Q: "My [ferrets] keeps catching and eating cockroaches....is that bad?"
 
A: La cucaracha?  La cucaracha?  My ferrets can eat them every day.  A
   cucaracha!  A cucaracha!  Please pass the salsa this way....
 
Cockroaches are high in protein and fat, and unless you spray or dust for
them, they are harmless passing through the intestinal tract of your fuzzy.
If you are grossed out, don't watch, or just start calling them "water
bugs."  Sometime ago, a friend "donated" a hissing cockroach to my care, and
each and every one of my furbutts salivated at its cage on a daily basis.
 
If you spray your house, it can be dangerous because some pesticides can
accumulate in the body, doing long term damage.  If you live in apartments,
a neighbor can spray and the cockroaches can flee into your place, carrying
low doses of pesticides with them.  But if you are fairly sure they are
pesticide free, it might be gross to vaccuum up the remaining body parts,
but it will not harm the ferret.
 
Insects are part of the wild polecat diet, and have been found in the
stomachs of New Zealand feral ferrets.  They are nutritious and taste kind
of nutty (don't ask how I know...).  If the French can boil snails and
Native Americans can roast grasshoppers, then I see no reason why ferrets
can't eat cockroach sushi.  Pass the salsa.
 
Bob C and 19 MO Carapce Crunchin' Carpet Sharks
[Posted in FML issue 2245]