This is the oldest locally owned pet store in the city and one of the few places I can find my Shepherd's favorite dry food, Natural Balance. The staff is really friendly here, and much more knowledgeable than the young kids that work at chain stores like PetSmart and Petco. They stock a lot of specialty products that you can't find anywhere else. I shop for my dogs and cats, and always pick up a special treat at the gourmet bakery here. They also have tons of fish and aquarium stuff if you're into that. It's not always cheaper than the big-box pet stores or grocery store, but they do have coupons and specials on their website. read more

Gross is the only way I can describe this location. You open the door and you're blasted with the musk of uncleaned cages and animal waste. My wife and I came in to check out there aquatic section and boy howdy was this place a wreck. Tank after tank had lethargic fish, with the majority also having dead fish thrown into the mix as well. All the displays were dirty, and even the products on the shelves had layers of dust. By far the worst part was when I brought my wife over to see the hissing cockroaches. It wasn't so much a tank of hissing cockroaches, so much as a tank of hissing cockroach PARTS. On top of that the entire bedding was alive with some kind of writhing, maggot looking worms, and there even seemed to be a giant black window spider ticked away in the back corner. I give this location a rating of sad and embarrassing. read more

I have stopped by this store in the past because they carry some of the harder to find premium pet food brands. My most recent experience there will be my last. This store carried puppy mill bred puppies, and has the audacity to have signs up claiming they are not from puppy mills. These dogs are the result of parents kept in inhumane conditions who are bred over and over throughout their lives until they cannot have puppies anymore, at which point they are dumped on shelters and rescues. This is such a disgusting practice, when so many animals are being euthanized because there are not enough homes to care for them. In addition to the puppy mill puppies, I saw 6+ fancy rats crowded into a tiny 10 gallon fish tank. One of the rats was pregnant and couldn't move around much, so the other rats continually stepped on her as they tried to move in this cramped environment. She was covered in sores. I let an employee know but they did not seem to care. Stores like this go against everything that animal lovers care about. read more

I love this place. Its surely my favorite pet store and pet supply store in Richmond area. The have a descent selection of fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians, toys and food along with all of those other must haves for our furry, scaly and slimy friends. I have always gotten any questions answered efficiently here. They have a knowledgeable staff. I must suggest for any dog companions, trying each of the treats they offer individually up by the check out counter. My little one loves them so much! The connected store "The water garden center" has always been my go to place for my pond supplies and exotic Koi fish. The staff here have an unchallenged understanding about water ponds and can truly help you with any issues you might be having. I would trust them with my fish tanks as well. read more

My dog had major skin allergies and a friend recommend I go here for a particular shampoo for him. It's the Buddy Wash and it helped! We also buy his food here which is a few bucks cheaper than other dog shops in town. This store has a great selection for your dog, cat, bird, fish, exotic animal, etc.. They have a young friendly staff and cats hanging around. Occasionally they sell locally bred pups that you can reach in and play with. read more

This place isn't the best but it gets the job done. I have a bulldog that eats Taste of the Wild dog food and treats that you can't find at a regular pet store (PetSmart). The store itself feels a little junky; it isn't aesthetically pleasing but it isn't dirty either. They typically have a litter of pups or rabbits available for sale. The staff has been both friendly and helpful each time I visit. read more

I've been going to Finfeather since it first opened. The staff was always friendly and knowledgeable. But when they started selling puppies I stopped going. There's no reason for them to be brokers for backyard dog breeders. Sponsorable knowledgeable breeders do not sell their dogs through stores. Maybe one day they'll see the light and I'll go back. read more

