Hi again everyone.  Just caught up on reading my FML's from the past few
days.  Wow, what a debate.  I can't believe it's gone on like this for so
long.  BTW, has anyone DONE anything or have you just debated the issue?
Just a question, please no flames!!  I don't see what everyone is arguing
over, you can't change someone else's views on things unless THEY want them
to change!!  I can only speak from my limited experience with Marshall Farms
(I have two MF babies Boris 1.5 year male silver and Natasha 1.7 year sable
female).  I spoke to a representative of Marshall Farms at the big Pet
Product Expo in Atlantic City this year.  She was very helpful and
knowledgeable and tried to answer all of our questions as best she could.
However, what really sticks in my mind is the fact that my wife and I asked
her to send us some information on Marshall Farms Products and general
information on the farm itself.  She smiled gladly and wrote down our name,
address and phone number and said she would be happy to get us ALL the
information that we asked for.  Now, my wife is a manager at a pet store
that currently doesn't carry Marshall Farms Products, so you think that
might make a difference, but here we are MONTHS later and NOTHING.  Not a
single piece of information on anything, products NO, farm info NO, NOTHING.
What kind of business is that.  We talked to this lady (Victoria A von
Ammon, NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, cause I know SOMEONE will ask who she was)
for about an hour.
 
She seemed friendly and very willing to help her target audience (US =
FERRET OWNERS and pet store retailers) but didn't follow up on ANY of her
promises.  We have since called to talk to her and wouldn't you know she has
been OUT OF THE OFFICE every time we called?  How convenient.  I'd really
like to ask her about he early kill policy for breeders, the early
spay/neuter policy for babies, and the disease studies for MF ferrets, but I
just can't seem to reach her.  Personally, I was really pissed off, but
that's just one person too.  I can't blame MF for everything that happens to
go wrong with MF ferrets, but if they do subscribe to these policies (early
kill, early spay etc...) I find it TRULY DETESTABLE!!!  How can they pretend
to say "Quality Ferrets and Ferret Supplies", when obviously, regardless of
whether it comes from personal experience or huge studies, SOMETHING IS
WRONG!!  I mean, someone wrote that they studied about 150 ferrets out of
which 98% were Marshall Farms, and 1/3 of them had problems.  Someone else
responded to this saying that meant NOTHING.  Well, how can you say it means
nothing!!  It means that if most of the ferrets were MF to begin with, that
almost 33% were affected!!  That means a WHOLE LOT to me!!  I hate to even
think of this, because our first two fuzzbutts are Marshall Farms.  When we
got them, we didn't know any of this about MF, and they are getting close to
two years old now and I cannot imagine losing either one of them to
anything, God, we've only had them for two short years!!  We would be
DEVASTATED!!!  Anyway, I promised myself I wouldn't get all worked up, but I
guess I did a little!!  Sorry, didn't mean to step on anyone's toes, just
needed to get some steam off!!
 
I do have some good news to report, Ferret Math has struck again in our
household.  Boris Alexander, Natasha Marie, Misha Nathaniel, and Ivan "The
Terrible" are proud to present to the FML their younger brother (much to
Tasha's dismay, cause she's the ONLY girl!!!) Nikolai!!!!  No middle name
yet, but we're working on it!!
 
Another bit of good news is that we are thinking of starting a local ferret
club in the West Chester/Pottstown area of PA.  Anyone interested or in the
area, PLEASE don't hesitate to contact us at [log in to unmask] to talk
about this.  This club is going to be in conjunction with Kymberlie Becker
and the PA Ferret Rescue up in Boylestown (and another branch in State
College PA).  We hope that it will be helpful in educating local folks to
the wonders of the ferret world!!  With Tara's position at the pet store,
maybe we can try to work out a ferret education day once a month or
something to that effect!!  We just LOVE positive ferret PR to go against
all of the typical "Don't they bite all the time?" "What are they, rats?"
"God, those are ferrets, they bite, stink, and carry rabies" people out
there!!!  Sadly my own mother is one of those people, sorry, I'm trying to
work on her!!!!  Anyway, sorry about the rambling.  Hope all is well with
everyone's fuzzies and families!!  Have a great day and enjoy the FML!!
 
Chris, Tara, and the Fuzzbutts (Boris, Natasha, Misha, Ivan, and Nikolai!!)
 
BTW, this message was written entirely by me (Chris) so if I do need flamed
on something, please don't flame my wife!! Thanks!!
[Posted in FML issue 1990]