food recommendations

Question
hi cynthia,
my hubby and I and our 2 little stinkers pretty much live on the road in our semi truck and are limited to buying their food at petco and petsmart. Can you recommend the best brands of food availabe at these stores? I've written down innova ferret & serengeti cat- are they available at these stores? I don,t recall seeing them before but to be honest,  I wasn't really sure of what brands to look for before. They are eating 8in1 ultra blend select presently, but after finding this sight I realize that this isn't the best choice. Thanks for any suggestions.

Answer
Thank you for your patience!  I have been away for several days.  I also want to congratulate you for doing research!  Proper diet is essential to ferrets, and will help keep your kids healthy and happy.  

I have been able to find both Innova kitten food and Feline Core Wellness at Agway/Southern State Farm and Garden.  They have at least a thousand locations from Maine to Florida.  They have no locations currently in the West.  

http://www.agway.com/

Petco usually carries the Feline Core Wellness, and Totally Ferret (which has by-products by is ok if mixed).  I have not found a store that does not sell both of these brands.  

Petsmart has been carrying Serengeti Cat lately in my area, but I do not always see it there.  They also almost always have the Core Wellness and Totally Ferret. Pet smart also carries a product called "Wilderness" by Blue Buffalo.  This brand is pretty decent and usually easy to find.    

If you don't see a brand you like, you can ask if it is available for order.  I know you must travel a lot, but you can probably call ahead or order from a location you visit frequently.  If you are ever in CT, I can give you exact locations to some holistic stores that carry these brands.  

8-in-one is a mid to low grade food.  When switching brands, make sure you transition slowly by mixing 20/80 of new to old.  Then, slowly switch to the new diet over a week or two.

Here is an older question I have answered with more information regarding diet:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ferrets-2277/2008/11/Ferrets-9833.htm

I hope this answers your question!  Remember a diet transition can be difficult especially if your kids have been eating 8-in-1 for a long time.  Mix the diet at first and see how they do.

-Cindy P.