked the person at the front if someone could help me out — she seemed friendly enough, and called the bird guy over. I wasn’t sure if it was the same person, but felt he seemed older than the voice. Well, he did not even PRETEND to have a smile on his face. He had more of a «what the hell do you want» look. I was already anxious about him looking so annoyed, so I kinda fumbled out a «I need a cage that’s 24 inches or bigger.» Again, an irritated look as he went to get a ruler, then hastily ran around the room measuring things and blurting out numbers (side note: it may help to make the cages more accessible to the customers for closer inspection, and/​or at least write the measurements on them…). Because I was feeling so dismissed and like I was being such a burden already, and I needed time to make a decision, I decided to get the heck out of there by saying «okay well I’m gonna look around elsewhere and I’ll probably end up back here soon.» He did this little sort of sarcastic eye roll like «of COURSE you’re not buying anything…» and I ran full speed away, not planning to ever return (at least not for bird supplies).
tl;dr this store would get 4 or 5 stars if they fired the bird guy. I would still consider getting my cage there if it weren’t for the fact that I’d need his help to get it down from where they’re kept.

Love this place! I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, and now that I’m an adult with pets of my own, I appreciate this store even more!
They have a fantastic selection of high quality dog and cat foods. I’m able to get two «hard to find» brands for my cat and one for my dog at very reasonable prices for the quality of food. I’m pleased to say that I can even buy my BFF canned food at a lower price than my sister who needs to buy on Amazon after being converted.
I also appreciate the enormous wall of Oxbow small pet foods and really like that you can find unique items here. At box pet stores you can usually find generic toys, houses, perches, etc for your small pet or bird, but pet world buys stock from unique vendors and therefore can offer a much greater variety, particularly in the bird toy department!
Don’t expect to come here and find your Tidy Cats or Science Diet cheaper than the competitors, but you’re certain to find something else to love and become a regular for a different product.
While I always enjoy perusing the collections of companion pets in pet stores, it also makes me skeptical. Since the staff seems to usually have better knowledge of temperament and age, I try to convince myself that at least Pet World hopefully purchases from local backyard breeders rather than the enormous mills pumping out litter after litter of sickly animals. I appreciate the care given to the small animals, and can see there is more freedom in providing better toys, houses, and bedding than the box stores, but I still find that I have this inkling feeling that it’s wrong. But that’s just my opinion. I do love the adoption center for the cats. Wouldn’t it be nice to expand the idea of pairing adoption centers with pet stores to include birds, reptiles, and rodents?

I go here a lot and I am happy with them. But there are a couple of things that always makes me wish I didn’t have to endure it – there is one lady who works there who makes me feel watched. The thing is, she probably isn’t but she makes me feel that way. She always seems to be following me around the store as if I am going to steal something or put my finger in the cat cage. She does seem to have that judging attitude. I have been going there for years and never ever once has she asked if she can help me But yet she is always there, judging, watching as if I am going to steal a catnip ball. Yes I see you there watching me.
In addition, I am not happy with their frequent shopper card. You only get like 1 stamp no matter how much you buy. I feel like sometimes buying 2 cans, then leaving and walking right back in and then buying two more and so on. I could buy 1000 worth and get only one stamp on the card.
That said, I do find them well stocked and have decent prices (though on the high side) and any pet store that embraces adoption of kitties and (recently) having greyhounds there to support greyhound adoption… I have to support. I also find 99% of the staff easy to work with and just friendly enough for my needs.

So after buying a lot of cat food one monster bag at a time I decided to buy two monster bags so I would not need to come in as often. Well the frequent buyer card only gets one stamp for two huge bags. I asked don’t I get two since I purchased 2 bags and the man said, «No one stamp per visit» I almost asked to buy one bag at a time but decided to just not shop here any more. When your spending about $ 30 a bag what difference does it make if I come in 20 seconds later to get a stamp or buy both at the same time. Kind of ridiculous.