Absolutely HORRIBLE conditions. Anyone who rates this above one star doesn't know anything about proper animal husbandry. Somehow worse than Petco and Petsmart...a feat I thought not possible. There are rodents crammed into aquariums, curled up in their own waste and cuddling with the stiff bodies of dead rats, drinking out of algae-filled water bottles. It does not matter if an animal is intended to be food, it deserves to be kept in humane conditions. I cannot believe they had the audacity to display animals in conditions like that (not to even bring in the point that in most cases live-feeding is completely unnecessary and honestly dangerous to your snake). With reptiles, they cohabit, which is already a horrible idea, but they somehow cram more animals into smaller cages than the big box stores. Enclosures all disgusting. Full of waste and algae in waterbowls. Many of the animals had no hides at all, I cannot imagine how stressed they were. Boa curled up in a corner, ball pythons glass surfing, bearded dragons in a tank bare of anything but a piece of cork and a small container of filthy water. Four bearded dragons had respiratory infections so bad, their eyes were completely swollen shut. To be fair, a few of their enclosures appeared to be adequate...Russian Turtles and Sulcata Tortoise weren't in AWFUL enclosures, though they were far from ideal. I don't know enough about birds to critique them indepth, but the cages looked messy, small, and the birds appeared to be stressed, in my opinion. Of course, they fell into the common sin of keepng bettafish in glass death traps. They had a few bettas in a filtered contraption that was disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. I know how long it takes for waste to accumulate, and those tanks hadn't been touched in months. The fish area was probably the best...though it certainly was nothing special. To be fair, they had a good selection of products. But the place was DISGUSTING. Shit everywhere, animals dying in cages and the employees sitting around watching youtube videos on their phones. No one there knows a thing about animal care. Do NOT support this place. Absolute shithole. EDIT- Reading some of the reviews on this page, it's obvious that you are incapable of making changes. Rats do not do well in aquariums, there isn't enough ventilation. Animals need places to hide to feel safe. If they do not have hides that will become stressed and this will kill them. Go and look at your Bearded Dragons, right now, and tell me their eyes are swollen shut. There are issues with the very ROOTS of your husbandry. Fish die in shipping, animals die in shipping. That's understandable. But animals are dying in your store, animals are sick and living in their own filth in your store, as they have been for months, and you appear to be unable to do anything about it. read more

This is my first experience in this type of store since moving to Richmond 5 years ago and it's my last. The store has an overwhelming smell of urine, indicating that the cages need a really good cleaning! The ferret was sitting in a cage full of feces. I definitely won't be buying anything from this store!! read more

I will never set foot in this store again. They don't give two f u c k s about animals. The animals are kept in such s h i t t y conditions. I came into the store to buy some toys for my new rats. Curiosity killed the [r]at and i walked over to look at the sad little feeder rats on display. I looked down at the second row of rats and i thought i saw something pink. I looked closer and it was a dead rat with its guts hanging out and everything being EATEN by the other rats. I gagged and left that room real quick and notified the associate who saw my reaction. She made it sound like it happened all the time by saying "no matter how much we feed them..." like s h i t happens and then she proceeded to apologize that "i had to see that." That's pretty f u c k e d if it happens all the time and it's NOT normal...unless the rat is already dead...in which case, take care of the dead rats before the other rats devour it. I worked at a pretty well known pet store that sold feeders but that never happened. Sick animals were taken care of. There's a vet right next to you for Christ's sake!! Perhaps i'm a little biased since i'm a rat owner but it's still horrible. What if a kid had seen it before i pointed it out. DON'T SHOP HERE! ~Should anyone try to reply and apologize, I highly suggest they use spellcheck. read more

Fin & Feather Pet Center - who knew that a week after this was taken, the rats were eating one of their own kind. *barf* gerbils are kept in these conditions too... - Pet Groomers Near Me - Henrico, Virginia

One of the best places for your pet, at the right price. I love all the pet stores in Carytown, but this my new favorite place for my animals. The prices here are much more reasonable, the staff is amazing and friendly, and the product selection is nothing to scoff at. The store is fairly large and offers a ton of foods, litters, and toys for all your animals, especially the aquatic ones. I have a few different types of animals, all of which can be taken care of at this store. They were shy on the selection for raw cat food but they were able to order what I wanted in just a week or so. A staff member called when it arrived and remembered my face when I came in -nice. Though they are accommodating, the fact that they sell animals makes me apprehensive. That being my only qualm, I remain happy with all my experiences here. Buy food and litter here because it's not big business and still affordable. read more

My girlfriend and I came here interested in their reptile selection and were greeted by a sorry looking puppy in a cramped glass cage with small animal substrate. The reptiles had it much worse though, with most of them dead or dying. This was one of the most abysmally awful pet stores I have ever been in. Felony charges of animal cruelty incoming. Avoid this place like the plague. Plenty of reputable independent animal businesses out there and this is not one of them. read more

