Don't worry Marguerite, this isn't hammering of people who haven't expressed a desire to understand consumer desires and needs! There was a REQUEST from that vet at Petco because he WANTS to convince his company to not carry those products but he NEEDS to show the business types that this is a strong wish in the consumer base and that not considering ferret health when making product line choices can lose customers to those stores which do take health into account. He needs these letters to sway choice more toward health. At The Ferret Store there was a question raised about what matters to consumers. This is the base letter I am using myself, with specific notes added. Anyone who wants to work from it to save time is welcome, though I know anyone else can say it as well if not better: "I am greatly concerned about ferret health so it troubles me when a company sells products which may undermine health or pose other serious risks. It would greatly please me if [Insert Company Name Here.] would not re-order any treats or foods for ferrets which may cause pancreatic disease or blockages due to high sugar content, or due to containing chunks of dried fruits, vegetables, or seeds. Please, let your upper management know that the ferret community has good cause to be worried about these products for our ferrets who are obligate carnivores vulnerable to insulinoma and blockages, and that other stores are removing them from their purchasing lists as an indication of their commitment to ferret health. Please, encourage companies from which you buy to strongly consider ferret health before creating products." Here are the addresses: Dr. Thomas Edling, Director, Veterinary Medicine for Petco <[log in to unmask]>. Scott Sanfilippo, President of NEEPS, the parent company of The Ferret Store <[log in to unmask]> This is a project which has already made wonderful in-roads in other stores, such as PetSmart where the company vet has even gone so far as to ask about what litter box designs and sizes work best, and the Ferret Depot which has also mentioned preferentially carrying the most healthy products. So, we already know that it CAN be done. It just will take some in-put from a number of ferret people now to convince some reluctant people to consider health in their product purchasing choices. [Posted in FML issue 4873]