I’m updating because while I want to love Pet World and I want to continue supporting mom & pop shops, this place is just making it way too hard.
They’ve started carrying hedgehogs. Now, as a hedgehog owner for nearly 15 years, I’ve come to learn a lot about them. Especially the difference between buying a hedgehog found in a pet store and getting one from a breeder.
There is a difference. A huge difference. With a breeder, you are going to pay more but you are also getting a lot more — things that a pet store cannot guarantee – like age, health, or the promise that you won’t find baby hogs in your cage a few weeks later.
I expect pet stores to be knowledgable about the animals they carry, sadly this isn’t always the case and in terms of Pet World’s knowledge of hedgehogs, this definitely isn’t the case. Not only are they over-​charging for a pet store hedgehog (never pay over $ 125 for a pet store hedgehog, $ 200+ are breeder prices) they also have a few snippets of info posted around the hedgehog tanks that are ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT!!! They also don’t include some of the most important information.
1. Hedgehogs should NOT be bathed weekly. They have dry skin issues and frequent bathing will make it worse.
2. Hedgehogs NEED to have their nails trimmed every 2 – 3 weeks, or more often if their nails are fast growers like my newest hedgehog (who came from a great breeder in NH). If you don’t trim their nails, the nails will grow and curl under and into their feet and cause major problems. Nail trimming time sucks, but it sucks less than a dead hedgehog or massive vet bill.
3. YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR HEDGEHOG WARM! They need consistent temperatures between 75 – 85 otherwise they will try to hibernate and WILL DIE.
4. Pet World sells HORRIBLE hedgehog food brands. Only feed your hog Vita Pet, Pretty Pets, etc. if you want them to become overweight and die. Hedgehogs have very specific nutritional needs which even the most knowledgable vets and breeders are still figuring out.
5. THEY NEED A SOLID WHEEL! You cannot put your hedgehog in a cage with wire bottoms or ramps. You MUST give them a wheel and it MUST be solid (check out
). Hedgehogs have small feet and even smaller toes and they can become caught easily.
It’s just really sad to see that Pet World isn’t doing their homework and isn’t providing the appropriate supplies or knowledge to go along with the animals they are selling.
I’d love to offer my knowledge to the people at Pet World, but based on the interactions I have with them now just when it comes to buying food for my cats and dog, they wouldn’t take it. Snobby and pretentious.

I’m happy with Pet World.
The selection is extensive. There are hundreds of brands to choose from for food, toys, dishes, cages, supplies, bedding, and more. Most pet stores cater highly to dogs and cats, but here, you can find everything you need for your exotics as well.
The also have a cat shelter inside the store called Kitty City. I haven’t dealt with anything related to the shelter, but I do enjoy watching the cats!
The animals living in-​store are all healthy and have good living conditions. Nice to see!
The staff does hang back, as some Unilocalers have noted, but when you approach them with questions, they couldn’t be nicer. Typically the staff is knowledgeable about the animals, however I have noticed some mistakes. For instance, I was told that female Chinese hamsters housed together would not fight or show aggression. This is NOT accurate, because female Chinese hamsters are notoriously aggressive and should NOT be housed together unless they were litter mates. Perhaps they meant that these particular Chinese hamsters would not be aggressive (which is true as they were litter mates), but the way that information was worded could be misleading.
The prices? Well, they are higher than your average PetsMart, but that’s to be expected from an independent store. Nothing outrageous, as far as I’ve seen.

Most pet stores will meet your needs if you have a cat or dog, but that is not the case for rabbit owners. After trying every big box pet store in the area and a couple smaller ones, I can say with certainty that Pet World has the best rabbit related selection in the area.
Several people have commented here on their prices being high, but I haven’t found this to be true on rabbit gear.
Yes, the staff is not outgoing, but they are polite and that’s enough for me.

There’s a reason why Pet World is still in business with a Petco and Petsmart right around the corner. I don’t know why anyone would go to the big box stores when you’ve got a great local alternative here. Pet World has a beautiful parrot (not for sale) and a great cat adoption center. They carry all the foods we’ve ever needed and offer to carry heavy bags out to the car for me.

