>From:    Dayna Frazier <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Bits and Pieces
>All those statistics are all fine well and good but cat food is made for
>cats and ferret food is made for ferrets!  There is a reason these two
>types of foods are labelled and recommended for the applicable species.
 
Not really.  Most ferret foods are adapted from either mink or cat food.
Now though we have Totally Ferret and 8in1's top grade food that were
designed for ferrets.  I'm not sure whether Marshall's or Mazuri started as
cat foods or wwere designed from scratch.  Those ferret foods high in fish
are usually based on mink food.  We do not recommend these.  Mink fill a
different niche in the wild than polecats (though close enough that the
American mink is a threat to the European polecat).
 
There are many good foods I have no experience with and can only honestly
comment on those I've become familiar with.
 
All processed foods are imitations of natural diets.  Since cats and
ferrets are both natural mousers there food needs are very similar.  Animals
evolve to their niche and are thus designed for their "natural" food.
 
Much of what I know about nutrition I did learn from my good friends the
Willards.  Glad to see them again in White Plains last weekend.  Tom does do
a good talk as do the folks from 8in1.  We always recommend Totally Ferret
as the best food choice but do not hesitate to say Iams is a good substitute
though far from TF's equal.  You probably should notice that what people eat
is hardly the optimal diet either.  In all things you must compromise.
Constantly refreshed rabbit or mouse carcasses would be better than even
Totally Ferret at matching the diet the ferret was "designed" for but it
would be highly inconvinient.  Too much chance of not keeping up with decay
and introducing rotten food.
 
The timed release aspect is good theory.  An optimal food would reduce
waste.  A sub-optimal food would require more eating since less would be
extracted on the way through.  Compromise as fits your individual situation
between quality, cost and convinience.
 
>From:    Ferret Rescue of Tidewater <[log in to unmask]>
 
I was going to honor BIG's wishes but this lie can not go unanswered.  I
wish the comment below had been deleted as it should have by BIG's stated
policies.
 
>I know that you are a judge for the AFA and that the AFA's major supporter
>is MF; and that MF financially supports AFA shows- so indirectly, you could
>say you work for MF.
 
[Moderator's note: I fail to see which stated policy of mine that violates.
If anything, it's allowing you an opportunity to respond.  BIG]
 
That is a lie.  Since YOU chose to mention a name and BIG allowed it...
Howard Davis and LIFE has been saying this for years.  It is untrue.  He
says the same thing about United Vaccine and the AFA.  It is also untrue.
Although the AFA has not shown me an official opinion on MF I have never
heard any AFA board member say much nice about MF.
 
MF sponsored ONE ring at ONE AFA show.  United buys advertising.  So does
Performance foods (Totally Ferret).  We have sponsored more rings than MF
has.  Doesn't mean I work for myself.  Performance foods sponsors rings at
many shows.  I don't work for Dr. Willard either.
 
I am a judge licensed by the AFA.  The AFA has the only long term training
program in the US ferret world.  NAFA has a short one.  LIFE may have
recently instituted one, they don't exactly talk to me.
 
BUT I also judge at the independant shows.  I was scheduled to judge in
Chicago but gave my slot to a friend.  I am scheduled to judge the LAFF
show.  LAFF and the AFA aren't exactly best friends.  They helped found LIFE
to avoid the AFA and FURO's control.
 
You exactly quote the big lies I only alluded to.  I have seen many many
accusations but this is the first to be put in the FML in a long time.
Unfortunately it is a guerilla war - but not one I wanted to be in.  It has
gone to the point where I was falsely accused of crimes in an attempt to
silence me.  Since it was a ridiculously false charge the trial I had to
endure was short and went entirely in my favor.  This was a completely
ludicrous thing to happen.
 
I tried to remain wholy neutral on the groups.  I am a member of many of the
local and national groups.  The AFA has made no comments on LIFE, FURO or
any other group.  Most groups avoid disparaging the others to any great
extent.  Nothing I say is a comment from the AFA unless I specifically say
so.  I am not a shill for the AFA any more than for FURO, LAFF, STAR*, LIFE
or any other group I am or have been a part of.
 
bill killian
[Posted in FML issue 1699]