Melanie writes: 
>Perhaps you are right and domesticated ferrets have evolved to engage
>in killing sprees?

Actually domestic ferrets haven't "evolved" - domestic ferrets have
been bred from animals (likely the Steppe Polecat) that evolved to fill
a niche in the natural world. Evolution takes eons. Breeding only takes
generations. Evolution created a lithe sinewy animal able to dig into
burrows of other smaller mammals or reptiles or amphibians and with
the evolved design of the skull, jaws, teeth, and neck this creature
has the ability to locate, capture and dispatch its prey. The evolution
of this animal also endowed it with a digestive system specifically
designed to glean nutrients from animal sources.

A few generations of breeding will NOT eradicate eons of predatory
abilities. A few generations of breeding will not alter, very much, the
skull jaws and teeth to the point that the carnassials have now become
browsing and grazing teeth. A few generations of breeding will not
alter the digestive tract, nor its inability to digest plants.

If you attribute Marshalls Farms the onus of marketing the ferret as
a household pet to the popularity it has now, then this breeding has
only been ongoing for 60 years. Processed ferret kibble has only been
produced for that long also.

If you look at history you'll see that ferrets have been human
companions just about as long as the common house cat has ( some say
longer for the ferret). So that gives the ferret a few THOUSAND years
of domesticity! Quite a few years before kibble was cooked up, eh?
ferrets happily devoured mice and rats and rabbits for their
sustenance. And their delight in killing for a living didn't reduce
their ability to remain domesticated one iota!

It baffles me that people can accept the fact their cat is a predatory
carnivore and can hunt yet remain people friendly, but they think if a
ferret kills a mouse it immediately will revert to being a wild animal!
It further baffles me that people think that a mere few decades of
forcing cooked plant goo down the throats of ferrets is actually better
for them than what they have evolved to eat based upon their genteic
and physiological makeup!

I don't think the 8 ferrets I've given care to so far are "freaks" or
odd balls. I think that once that predator within awakens the ferret
gets to experience its true nature. The ferret isn't weighed down with
a gut full of indigestible sludge. The proper proteins and amino acids
replenish muscles that were flaccid and under developed. The animal
fats nourish the brain and give the coat a new glowing softness. Claws
grow quickly and become strong. Food has an interest to it and varies
in flavor. Food sometimes makes them take quick action to capture it.
Food takes concentration to eat. Their live food makes them feel alive
and offers them a sense of acheivement and satisfaction when they've
made a successful kill. 60 years of breeding cannot erase innate
nature!

If I can nurture that innate nature through natural feeding and a more
natural environment in my domestic household, then maybe my ferrets are
indeed "oddballs", but lucky oddballs that get to become what they were
designed to be! Friendly fun loving tiny helpful carnivores!

Cheers,
Kim

[Posted in FML 6226]