Good Morning, Just one shelter mom's point of view..... If given a choice between keeping a ferret(s) in a home with maybe not-so-perfect and nutritious food like Purina Kitten Chow versus surrendering their pet(s) to me or any other rescue -- or god forbid a kill shelter; given to someone who might have nefarious intentions for their pets; throwing them on the street......you know what, I opt for the Kitten Chow each and every time. Look folks, perhaps in better economic times, we could all be the "ferret food police" and lecture others on proper ferret food nutrition but with people barely hanging by their fingernails, I overlook the "bad food choices" ferret owners may have to make now just to keep ferrets in homes sometimes. If the home is safe, loving, and the owners are doing all they can to just stay afloat, then "get real." Our rescue does supplement ferret foods to some households at this time just trying to help ferret owners keep their ferrets.....otherwise their pets would end up at our already overcrowded shelter. And.....go ahead and get ready......! Yes, from time to time we have added Purina Kitten Chow to the shelter mix just to stretch the food budget a bit in a pinch ......and, and to give the fuzzits a treat in their nutritious mix - primarily Totally Ferret Complete and Totally Ferret Active and Show (the regular adult diet) - we are talking about a ration of a 7 pound bag of KChow to 30 pounds of TF. This happens occasionally .... about once every two or three months. And, by god, if I get a donation of Purina Kitten Chow -- am I going to throw it away or worse, make the donor of the food feel like *#it and say, thanks but no thanks and refuse the donation. No, I am not! However, having said all of that, would I feed the ferrets something like Walmart or Hartz food....nope. Throw it out every time. But our shelter CAN do that still. Would I level harsh criticism at someone who did feed their ferrets that horrible food, no. What I would do is ask if we could help them provide a better food for their pets if that is all they can afford and provide food education if money is not the issue. While I am aware that there are any number of people out there that could care less about the quality of food they feed their pets, I believe the vast majority of folks do care, and do the best they can...as evidenced by the huge pet food market out there in our economy, most of it being of good or better quality. Leveling harsh criticism at someone else when they are not privy to that pet owner's financial situation is not only hurtful, it does nothing to address the problem....help provide education where warranted and offer help when needed and, if possible. Isn't the welfare of the ferret(s) the paramount issue here and not ridicule? With regard to having a back stock of food, hip hip hooray for those who can and do....! But, what if you cannot have that cushion and do not have the means to do that for one's self, let alone their pet(s), and live hand-to-mouth? Does that in-of-it-self make you a bad ferret/pet owner -- absolutely not. It simply means you are perhaps doing all that you can do right now and maybe others should offer help, rather than criticism. There are many many many folks out there that are hurting and doing all they can to just hang onto their lives and what matters most to them....their pets..their family. We know these people by name and by face here in the mid-south. Times are extremely tough out there and if feeding a not-so-perfectly nutritious ferret food is the only offense committed by a ferret owner, pleeze.... Respectfully Submitted, Maren Qualls Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary Hernando, MS [Posted in FML 6926]