NEWS FROM HQ

Here we are in September of 2020 and over seven months into COVID-19! The global pandemic has turned the pet industry upside down for many reasons; however, we see no slowing down of sales or demand! Of course when this all started, our crystal ball was in the shop for repairs and we never saw it coming.

Typically, June, July and August are three of the slowest sales months of the year, but not in 2020! The demand for our ferrets, diet, supplements, litter, and fan-favorite toys and accessories has never been higher. Like most of the industry, our company is struggling from supply chain issues around the world. All we can do is thank you for your loyal support and patience as we all navigate these difficult times together.

This virus won’t last forever! If you are seeing empty shelves and petters in stores, know that we are working very hard to get our stock levels back up to 100% as soon as possible.

While industry shows have been canceled until 2021, we are still making and releasing new products! Products you have been waiting for since you’ve seen them in the first stages of prototyping back in 2019, like the Better View Gate and our Fresh and Clean Litter from the Global Pet Expo back in February, are now available at select retailers. Our new cage system includes connections for our playpen and thru-ways. All of these can be found on pages 10 and 11. If you ever want to share an idea you have for a product, we would love to hear it! Private message us @MarshallPetFerrets on Facebook.

This issue starts one of the most exciting quarters for us at Marshall. We celebrate all season long starting with our Ferret Costume Contest in October. Celebrate the holiday seasons with us!

Thank you for your long-standing support of our company and our animals.

- Paul

Some of you have called to inquire about the so-called ferret shortage. I am here to tell you that there isn’t one. We have ferrets! The lack of animals in your stores is due to a couple of reasons. Paul had mentioned that this pandemic has turned the pet industry upside down. A major issues that we are having is that we are simply unable to get ferrets to some of our more rural customers. And in other cases we are dealing with changes in store or distributor policies that limit or prohibit the sale of live animals due to COVID. This, combined with the clear spike in demand, and it would appear that there is a shortage! We understand the concern.

If you are looking to add a ferret to your family, we are here to help if we can. The best resource is our online Find a Ferret tool. You can find it on our website www.MarshallPet.com. Simply type in your ZIP code and the Find a Ferret button and a list of retailers that carry live animals will be provided. Please give them a call before you visit. Inventory moves fast. If they say there is a waiting list, we encourage you to get on it. If there are multiple locations with waiting lists, get on them all. And know that we are most likely doing all we can in that area.

If you have a local pet store that carries live animals and you don’t see ferrets, ask them about getting Marshall ferrets. They can get information from their distributors or ask them to give us a callus a call at 800.292.3424 and we will get them all set up in our system.

Under these circumstances, we simply cannot take special requests for genders, colors or patterns. Special orders cannot be placed at the store level or directly with Marshall to arrive at any retail location.

Marshall will only sell to professional pet retailers. A customer cannot call our customer service line, order and pay for a ferret, and get it delivered to their door. Our ferrets must arrive at a safe pet facility by experienced pet handlers.

To all of the new ferret owners out there, thank you for welcoming these amazing little creatures into your lives. We encourage you to learn all you can about your new pet. It isn’t a dog or a cat... that’s for sure! The Ferrets for Dummies book is a solid quick resource to get some high-level instruction on caring for your pet. Picking up this publication is an awesome start, too. Know that if there is ever a burning question you can’t find the answer to or you would just like some additional insight, please give us a call at 800.292.3424!

- Denice

Paul touched a little bit on supply chain issues, but we are starting to see things happen a little quicker as businesses across the globe are beginning to get back up to speed. As mentioned, the Better View Gate is now available, and that has been in the works for quite awhile. And you can now get the Fresh and Clean Litter at select retailers!

I couldn’t be more excited for all of the new products we have rolling out now. Improvements to our Octo-play and new Hide-N-Play toys are in development. We’ve also formulated two new canned diets — one with lamb and one with turkey (page 8)! Be sure to take a peek at 2020’s Hottest Gifts for Ferrets and Their Owners on pages 10 and 11 for more.

The holiday season is my personal favorite. As a new ferret owner, I am going to be looking at our family decorations and toys with a much more discerning eye. I encourage all of the new ferret families to do the same.

Best wishes for a very happy and healthy holiday season!

- Tiffany