This is my current favorite pet store in Richmond. I feed my pets a raw diet and I get the pre-made frozen blocks and grinds-they have it for the cheapest in town, AND they carry live worms which are perfect for when I want to get food and treats for the whole family (I have chickens). I am not a huge fan that they have so many critters (they have birds, mice, gerbils, rabbits etc. and reptiles) but I like them better than any of the big box stores. read more

Very limited selection of cat foods. They've got a decent selection of foods for dogs. Customer service at this atire is terrible. I've been in this store 3 or 4 times (in a pinch), and the ppl working there have a piss pore attitude and demeanor. How about smiling and greeting the customer, is that too much?? It's like they can't even be bothered if you ask a question. They don't keep much Orijen cat food in stock, so it's always out (the few times I've been in). Today I went in to get a 12 pound bag of my normal food; it's not available. They do however have 3, 4 pound bags. I asked if I could purchase the 3 bags at the 12lb bag price, and I got a round about answer about how they're at the lowest price Orijen sets..blah blah blah. I know they obviously pay more for the smaller bags, but hey...you're a business and you should accommodate. PJ pets in Carytown has, TWICE, sold me three smaller bags at the large bag price...to accommodate. It's also a good lesson for he business to keep larger bags in stock. Aside from the explanation, there was no sorry, nothing. Just..."we can't do that, we'll have a shipment Wednesday". Well, I definitely won't be coming back Wednesday, nor ever. There's friendlier pet supply stores out there with great selections; find them and pass this one by. read more

I like this pet store. When I 1st moved to richmond I went to a local chain pet store and they did not have the size filters I use for my fish tank. A worker there recommended this store and they did have my size. Ive come to this store ever since for my fish supplies and turtle bedding. Although I like their selection of fish I haven't bought any yet. I usually stick to the chains for my fish because they ofen have sales. But I would like to pick some up on my next visit, there's a few I have my eye on. read more

Great "mom and pop" pet store, very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They love your furry family as much as you do.

Stopped in here with a friend on our way back from a little R & R so that we could get some things for his fish tank. He is nothing short of obsessed with his collection of exotic fish. This place was kinda cluttered, but it was clean. I almost did a swan dive over some supplies that weren't quite put away. I enjoyed playing with the rabbits!! And they had some puppies that could be adopted, but they were sleeping :) They have a really good selection of exotic fish.....I'm not sure of the names, but my fish lover was IMPRESSED and thought that the prices were outstanding. My friend was able to get a really good deal on driftwood and he had a million questions and all of the staff that we encountered were friendly and helpful. I'm glad to report that I didn't see ANY dead animals. read more

I have purchased and even returned a few items from this lakeside Fin & Feather store several times w/o any problems. The staff seemed friendly enough but what happened recently really pissed me off!! My friends and I stopped by to purchase a few items for our pets. We are a diverse group( Asian, African-American and Caucasian ) just hanging out like most young adults. Things seemed ok, until my friend Paul pointed out that an employee/ manager(?) was shadowing our female friend around the store. All of a sudden he needed to fix this and adjust that, etc.....my friend blocked him to see how far he was going to try to take things. The guy never asked any of us if we needed help or had any questions. He had locked onto shadowing our friend (who is an African-American woman) around the store. What was that crap about ?? I don't know if the old white guy is an employee/ manager/ owner. Anyway none of us will ever spend money in that store and support people who act like that! Unfortunately this wont break those jerks but at least we know our money wont be going into their pockets!! I want to give this place a ZERO !!! *** I am responding to the condescending b.s. "Sorry if you felt anything different" reply from Darrell P. the owner this way.... the old white guy Followed our African-American friend around the store...he didn't follow / bother anyone else...we are a diverse group (African-American woman, white female, Asian male and I'm the white guy) its one thing to be available IF a customer has a question/ needs help..but our friend was FOLLOWED around the store!! That's NOT being helpful, that's Harassment !! read more

This pet center is small and quaint but they are so helpful and friendly. They really know there stuff and always always always carry your heavier bags of food out to the car. And as a mom of 2 little ones it is super helpful for them to do that, and just nice. read more

