I met recently a woman who uses 2 ferrets in her zootherapy practice.  One
of her ferrets is cancerous and she wants to get a kit and bottlefeed it.  I
offered her to ask questions on her behalf to the FML.
 
Gysmo is a 6.5 years old neutered male.  He suffers from an intestinal
cancer.  The owner does not want to subject him to chemoterapy or radiation
therapy.  Is there ways to make him more comfortable and should he have a
special diet?
 
The therapist told me she wants to get a kit and bottlefeed him.  I think
she wants the kit to bond with humans.  I am not convinced it is a great
idea because he would miss the antibodies supplied by his mother when
nursing him.  This kit, when not loose and working with patients, would
share a cage with the one or two older male ferrets.  I would like breeders
to supply their opinions whether bottlefeeding a kit would make him a better
zootherapy ferret or not.
[Posted in FML issue 2030]