Several months ago I asked about Sheppard & Green ferret food, which has recently found its way into North Carolina stores. A fellow FMLer was kind enough to send me a sample of their food through the mail so I was able to discover that my ferrets will eat it. I sent a letter to S&G asking them for information on their food, and I received back a rather informative packet of information about the general nutritional breakdown of the company's two foods. Judging by this general comparison, the "Nutri Life" food appears to be comparable in protein, fat and other crude nutritional aspects as Totally Ferret, Marshall's or Iams kitten, and the "Maxi Life" is essentially the same with less fat. S&G did not both to answer a few specific questions such as who formulated their food and whether they set specific standards for the quality of the raw material that goes into the food. The food appears to be preserved with vitamins E and C, but I didn't see any statement saying that they specifically do *not* use ethoxyquin. Finally, I can't say much for their mail room. The package they sent me with the info and samples was postmarked Aug. 29 and I got it Saturday. The address on the package was wrong, even though it had the correct 9-digit zipcode. It also arrived postage due. I don't know if S&G will provide free samples of their food through pet stores. Perhaps they're adhering to the TF practice of only providing samples from their own offices. They have a toll-free number if anyone is interested in trying to get samples to see if their ferrets will like it. (Either that or shell out $16 or so--at least locally--and risk having your ferrets ignore it.) The number is: 800-851-6661. The price seems to be higher than Iams but less expensive than TF. It's also flavored with fig juice or extract. My ferrets have never tasted figs but still seem to like the S&G food OK. I haven't made up my mind yet if I'll add S&G to the mix of foods I give my guys. --Jeff Johnston ([log in to unmask]) [Posted in FML issue 1729]