Someone posted a bit ago about wanting to know who had had ferrets who lived
longer than 6+ years . . . I don't remember who it was, but I can share the
following information:
 
Whisper - female silvermitt - lived til she was 10-1/2 years old - cause of
          death uncertain.
Sethra - female albino - lived til she was 11 years old - died in her sleep
         one night.
Xerxes - male sable - lived til he was 9 years old - died of a stroke of
         some sort.
Rommel - male sable - lived til he was 8-1/2 years old - died from
         congestive heart failure which he'd been being treated for with
         lasix for over a year.  The vet had given him a few weeks when
         treatment started.  The CHF started as a result of anasthaesia the
         vet gave him when he cleaned his teeth.  .  or at least it became
         symptomatic at that time.
Drifter - male sable - still living - still healthy - 7+ years old
Judah - male cinnamon - lived til he was 8+ years old - died from
        lymphosarcoma that seemed to occur rather suddenly, then spread
        rapidly.
 
All were/are Marshall Farms ferrets bought at Pass Pets . .  . All ate/eat
high quality catfood, both dry and wet, with ferretone and fruit treats
occasionally and TF when I can afford it - none ever cared for raisins, but
each had their own favorite fruit ranging from bananas to peaches and cream.
All had their shots.  I've had several more ferrets than these, but other
than the ones currently living, they lived almost exactly 6-7 years before
they developed any problems.  Grendel was the only one who met with "foul
play" - he managed to get out and a neighborhood cat took extreme offense at
his attempt to play "chase the cat around the yard"..... he was 5 years old
at the time.
 
Otter and the 3-Mustelid Mini Mob --- pikers all
[Posted in FML issue 2104]