I believe that Fin & Feather is the oldest continually owned Pet Store not jusr locally to Richmond, but the oldest in the state. The reason for this is the owner, Melvin Major, who puts quality of product and customer service above profit. That, in these days, is rare. I have never seen a sick animal or one that was receiving improper care at the shop. We have been customers there for almost 20 years. Bruce & Dee Edwards, Midlothian read more

Really wish I read these reviews first...here is an email to fin and feather....serving as my review. Hi. I took my gold fish there to be re-homed and am very grateful for that, however the tanks were disgusting. There were dead fish that had been there for a long time...tanks that haven't been cleaned in a while. I also noticed sick fish with "ick" or whatever it's called. I was unsure of where to take my fish as he got too big for our tank so I reluctantly left him in your care. I know it's just a fish but it is my responsibility to take care of it and I feel like a store like yours should have the same courtesy. I never send these types of emails, but I can't stop thinking about the conditions and knowing that I purposely left my fish there. I also noticed the small animals and other animals you have are also not well taken care of...the mice and rats made me want to cry. Enough of my rant, I want you to know that as an animal lover, I'd expect a pet store to be better. They are helpless. Please improve for the sake of the animals and the sake of your store. read more

I will never support this store. Every time I have walked in here I am so heart broken for their reptiles. None of them are being monitored at their correct heat and humidity levels. None of them have the proper hides they need, and their water bowls look like they haven't been cleaned in weeks. There are gnats everywhere and the poor things are dried out and eating leaves left out for days. They look emaciated and leathery and crawl in their own poo and waste. If it were up to me this store would never carry these animals. As a reptile owner myself I will never trust buying any brand from this store. For all I know it's covered in mites and bugs that could infect my snake. I wish someone could help those poor animals. I'll never set foot in this store again for any of my reptile needs. read more

Fin and Feather is the only pet store that I've shopped at for well over 5 years. They carry a lot of specialty pet foods, like my cats' food, EVO. I have yet to find EVO anywhere else! The staff seem very knowledgeable, so I do recommend that you ask them if you have any questions. My only complaint is that every time I've gone, I've seen dead fish floating in the aquariums, and usually more than 1 or 2. Other than that, I really love Fin and Feather! read more

Yes this place is not very good...they people that work there aren't friendly at all they just stand there awkwardly staring at you they don't greet you nor do they ask you if you need help with anything... I went in here to buy fish food there were like 12 people working in this tiny pet shop...not one of them said a hell or anything... i will not be returning Advice Hire new people people that actually want to work...trust me there's plenty of them.. read more

Great place and knowledgeable staff. Nice to have a local place to purchase from rather than the big box stores. I highly recommend them for all your pet needs. I grew up with Fin and feather and now my son shops there. It warmed my heart when he came home and told me about this "great place" he had found. He had met the owner and now only wants to shop there. read more

They have a large selection of small animals; which have small mites all over them. All the rats had these tiny bugs crawling all over them, and some of the rats had a horrible cough/sneezing fit (which makes me think it is untreated myco because of the stress and terrible conditions). It was sad to see 5-10 large rats jammed into the corner of a 10 gallon aquarium all piled on top of each other because they were terrified and sick. Very very disappointed and I will not be returning. I understand that this pet shop may cater to snake/reptile owners, but that is still no excuse not to take proper care of the animals. If I owned a reptile, I would be very hesitant about purchasing live food from them because of all the mites as well. I was considering purchasing (more like rescuing) a rat weanling, but after handling one, I noticed the tiny black mites were crawling all over my hands. An employee also handled the rats by picking them up by their tail...which can seriously damage their spinal cord and cause them unnecessary pain. The rats were not aggressive, just scared. They do not provide their small animals with the basics. Two gerbils mothers and their babies were in a 10 gallon aquarium with no form of mental or physical stimulation (like an exercise wheel, or even a shoe box to hide inside), leading to many of them obsessively clawing against the side of the tank. Too many feeder mice jammed together in a single cage. The list goes on. Even the birds were given the bare minimum. There is no excuse for a love bird to be shoved into a tiny bird cage with The reptiles and fish seem to be relatively well taken care of, but I did witness very large species of fish who required large aquariums stuffed inside 10 gallons. Some did not look healthy, and in another tank I witnessed an oversized pleco trying to munch on tiny goldfish while it was still alive, while two dead goldfish floated on top and a dead pleco hovered at the bottom of the tank. Even their aquatic plant section was riddled with snails (something aquatic enthusiasts have nightmares about) and many dead plants. I was impressed with their beautiful collection of dwarf hairgrass though. If you're interested in starting a planted tank, I recommend checking out their selection of plants - just be aware that there were snails, and they are a little pricey. Although aquarium supplies were plentiful as well, and reasonably priced. I would be fearful to bring home any small animal to my house because of the mites I saw, and was even a bit skeptical about the live fish. I checked out the bettas and they were taken care of like they usually are - stuffed into small bowls that were half-full of water because it had evaporated and nobody could be bothered to refill the water. Some were very unique and beautiful though, and if you're looking to purchase a betta fish, I recommend coming here. Overall, the entire store felt 'dirty'. I wanted to like it here. I'm sure its a great place to find certain brands of pet food, but overall I would recommend that people who are interested in adopting or purchasing animals check craigslist or petfinder first...in terms of small animals, even the big chain stores (petco, petsmart, etc) treat their animals better and provide better housing. I'm all for supporting small businesses (especially responsible pet stores who humanely breed and sell animals) but I just can't support a business that blatantly cuts corners on the health and happiness of their pets. read more

