Working as a part-time sampler for the Iams company here in Calgary, I would like to say something about the comment made by Aims ("Scotties, Wires, and Weasels") about being excited NOT to see chicken by-product meal in the 8 in 1 Ultra Blend food. Depending on the honesty of a pet food manufacturer, you have to specifically ASK them (all reputable premium quality foods should have a 1-800 number on the bag) what they put in their "by-product" meals. By-product meals are not regulated by AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Organization). The AAFCO regulations DO NOT allow pet food manufacturers to indicate exactly what constitutes the ingredients of their by-product meal on the package. This unfortunately protects the folks who throw EVERYTHING into the mix, and harms the folks like Iams who do everything to make sure that the same quality of meat and "by-products" that you or I would be eating is included in their food for your pet. Personally, I can tell you EXACTLY what constitutes their "by-product" meal - heart, liver, lungs and kidney. This is how Iams increases the digestibility and protein content in their food - no other food company that I know of is so diligent about researching the actual use of their nutrients by the animal. No bones, beaks, feet, feathers or any other unsavoury and inedible stuffs are a part of their meal. I DO know that I took a look at my mother-in-Law's cat's bowl of canned WHISKAS and found actual BONE fragments - not tuna or salmon bones - but CHICKEN! Can you imagine what damage that does to a feline's digestive tract let alone a ferrets, which is less than 1/4 the size? That's why it's important to know what's in the food - the label doesn't say - *entire* chicken - that would be a dead give-away. Unfortunately, Freddie loves all the flavourings and colourings and I can't get his mom to resist his howling and switch him to a better soft food. I don't mean to rant, but unfortunately, the AAFCO regulations spawn gossip which is applied, unsubstantiated, to other pet foods with more harm done than could be imagined. *Please* call the 1-800 number on the package of your pet food and find out exactly what they term "by-product" meal. (They could be calling some of the nasty stuff by some other term, but if they are a reputable food, you shouldn't have to worry) ++++++++++++++ [log in to unmask] Mom (booked the vet appt.) The Terrible Two (*we* don't have ear mites mom, see? Clean as a whistle!) The Kitty Krew (Keep them *AWAY*) [Posted in FML issue 1150]