As a manufacture of a number of products including Ferrets Choice we do
our best to help all manner of different groups and charities related to
the Pet Industry.  I am sorry if you feel that we are only doing this to
further our own self interests, nothing could be further from the truth,
but I will not use the FML to get into that absurd argument.  What I will
say is that without companies like ourselves to help people in the
different rescues and welfare organizations that are around the world you
would have a far greater problem than already exists.
 
I would also like to say that accusing the NFWS of bias towards this
company is so far of the mark that it would take a lifetime to workout what
you are saying.  I personly do not like the accusation and gossiping over
the Internet about things you have no idea about is just malicious.  So
please check your facts.  I think the people concerned at the NFWS will
have their own opinion and how to reply to that absurd suggestion.  I know
for a FACT that the NFWS has a lot of members using other foods to feed
their ferrets and that they are perfectly happy.  Is it not better to give
people a choice so they can determine what is best for them and their
pets?.  The fact that they recommend our food speaks for itself.
 
I will state here and know that the assertion that Ferrets Choice is a
complete cat food is wrong.  But do not a lot of people still feed cat food
to their ferrets anyway?  Also the assertion that our food is some way
linked to a Mink food is ludicrous.  Do you feel that Professor Costa has
the wrong credentials to formulate a complete ferret food?  Are you saying
that carbohydrates are not required by an animal with a high metabolic rate
like the ferret or that a ferret does not need carbohydrates at all?  Have
you got the information to backup what you say or is this just from memory?
Do you understand what constitues a complete food and what is meant by the
term Balance.  All foods are made to their own unique formulations they
will meet their own specifacations.  Our spec is: 39% protein and 22% oil,
7% moisture.  These conform to what is our optimal performance ratio for
the effective benifits of the Z-Megamore Plus.  Sorry to hear that you had
such a hard time with the bottle and that your ferrets voilantly shook
their heads.  That is the first time I have heard of that accuring anywhere
in the world.
 
The ingredient list on our packaging is put in its required order as is
stated by the Animal Feeds Act.  We only wish that the Act is tightened to
make other manufactures state what bulking agents they use to spread the
costs of manufacture.  We clearly state what is used in our food.  It would
be easy to change the order of this list, however we are not in this
business to mis-lead people as we like to feel that our reputation will
become synonymous with quality and customer service.
 
We could easily produce an all poultry based complete ferret food.  If you
could please let us know who would pay the ~9.50 per Kilo in the numbers
required to get that past the Board I would be more than willing to pursue
the idea.  Our food has over 350Kg per tonne of chicken meat, not bones or
offal but real chicken meat and the fish smell you talk about is actually
the Tallow you can smell.  When the food goes through the extrusion process
all odurs are eliminated and it is then that that chicken tallow is applied
to enhance the flavour.  I could not imagine a ferret willing to eat an
extruded biscuit without this.
 
Finally could you please state for everybody on the FML what facts you have
to backup what you are talking about or are you working for another pet
food company because it sure sounds like it to me.
 
Mark Orvad
 
John G. Keen
Operations Director
Companion's Choice Products Ltd
Unit 18 Garston Buisness Park
Blackburne Street
Liverpool L19 8JB
 
Tel: 44 151 494 9050
Fax: 44 151 427 7130
URL: www.merseyworld.com/companions_choice
[Posted in FML issue 2711]