jumpingmouse

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL FERRET OWNERS, OTHER FERRET GROUPS, ETC
SO WE CAN GET GREAT PARTICIPATION AGAIN....thanks!

Update as of 1-9-06:

Sooo happy that The Ferret Store has decided to remove Kaytee Fiesta
from their shelves!! They not only removed Kaytee Fiesta, but wishes us
good luck in our battle to get this item recalled by the manufacturer!!


product specifically in question is "Ferret Bites"
http://www.eightinonepet.com/product...lay=76&main=31 (with REAL
fruit pieces including raisins, papaya and pineapple!) requesting they
reconsider, remove and/or reformulate the products that contain
dehydrated fruits and other items that cause intestinal blockages in
ferrets. You can contact 8 in 1 here: asktheexpert@eightinonepet.com
(PERFECT example of my point - DON'T call yourselves 'nutrition
experts' and offer a product like this for sale marketed to
ferrets....unless you are willing to PAY the consequences for the
beloved little ferrets your item KILLS!)

The online ferret community has been SO good about writing emails to
The Ferret Store and I think the massive amount of emails they received
really showed them our dedication to eliminating these items off the
shelves in 2006. I'm asking you once again, to write letters to both
Kaytee and to 8 in 1 now - LET'S TAKE THIS BATTLE TO THE SOURCE!! - and
ask specifically for any food or treat that contains dehydrated fruit,
vegetables, jerky-type meats (and some even have nuts!) to be RECALLED,
reformulated without dehydrated fruit pieces, OR just removed from the
market. There are lots of bags of this stuff still out there waiting
for the unknowing ferret owner to pick up and feed to his/her little
one. The ones most likely to feed it are the ones most likely NOT to
recognize the symptoms of a blockage. We MUST get the word out and get
this garbage recalled back to the manufacturers.

I don't care what garbage they are trying to 'sell' that they HAVE
reformulated and made the pieces smaller. I have a story from a ferret
owner - the ferret herself was quite small. Necropsy showed that she
had three SMALL pieces of the 'reformulated' dried fruit that were
totally blocking her intestines and she died. So, reformulation or no
reformulation - the dehydrated food items MUST be recalled!! Here are
the addys to send your concerns to:

Kaytee: http://www.kaytee.com/contact_us/ Filll in the form and send
your concerns to them. Let them know that Kaytee products in general
ARE being boycotted by the online ferret community, and will continue
to grow and affect their business more and more as the word spreads
about these 'blockage in a bag' items. Let them know that Ferret Depot
AND The Ferret Store now refuse to carry their products because of the
dangers. Lastly, let them know that there is a person online dedicated
to collecting names of victims who have lost ferrets to intestinal
blockages caused by dried fruits and she WILL NOT GIVE UP until every
bag and box of this garbage is removed and unavailable for sale to
unsuspecting ferret owners....who are also the ones least likely to
recognize the symptoms of an intestinal blockage. I am also contacting
every source of ferret food/treats and advising them that they will be
added to the list of defendants in a class action lawsuit if they
continue to sell this product.

PLEASE do the same with 8 in 1 in regards to their treats containing
dried fruit. ANY dried food product is just not right for our ferrets,
who are carnivores and don't need fruit, but more importantly that our
ferrets have short digestive tracts and there is not enough time for
dehydrated foods to rehydrate and for he ferret to get any nutrition
from them anyway - even the jerky-type meat treats! It is all just a
gimmick for them to sell us 'treats', but we are wise to them and they
will be boycotted AND will be held responsible in a court of law, as a
class action suit will be brought against manufacturers AND
distributors who, after being educated about the dangers of these
foods/treats, continue to manufacture and sell them.

Please be nice in your emails - no cursing (but you're allowed to do
that under your breath :-) but to the point - intestinal blockages KILL
and owners likely to purchase this product are the same ones who are
NOT likely to recognize early symptoms of a blockage. Let them know
that the word is spreading throughout the ferret community like
wildfire (with the help of all the ferret lovers who have stepped up to
the plate and written their emails!) and more and more people who have
ferrets who have been affected are coming forward - MANY whose ferrets
have died - and we will NO LONGER TOLERATE this stuff to be sold and
the manufacturers AND suppliers WILL be accountable in a court of law
for selling a product they KNOW is dangerous to our ferrets.

