Thanks for the info on NG and ferret food requirements.  You would think
a vet who went to Cornell Vet School would know, and he's a ferret lover
and owner too.  I was surprised when he said that they don't get 50%
protein in the wild.  It seemed to me that eating only animals would give
at least 50% protein, but I'm no expert on the nutritional content of
rodent bodies.
 
As far as NG and loose poop goes, I tried at least a month, then started
mixing less and less of NG with TF.  When Rocky eats just two or three
pieces of NG (along with TF), the poop is loose.  Is it possible that
this particular food isn't good for Rocky's system?  (As with people, we
can't all eat the same foods.) His poop is somewhat loose from Chicken
Gravy, but not as much as NG--it's not so loose to be messy and stinky.
And while we're on the subject of NG, it definitely contributed to my
mouse problem: they loved the stuff.  They'd pick it out of his bowl, not
take any TF, and hide it in places that Rocky couldn't get to, so I knew
it wasn't him (eventually, after calling him "Worse-Than-Useless Weasel"
with respect to the mouse problem).  I know this is off topic, but when
did mice become carnivores?  I thought they were herbivores.
 
Regarding Chicken Gravy, I didn't mean to suggest that YOUR chicken gravy
wasn't nutritionally adequate; it's MY chicken gravy.  Though I follow
your recipe in general, it is not exact.  For one thing, I can't use a
whole chicken--that would be way too much chicken gravy for one ferret
who lives in a small NYC apartment with a manual defrost refrigerator
that has a small freezer.  So I have to cut down the recipe.  The other
thing is, I haven't worked out the bone problem yet, so there are no
bones in it.  I am looking for a crock pot, as someone told me it makes
the bones soft enough to blend.  I do try to follow your recipe as
closely as I can.  Because of my concerns about sugar, I now omit the
honey.  I am also concerned about the sugar content of Ferret Vite.  I
tasted it the last time I made CG and it tastes like pure molasses--very
sweet.  (I also tasted Ferretone, which smells sweet but tastes just
like cod liver oil--yuck!)  Since Rocky does also eat kibble, I assume
that even my imperfect chicken gravy is better than no real meat at all.
I give it to him about 3-4 times a week.
 
I only give Rocky a couple of pieces of cat and kitten food as a treat.
I figure it's got to better for him than fruit.  (Though he disagrees!)
It seems to be better than a lot of those sugary ferret treats out there,
too.
 
You didn't say anything about the 8-in-1 ultimate soft moist food.  I was
considering trying it after your discussion about how hard kibble isn't
good for their teeth.
 
Regarding Ferret Ancestors: Where is the Steppe Polecat from?  Has anyone
ever cross-bred the black-footed ferret with our guys?  It would be
interesting to see the result.
 
Dooks,
Shron & Rocky --"Why are humans so obsessed with our poop?  Strange
creatures they are."
[Posted in FML issue 4573]