hello Amy,

"species appropriate diet" is rather vague in my opinion . nature may
set up an animal to eat a certain diet, but I'm inclined to think that
nature can be very cruel and unpredictable, and its priorities are the
preservation of a species rather than the health and longevity of
individuals, although improving the latter certainly helps the former.
I am no biologist. but I would like to suggest that cooking food is
rather unnatural but may well have prolonged the lives of an over
abundant species.

I also think "best" diet is specific to an individual. young, sick, and
geriatric individuals probably having different requirements than a
regular happy healthy one. kibble is definitely for man's convenience,
and it may very well have sacrifice some health, however, keeping
ferrets is man's whim, and it may very well prolong life for ferrets
so they can afford to plague us with their health problems.

I will confess that I have a preference towards feeding bob c's chicken
gravy, medium rare, but I do find it hard to make it every month, and
kibble does prevent my ferrets from starving. they also like to go eat
kibble after they've cleaned up the chicken. I have fed commercial barf
diets in the past, and I stopped after a year due to ferrets getting
sick, possibly from freezer burn food.. after Bob's post yesterday, I
think I'll try to be more diligent with the chicken gravy, and also
with brushing my ferrets teeth.

here's a question for the FML that I don't think has come up before..
what would you think the ideal diet for a ferret would be? I think it
would be chicken cheweasel cross - the benefits of whole prey, the
convenience of kibble, and the rubbery texture that ferrets love, not
to mention how bright and shiny their teeth would be..

thoughts?

Selina, Clef, Popcorn, Sorin & Mochi

[Posted in FML 5425]