Marguerite writes
>you as a consumer must educate yourself and can't rely on any store to
>offer you "just the good things for you." Food stores and restaurants,
>for example, sell all kinds of things that are not really good for
>you.......too much fat etc.  But it is up to you, when you go to these
>places to make healthy choices.  We don't hammer a food store to remove
>"all fatty foods" or all "high in carbohydrate" foods.
 
Unfortunately, education does not work.  It does not work for humans and
their food choices.  Obesity continues to rise, especially alarmingly so
among children, despite all the efforts of our government, health care
experts and talk show hosts.  Convenience, availability and indulgence
win out over education every time.
 
It would be even less likely to work for ferret owners--I know of no good
way to reach the 100s of thousands of ferret owners in this country.
There are only 2500 members of this list.  Most ferret owners probably
simply rely on what the pet stores sell to make their choices.  After
all it says "ferret" on the package, so it must be ok for them, right?
 
There are 2 major national pet store chains, and 2 major internet ferret
supply stores.  There are also a several regional chains and many smaller
internet suppliers.
 
If these pet stores are willing to listen (and so far they have been
surprisingly open) I am willing to talk to them.  I don't believe in
"hammering" them either, but in polite, open honest discussions.
 
Linda Iroff
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 4873]