Good Morning,
Just one shelter mom's point of view.....
If given a choice between keeping a ferret(s) in a home with maybe
not-so-perfect and nutritious food like Purina Kitten Chow versus
surrendering their pet(s) to me or any other rescue -- or god forbid a
kill shelter; given to someone who might have nefarious intentions for
their pets; throwing them on the street......you know what, I opt for
the Kitten Chow each and every time.
Look folks, perhaps in better economic times, we could all be the
"ferret food police" and lecture others on proper ferret food nutrition
but with people barely hanging by their fingernails, I overlook the
"bad food choices" ferret owners may have to make now just to keep
ferrets in homes sometimes. If the home is safe, loving, and the owners
are doing all they can to just stay afloat, then "get real." Our rescue
does supplement ferret foods to some households at this time just
trying to help ferret owners keep their ferrets.....otherwise their
pets would end up at our already overcrowded shelter.
And.....go ahead and get ready......! Yes, from time to time we have
added Purina Kitten Chow to the shelter mix just to stretch the food
budget a bit in a pinch ......and, and to give the fuzzits a treat in
their nutritious mix - primarily Totally Ferret Complete and Totally
Ferret Active and Show (the regular adult diet) - we are talking about
a ration of a 7 pound bag of KChow to 30 pounds of TF. This happens
occasionally .... about once every two or three months. And, by god, if
I get a donation of Purina Kitten Chow -- am I going to throw it away
or worse, make the donor of the food feel like *#it and say, thanks but
no thanks and refuse the donation. No, I am not!
However, having said all of that, would I feed the ferrets something
like Walmart or Hartz food....nope. Throw it out every time. But our
shelter CAN do that still. Would I level harsh criticism at someone who
did feed their ferrets that horrible food, no. What I would do is ask
if we could help them provide a better food for their pets if that is
all they can afford and provide food education if money is not the
issue.
While I am aware that there are any number of people out there that
could care less about the quality of food they feed their pets, I
believe the vast majority of folks do care, and do the best they
can...as evidenced by the huge pet food market out there in our
economy, most of it being of good or better quality.
Leveling harsh criticism at someone else when they are not privy to
that pet owner's financial situation is not only hurtful, it does
nothing to address the problem....help provide education where
warranted and offer help when needed and, if possible. Isn't the
welfare of the ferret(s) the paramount issue here and not ridicule?
With regard to having a back stock of food, hip hip hooray for those
who can and do....! But, what if you cannot have that cushion and do
not have the means to do that for one's self, let alone their pet(s),
and live hand-to-mouth? Does that in-of-it-self make you a bad
ferret/pet owner -- absolutely not. It simply means you are perhaps
doing all that you can do right now and maybe others should offer help,
rather than criticism. There are many many many folks out there that
are hurting and doing all they can to just hang onto their lives and
what matters most to them....their pets..their family. We know these
people by name and by face here in the mid-south. Times are extremely
tough out there and if feeding a not-so-perfectly nutritious ferret
food is the only offense committed by a ferret owner, pleeze....
Respectfully Submitted,
Maren Qualls
Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary
Hernando, MS
[Posted in FML 6926]
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