-- [ From: Patricia L. Israelson * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
 
Howdy to All!!
  I'm new to the mailing list too; and like many others who have
recently written in, I've been reading for a week or two till I got the
feel of how this here thing works.  I didn't want to make a fool of
myself right off the bat, thought I'd wait awhile before I do that!!
My name is Patricia (Patty, to my friends) Israelson, and I run the
Beggars & Thieves Ferret Shelter in Texas.  I have approximately 30
ferrets here right now.  Some are  my own babies, some are shelter
ferrets, and some are just boarding while their families are on
vacation.  I love each and every one of them dearly, and try to provide
the best home possible for the shelter ferrets till they find new
homes.  I was prompted to write regarding the Total Ferret food issue.
I don't know much about this brand of food since I haven't seen it in
the local pet shops yet.  I feed a high-protein cat food called Wysong
Feline Diet that is available through your local veterinarians.  When
choosing a food for my ferrets, I always check the label for the proper
ingredients, but I also am on the lookout for the preservatives
ETHOXYQUIN or BHA.  There have been studies done that have determined
that these two products are known carcinogens, (known to cause cancer
in lab mice).  Since we know that ferrets are prone to several forms of
cancer, it seems to me that we should check the labels on the food that
we feed to make sure that we don't give them anything that might
aggravate the situation.  Wysong is made from Amish chickens which are
fed grains which do not contain preservatives; and no preservatives are
added to the food when manufactured either.  That sounds pretty good to
me.  All the ferrets who live with me are very healthy and have
gorgeous coats.  I switch all the newcomers over to the Wysong, and it
isn't very long before they look great too. I don't use Ferretone or
Linetone for the same reasons.  I use pure virgin olive oil instead,
and they seem to like it just fine.  I know Wysong is good, but there
are also other brands of food out there that are just as good.  You
just have to do a little detective work and read the labels to
determine which one is best for you and your fuzzies.  I also have to
add my two cents worth about the Marshall Farms Ferrets.  The ones that
have come through here are just as sweet and loveable as the ones that
are from breeders.  I have had only one case of Adrenal Tumor in one of
the rescues, and she is a MF ferret.  She is recovering quickly after
her surgery and doing just great.  MF ferrets have just as much love to
give you as any other ferret.  So lets not be picky as to where they
came from--if they steal your heart like they steal everything else,
just love them back for as long as you can.  Well, enough for now.
I'll write again when I have something else to say or just feel like
putting my foot in my mouth again.  Best wishes to all and lots of hugs
& kisses to all of your little fuzzies.
 
Patricia Israelson & the Beggars & Thieves Ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1069]