DATE SENSITIVE
                                RESPONSE REQUIRED





December  7,  2000



NAME
ADDRESS


Dear  ________________:

I  am  enclosing  for  your  review  two election forms related to your director
compensation  and  benefits.  Each is date sensitive, with the first item having
the  earlier  deadline.  A  brief  explanation  of  each  follows.

CALENDAR  YEAR  2001  DEFERRALS.  RESPONSE  DUE  12/31/00.
                                  ------------------------
Under the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Management Directors, you
may  defer  all  or any part of the fees and retainer you will earn in 2001 into
the  Equity  Option and/or Variable Interest Options.  Your request for deferral
must  be  received  by  the  Company  on  or  before  December  31,  2000.

Accordingly,  enclosed  are  two copies of an Election Form relating to any fees
and  retainer  which  would  be  paid from January 1, 2001, through December 31,
2001.  Please complete and return one copy to me.  You may retain the other copy
for  your files.  If you do not wish to defer, please mark the box indicating no
deferral.  Your  earnings  will  then  be paid in cash at the end of each month.

TRANSFERS  OF  PREVIOUS  DEFERRALS.  RESPONSE  DUE  1/31/01.
                                     -----------------------
You  may  elect  to  transfer  amounts  previously deferred in the Equity and/or
Variable  Interest  accounts,  in  accordance  with  Section 2.1(a) of the Plan.
These transfers are available only with respect to amounts deferred for at least
one  year;  are limited to transfers between the Equity Account and the Variable
Interest Account; and do not apply to Company Matching Deferrals or to the Fixed
Benefit  Option.  Your  election to transfer will be effective February 1, 2001.

You  may  transfer  deferrals  among  currently  established accounts or from an
established  account  to  a new account.  Subject to the limits described in the
preceding  paragraph,  you  may  effect  a transfer in the following manner:  1)
transfer  a  specific  dollar  amount;  2)  transfer  a specific number of share
equivalents;  or 3) transfer a specific percentage of the account (5% to 100% of
transferable  amounts).


December  7,  2000
Page  2



If  you  decide to transfer previous deferrals to or from an Equity Account, the
market  value of the stock on the date of transfer will be used.  "Market Value"
means  the  average  of  the closing prices of such stock as reported to the New
York Stock Exchange-Composite Transactions during the ten trading days preceding
the  transfer  date.  Variable  Interest  Accounts  earn  interest  based on the
average daily prime rates as established by Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New
York.  The  current  prime  rate  is  9.50%.

If  you would like to direct a transfer between your account(s), please complete
and  return one copy of the enclosed Deferral Transfer Form.  You may retain the
other  copy  for your files.  Please note that only one transfer may be made per
form.  If  you  need  additional  forms,  please  call  me.

Please  fax  the  completed form(s) to (314) 982-1288, then mail the original in
the  enclosed  self-addressed, stamped envelope.  Please feel free to call me if
you  have  any  questions.

Very  truly  yours,



Nancy  E.  Hamilton

NEH:mle
Enclosures

<PAGE>



<PAGE>
TO:     NANCY  E.  HAMILTON,  SECRETARY
        RALSTON  PURINA  COMPANY
        CHECKERBOARD  SQUARE  -  9T
        ST.  LOUIS,  MO  63164


                                  ELECTION FORM

Regarding  the  Ralston  Purina  Company  Deferred  Compensation  Plan  for
Non-Management  Directors,  please execute my request as follows with respect to
any  Director  fees and retainer which may be payable to me through December 31,
2001:

[  ]     DEFERRAL  OF  FEES  AND  RETAINER  PAYABLE  THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2001.
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------
        (All or a portion may be deferred.  Any part not deferred will be paid
        in cash.)

     As  to  any  such  fees  and  retainer  payable  (Fill  in one blank only):

          Defer  _____%;  OR

          Defer  all  up  to  $__________;  OR

          Defer  all  in  excess  of  $__________;  OR

          Defer  _____%  in  excess  of  $__________.

     As  to  the  amount  deferred,  allocate:
(100%  may  go  to  any  Account  or  be  divided  as  follows):

          To  the  EQUITY  OPTION               _____%

          To  the  VARIABLE  INTEREST  OPTION          _____%

[  ]     NO  DEFERRAL.
         -------------
(Please check here only if you are not requesting any deferral above and wish to
be  paid  in  cash  after  the  end  of  each  month.)




----------------------------         ---------------------------------
DATE  SIGNED                         SIGNATURE


            PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 31, 2000.



<PAGE>
TO:     NANCY  E.  HAMILTON,  SECRETARY
        RALSTON  PURINA  COMPANY
       CHECKERBOARD  SQUARE  -  9T
       ST.  LOUIS,  MO  63164


                             DEFERRAL TRANSFER FORM

Please  submit my request as follows with respect to amounts which are available
for  transfer  in  accordance  with  the  Deferred  Compensation  Plan  for
Non-Management  Directors.

CHECK  ONE  ITEM  EACH  BELOW:
------------------------------


TRANSFER:
---------

     ______  FROM  *EQUITY  ACCOUNT  TO  VARIABLE  INTEREST  ACCOUNT.
             *Excludes  Company  Matching  Deferrals and amounts
             deferred less than  one  year

     ______  FROM  VARIABLE  INTEREST  ACCOUNT  TO  EQUITY  ACCOUNT


AMOUNT  TO  TRANSFER:
---------------------

    ______ ($)  Dollars

    ______ Share  Equivalents

    ______ % of  Account  (5%  to  100%)

                    TRANSFERS ARE EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 2001.
                 NO CHANGES MAY BE MADE AFTER JANUARY 31, 2001.



-------------------------            ---------------------------
DATE  SIGNED                         SIGNATURE


             PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31, 2001.