Wow! What a great place for Wellness canned cat food! I priced a 12.5 ounce can at Petco and the last I checked it was $ 2.79 a can there (there might be a discount when you buy a case, I’m not sure). AT PET WORLD it’s priced at $ 2.49 a can!!! That’s a great savings when you have to buy a case at a time like we have to with our hungry Maine Coons! PLUS you can get a free Pet World card that will be stamped every time you go and buy something and after 10 visits you get 10% off! (I know, not a huge deal but we’re waiting for after our 10^th visit to get a CR$PLOAD of cases.)
We enjoy going over there and checking out the cute adoption kitties in the window and inside (they even have a webcam to check out the little tykes at home!) We also like getting peacock feathers there for our cats to play with… at 99 cents a feather its an expensive and fun toy!
Now I can’t vouch for if other items are overpriced or not, all I know is that for the stuff we buy, It’s economical for our budget. And despite one reviewer below, I have ALWAYS found extremely friendly staff to serve us! For these two reasons, they get a 5 star.

I go to Pet World about once a month with my mom. We buy the Wellness cat food (in chicken and turkey) and Feline Greenies ($ 2.99). We get two 12 cans of 12.5 .oz for $ 29.88. It is expensive but our cats love it and we like to support independent businesses. I wish the coupons applied to cat food or just the whole purchase instead of toys and random stuff. I love how they have a cat house. I spend like 20 minutes or more playing with the cats.

This place is not the pet store for me. Everything is overpriced. I understand their a small mom and pop shop fighting in the cruel world of competition but if I’m paying at least an extra three bucks on most items then I expect someone to kiss my ass… Literally.
When walking in this store I felt like I walked into a musty dark dungeon with no friendly faces to point me in the direction I needed to go. Instead I walked around like the chick from The Labyrinth just waiting for David Bowie to play a joke on me or kill me off before I got to the end of the maze.
When checking out I felt the miserable shrew behind the counter was doing nothing but judging the items I bought and wanted nothing to do with my questions at hand. (they weren’t brain busters either btw)
If the employees arnt even happy working at a job seeing puppies all day, I mean who doesn’t light up like a Christmas tree when they see a freaking puppy, then there’s no chance for hAppy customers.

I went into PetWorld to support my dog walkers business… we decided to buy a few things while we were there which I found to be a bit pricey in comparison to other stores. I also brought my dog into the store, not 1 employee of the 5 I saw in there greeted my friendly dog. Nobody seemed friendly at all in there. No greeters or hi how are you. Better service at the LARGER stores.

Here’s what you need to know about Pet World in Natick from someone who use to work there when he was in High School.
Six years after working there, when I moved to Cape Cod and decided to get a cockatiel, I drove all the way to Pet World in Natick to get him. These guys take amazingly good care of their pets; both the ones out front and the ones who are getting ready to be adopted in the back.
Doug Sr. and I didn’t always see eye to eye (we’re very different people), but he and his son, Doug Jr. run a tight ship and have built an amazing business. I, like most people have seen the 60 Minutes reports talking about all these pet shops all over the world that abuse their animals or get them from puppy mills and I can tell you with absolute certainty that Pet World does not fall into that category. When you adopt a pet from them you can rest assure that it has been cared for by a staff that treats every animal as if it were their own.
The one thing you should know if you’re planning to get a cat is do not say «I’d like to buy a cat.» They may respond very negatively to that kind of a comment and here’s why… they don’t let just anyone get a cat. You’ll go through an interview as though you were adopting a baby (ok… maybe not quite that intense). Some people get turned off by this, BUT THINK ABOUT IT! They want to make sure their pets are going into loving homes. THAT is what I want in a local pet store and YOU SHOULD TOO!

They have cool Kitty adoption center so if you are looking for a new friend stop by. You can also stop by to play with these cuties.
There are toys you can use to play with the kitties. There are some felines along the front window and a larger floor to ceiling house for them to live in while they wait to be adopted.
They have pet cookies and cakes and have a refrigerated section of products as well.
They have this giant bulletin board of business cards outside listing a variety of people and places from vets, boarding, grooming, walking and more.