Our first fight with The Ferret Store was SO fast and so positive. THEY
are behind us 100% in our battle to get these items off the market.
Ferret Depot already has removed the items and a "warning" shows up on
their website if you do a search for "Kaytee Fiesta" - and you cannot
buy it from Ferret Depot either! We ARE making progress. It's a long
battle, but one worth fighting.

Today, in my search for distributors of dangerous food/treat items, I
found an all new 'low'. http://www.PetTreatsPlus.com . Go to their
website and enter "ferret treats" into the search box. All results for
DOG treats come up - everything from rawhide to calf hooves, pig ears,
greenies, jerky treats and something called 'bark'. LOL Again, there
were NO treats in there for ferrets, yet when an unknowing, maybe new,
ferret owner goes to find treats, that is what is being presented to
them as being good for ferrets. If these folks are going to market
"ferret treats", they had better take some responsibility for being
informed - ferrets are NOT dogs! This MUSt stop!! Here is the website:
http://www.pettreatsplus.com/Shopping/default.asp I hope you'll check
it out for yourself (do a search on "ferret treats" and hold onto your
hat!) After you see, here's where you can lodge your complaint....
email: heidi@pettreatsplus.com They have already been advised that
their site has now been added to the list of defendants in the Class
Action Suit forcing manufacturers AND distributors to be responsible
for what they present as being 'safe' for ferrets.

2006 is the year we WILL make the world a safer place for ferrets in
general. With your help, we CAN make a big difference. Look what has
happened already! Please take just a moment and drop each distributor
listed here a line, letting them know you are aware of the pending
Class Action Suit and you support it, will boycott their products until
changes are made, and hope they will clean up their act before that
Suit actually comes to pass.

Thanks to all who take a minute out of their busy days to help in this
project. Please feel free to copy this post and spread it around to
other groups (cut and paste the entire portion between the top line
above the text area and bottom line beneath my signature - to everyone
on your email list that cares about ferrets. You wouldn't believe how
far the last post got when I asked people to send it to all ferret
lovers on their list!! I'm so proud of everyone for stepping up to the
plate and saying "NO MORE!!"

You can even create some 'generic' emails regarding dried fruit in food
and treats and just cut and paste your saved message each time we find
new manufacturers or supplier that we add to this class action suit.
They need to be educated. They need to KNOW we will no longer accept
their irresponsibility. They will only know that IF ferret lovers step
up to the plate and send their emails. One or two people can't
accomplish this.....it will be a group effort if it is to go anywhere.
It costs you nothing but a few minutes....please help. Also, if you
find places before I do, email me and let me know of offending
businesses - every little bit helps. It's a slow process when one
person takes on a job like this - I need help for this to work. I need
massive emails to be sent. I will do my best to keep everyone advised
and updated, but if you wish to be added to a list of folks to be
notified or have updates emailed directly to you, please email me at
jumpingmouse02@earthlink.net and I'll be happy to add you to the list
to receive updates, which you can then forward and help disseminate
information. I'd really appreciate that. Again, but sure the word
"FERRETS" is in the subject line of your email so my spamblocker
doesn't lock it out.

I will update again as soon as there is more to report! Thanks again to
all - the first post/email went soooo far I can't begin to tell you
what a good job you ALL did! IF we can keep this momentum going, we
WILL win this battle in 2006!

God bless the little innocents who can't speak for themselves....let's
not let those who have died of intestinal blockages because of this
stuff, have died in vain.

jacquie rodgers

POST IT, REPOST IT - MAKE SURE THE WORD GETS OUT! And be sure to
'thank' The Ferret Store and Ferret Depot by taking your business there
whenever possible - let them know we are grateful for their support in
this endeavor.......thanks!
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