I was interested in some of their small birds, but I never even bothered going into their bird room. The cages were filthy and there was even a dead bird in the bottom of one of the finch cages. If they hadn't noticed that, who knows what else they didn't noticed. I didn't want to take a chance on getting unhealthy birds. Dead bird = huge red flag! read more

I picked up a seemingly healthy 'weanling' rex rat from your store as a pet back in December. He mysteriously died suddenly from (what appeared to be) congestive heart failure 2 weeks later. I came back a month later and observed the following in the rodent room: - a sickly looking rat with it's ribs showing who was experiencing labored breathing and being kept in the same tank with other seemingly healthy rats (there is a veterinary office directly next door, there is no excuse for this) -green algae growing in most of the water bottles -mites infestation on the animal's fur and in the tanks -pine bedding which is dangerous for rat's sensitive respiratory systems -food pellets randomly scattered around the tank where the animals go to the bathroom instead of in food dishes -no nesting boxes for the rats to sleep in and keep warm. The rats were forced to huddle together in pile in the corner for warmth. I understand that you sell rats and mice as 'feeders' for snakes, but they are still living and breathing creatures and this does not mean they should be kept in these kinds of disappointing conditions while in your care. Rats are the most intelligent and docile species of the rodent family and make wonderful, affectionate, loving pets when they are cared for properly and handled often. I had bought a feeder rat from you 10 years ago and she was healthy and happy throughout her whole life and lived a very long time. The one I purchased from you a few months ago in December; not so much. I am very upset with how your business is currently taking care of your animals and I worry that more animals will die needlessly if you do not do something about how your business is managed. You should keep the overall conditions of the cages much cleaner, switch to rat safe paper pulp bedding (CareFresh is one good brand), get rid of the mite problem, clean out the algae from the water bottles, have food dishes with plenty of food that is kept clean and free from urine and feces, provide nesting boxes, and pay closer attention to the health and overall well being of all of the live animals in your care. Reading some of the other reviews on Yelp seem to prove that what I witnessed was apparently not a fluke. I will be periodically coming back in to check on your store to see if your employees and management will take steps towards the overall improvement of your living inventory. I will not be spending another penny in your store and will encourage others to do the same until the overall living conditions, health, comfort, and stress levels of all of your animals dramatically change for the better. Sincerely, -a concerned former customer read more

Really disappointed with my most recent visit here. We were upgrading our aquarium significantly and wanted to get new fish and supplies to do so. Considering that is what half their store consists of I would expect them to be a bit more hands on and knowledgeable about the subject. We had to go ask for help, 3 people were standing behind the counter staring blankly at us like we were inconveniening them. Then when I was asking about chemicals the young man that helped us didn't know kept saying use this product I was like but I'm using this do I need that (it's the same product essentially) he said yeah you need both. I knew I didn't. It's a problem when your customer can research and find more info than your employees know. I went in planning to spend a lot of money on fish and supplies but because nobody knew what they were talking about or cared to assist I left with 2 fish some gravel chemical replenishment that I knew I needed and a decoration. I had to make another stop to get what I needed. Again, not mad but really disappointed in this shop. read more