When the International Ferret Congress posted Scott Sanfilippo's message about The Ferret Store's official policy on harmful treats, it was not to advocate a boycott of TFS, although some IFC members have chosen to do so. The message was posted, with Scott's permission, simply to pass on information. We had notified the FML about progress that was being made with Ferret Depot, PETsMART and PetCo on the issue, and since we had contacted TFS, we felt we should also let the FML readers know what was going on with them. While some members of the IFC are disappointed with Scott's response, and feel that TFS could and should do more to get harmful products removed from the market, we also need to point out that TFS is not totally ignoring the issue. They are putting educational material on their website, and marking the healthier treats as "Recommended Healthy". Further, when Scott follows through on his word, he will be discussing the issue with manufacturers. The IFC recognizes that both of these efforts are an important part of the process. If we are to get harmful ferret products pulled off the market, there is going to need to be a multi-level approach. This will include education of ferret owners whenever possible, educating product suppliers and convincing them to carry only healthy products, and convincing the manufacturers to stop producing the unhealthy products and concentrate on developing things that are both a treat and nutritious. This is not an endeavor that can be accomplished by one person or even one group. It is something that will take the efforts of many people from many different angles, and so there is room for us all to be involved. There are 2 reasons the IFC started by approaching some of the major ferret product suppliers and asking them to stop selling the harmful products. The first was timing. We had corporate representatives at the Symposium from PetCo, PETsMART and Ferret Depot, and could talk to them face to face. The Symposium was the first time we approached them on this matter, and we included TFS in our efforts as soon as we returned home. The second reason is that money talks. If we can get several or more of the major ferret product suppliers refusing to buy the harmful products, that is going to have a much greater impact on the manufacturers than just having FML members write letters. As has been pointed out, the FML readers probably represent less then 1% of ferret owners, and presumably, most of us are already not buying the harmful products. And, the suppliers that have agreed to stop stocking the harmful products have also agreed to suggest to the manufacturers that healthy products need to be developed. The fact that we feel the major suppliers will have more influence does not mean that the FML readers should not write to the manufacturers themselves. In fact, we encourage everyone who feels strongly about the need to have healthy choices for our ferrets to join us in doing just that. In the next few days, we will be providing sample letters you can use, if you do not feel like writing your own, as well as names and addresses of where to send them. The final part of the effort is education. It is important for everyone to help in this effort. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of ferret owners who haven't subscribed to lists where they can get information, or read books likes Ferrets For Dummies. It is important that the more experienced owners and shelters reach out to others and share their knowledge and experiences. The IFC was founded, in part, to promote education. Here is a quote from the IFC website, a part of our official purpose. The International Ferret Congress is formed exclusively for charitable and educational purposes under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, specifically as follows: a. Enhance the welfare of the domestic ferret as a companion animal. b. Provide ferret owners and veterinarians with access to the latest information on ferret husbandry and health care. c. Foster communication, cooperation and understanding between other ferret-oriented organizations, such as clubs, shelters and breeders. Members of the IFC hope that the issue of harmful treats is one that unites ferret lovers to work toward a common goal, and not one that promotes infighting. We will all never agree on anything. However, we should be able to work together for the good of ferrets. The International Ferret Congress Committee http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 4889]