To Robb, who wanted to know about Sun Seed food, esp. compared with Totally Ferret - A dealer in my area recently decided to try the Sun Seed "Sunscription" Vita Ferret Formula, and gave me a bag to sample and get my opinion. Here are some of the stats from the back of the bag, and from Totally Ferret: **SUN SEED** **TOTALLY FERRET** Crude Protein (min) - 30% Crude Protein (min) - 36% Crude Fat (min) - 6% Crude Fat (min) - 22% Crude Fiber (max) - 5% Crude Fiber (max) - 1.5% Moisture (max) - 14% Moisture (max) - 10% First 10 ingredients: 1. Meat and Bone Meal 1. Chicken By-Product Meal 2. Brewer's Rice 2. Rice Flour 3. Ground Corn 3. Egg Product 4. Poultry By-Product Meal 4. Chicken fat 5. Fish Meal 5. Poultry fat 6. Wheat Middlings 6. Wheat Flour 7. Corn Gluten Meal 7. Corn Meal 8. Animal Fat 8. Herring Meal 9. Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles 9. Beet Pulp 10. Beet Pulp 10. Chicken Liver Meal Just looking at the bag, the protein/fat/fiber percentages (especially the fat) on the TF are *much* better, and there are more meat-based ingredients in the TF than in the Sun Seed. Sun Seed also has corn-based products listed 3rd and 7th (twice within the first 10), and a lot more of other grains, which are harder for ferrets to digest than meat-based products. When I opened the bag of Sun Seed, the first thing I noticed about the food itself was a strong odor. (Needless to say, yes, my ferrets loved it and thought it was a treat.) Even when mixed with their other foods, it gave the ferrets' stools a very strong odor. I feed a principal mix of TF, Iams and Mazuri, with other foods thrown into the mix on occasion just for variety. My ferrets' stools have very little odor, and considering the ratio between intake and output, they process the food fairly efficiently. When I added the Sun Seed, even for only a couple of days, not only did the odor increase greatly but so did the amount of output. When I removed the Sun Seed from their diet, their stools went back to normal. IMHO I would not recommend the Sun Seed. I told the dealer I was very disappointed with it, and why. The other foods he carries are much better (Totally Ferret, Mazuri, Iams, Science Diet, Eukanuba). Turns out he was rather disappointed with the food, also. I don't think he'll be ordering any more. Personally, I would stick with the Totally Ferret, especially since you've already been using it. (please note: I do not work for, nor have interests in, TF or any other ferret diet, nor do I work for any distributor of ferret foods - I base this on what I've learned from many who know more than I do, and on personal experience.) Hope this helps. Carla S. WhyNot? Ferrets Rio Grande Domestic Ferret Club [Posted in FML issue 1769]