Regarding the recent postings on feeding carpet-sharks.
 
Research (references on request) has shown domestic ferrets have a limited
period in which they learn to recognize something as edible; this period
varies slightly with the individual ferret, and is strongly correlated to
the sense of smell.  By the fourth month of life, food preferences have,
for the most part, been "typed"; the longer the length of association for
a particular odor, the stronger the preference.  After the fourth month,
it becomes increasingly difficult to get the ferret to recognize new odors
as food.  Even if new foods are excepted, they are not preferred.
 
This is important for three reasons.  First, it illustrates how important
the olfactory senses are to the beasties, which makes sense considering they
are a fossorial carnivore (Are you listening pet-food manufacturers?)
Second, it explains why it is so difficult to get ferrets to accept new
types of food.  Third, it is powerful evidence that explains why most North
American ferrets cannot establish feral colonies.
 
I have noticed my own ferrets having a preference for certain foods; even
when I mix them, they tend to eat the parts they like, leaving the rest
behind.  So I did an experiment in which I powdered some of the preferred
food, mixed it with water, and sprayed it on the non-preferred food.  At
first they looked at me like I was nuts, and turned their noses up at the
moist food.  I repeated the experiment with a more concentrated solution
(of preferred food), but this time I oven-dryed the moist mixture.  I also
tryed just sprinkling the preferred-food powder on the other food, then
shaking it up to coat it with powder.  In both cases, they still preferred
one food over the other, but they would accept the new. When the coated
non-preferred food was mixed with preferred food, they didn't pick it out.
 
To overcome the problem of food acceptance, you could use the same method as
described here.  Once they accept the new food, you can gradually reduce the
smell of the old until they learn the new smell means food.  If your fuzzies
are young enough, you can introduce your beasties to new food smells while
they are still young, so they might accept different foods later.  Every
couple of days, serve a different dish.  This will not only help to solve
the problem of getting the little guys to accept new food, but it will make
the ferret's lives more interesting.  Imagine being forced to eat the same
food day in and day out...
 
Remember ferrets are carnivores (I don't mean to offend any vegetarians out
there, but they are CARNIVORES!) I suppliment my fuzzie's diets with bits of
raw beef and chicken liver, cooked chicken, and fish.  (NEVER leave these
foods out longer than an hour or so; I throw away what they don't eat in
thirty minutes).  To increase their affection for moi, I will only give
these foods as treats, and feed them by hand--actually a small plastic
relish fork with the tips smoothed down.  When I bring the food in, I
announce "Yummy", and they all rush to my side for their share.  They can
recognize their own names, as well as "Raisins," "Treat" (for ferret jerky),
"Yummy" (for the carnivore cusine), and "No," which is better than my cat.
 
The most important aspect of the smell-prey relationships of ferrets is that
it is very unlikely for American domestic ferrets to form any feral
populations.  They will starve if released, because they don't recognize
prey as food.  This is in contrast with British ferrets who are often fed
whole carcasses (baby chicks are very popular) and animal by-products.
These ferrets can recognize wild game as food, and can revert to a feral
state without starving.  The only other scientifically documented feral
population is in New Zealand, where polecats and domestic ferrets were
released to control the introduced populations of rats and rabbits.  (Other
factors for their continued success as a feral population include the fact
that the non-domesticated form of the ferret, the European polecat, is
considered a native inhabitant of Britain, and New Zealand lacks the type of
carnivores which could drive the feral form of the domestic ferret into
extinction.)
 
On another note, I have a favor to ask everyone on the FML.  I am tired of
ignorant and closed-minded people using the few published accounts of ferret
attacks as evidence of the dangerous nature of the ferret.  I am preparing
an article to attack such prejudicial manure, and will use statistical
methods to prove once and for all that ferrets are as safe (or more so) than
any other household pet.  What I need are references on ferret (or
dog/cat/snake, etc) attacks.
 
I already have alot, but they are somewhat dated (Journal accounts can run
YEARS behind the actual events).  One of the things I am looking at is the
public perception of ferret attacks, and to get that, I need local newspaper
clips, etc.  This type of information would take me years to complile, and I
want to send the paper out for review by the end of the year.  Please, if
you have ANY information, e-mail the source to me (date, author, title,
publication, page), or better yet, snail-mail a copy (with the source
information) to my PO Box.  I will refund all postage and copying costs to
those who ask.
 
I know I might receive lots of duplicates, but speed is of the essence.  I
can weed through the duplicates; it is better to get six copies of an
article than miss one the opposition might use.  Please send anything.
Clearly the most powerful tool of the AFB (Anti-Ferret Boneheads) is the
"look what they do to children" argument.  The anti-ferret lobby uses
published papers from established journals as ammunition; we need the same
weapons.  The scientists of our side need to publish, and with the number of
towns considering a ban on our fuzzies, we need to publish in a hurry.
 
There is one item of particular interest I need to obtain.  In England, in
1978, two ferrets were reported to have killed a six-month-old baby. This
incident, the only reported ferret-related death I can find, is cited over
and over, yet I cannot find the original report. If anyone knows what
newspaper/journal/magazine it was first reported in, please send the info.
 
I will share all data and make all findings known.
 
Bob
 
Moose, Stella, Daye, Tori, and Bear.
Bear says, "Treat?  Did I smell treat?  And Bob thought I was running
because he called..."
 
Please send copies (with source data) to:
 
Bob Church
PO Box 1988
Columbia MO  65205
 
or e-mail to:
 
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Thanks.
[Posted in FML issue 1362]