Hi Everyone,
 
I saw a couple of comments in Mr. Bottleman's post that I would like to
address.  As I stated in my first post, I am not opposed to feeding mice
to ferrets.  I don't see anything wrong with it.  But I have just not been
convinced it will better the health of my ferrets.  But I don't think it
will hurt.
 
>The following is my understanding of the ferrets and raw meat diet issue
 
Lumping raw meat in with mice is *exactly* my point, why is one better than
the other?  I haven't seen anything to make the distinction between the two
and that is what I am curious about.  After all, they don't feed live prey
to big cats in zoos, they feed meat.  Why should the ferrets (domesticated)
be so much more picky than the big cats (wild)?
 
>What about kibble?
 
I haven't seen enough that links diet to the cancers.  Having come from a
family that has lost over half its members to cancer, this is unfortunately
a topic I am widely read on.  Too many factors to try and pin it to diet.
Although I heartily agree that kibble should be supplemented with other
foods, varied and interesting.
 
>I can change the environment my ferrets live in, and even though I won't
>keep them out doors,  <snipped for space>
 
I think this is wonderful.  Keeping an animal *mentally* happy and healthy
is the most important thing, in my own opinion.  Again to the cancer issue,
in 1983 when my Momma passed from cancer, her oncologist never told her she
was terminal.  Why?  Because the will to live and a positive outlook was
strong enough to change the chances and he didn't want to hinder that.
 
I think the most important thing, way above all else, we can do for our
ferrets is love them, play with them, spend time with them.  Not to leave
them in cages for long periods, not to leave them out of our daily lives
for weeks on end, and not to treat them as a pet.  They are family members
and should be treated as such.
 
>Why mice?  A freshly killed mouse includes a lot of nutrients that a chunk
>of chicken or slab of beef does not.  It has small bones my ferrets can
>eat, it has fur and skin, it has intestines and other organs, and of
>course it has fresh meat.
 
I can see what your point is, just have some questions.  Organ meat?  Well,
that is available elsewhere, hell my Grandma put it in her gravies all the
time.  Small bones?  Chicken breasts.  Fur and skin?  Well, chicken skin.
 
And forgive me if this is too dense on my part, seriously, but fur?  Why do
I give my ferrets furball medicine all the time but to clean out the fur?
They can't digest it, and if you say it is for bulk, then what about all
the cellulose in the kibbled food?  Or raisins?  Or, well, all kinds of
things.
 
Mr. Bottleman, I ain't pickin' on you.  I am just using your post to
clarify some of my own questions on this matter.  Like I said, I don't
object to the mice issue, I am just not sure it is needed either.
 
>I'd love to hear from others who are knowledgeable on ferret diet.
 
Unfortunately, that is the biggest problem I see on this issue.  We don't
have anyone posting on it that is trained in animal diets.  At least, not
that I am aware of.  But then, I am not sure how much data exists for
ferrets anyway, so aren't we stuck extrapolating from other animals?
 
I have read so much on nutrition, human, equine, feline, canine and now
ferret stuff that I realize one thing.  That even the most investigated
things are never set in stone.  It is constantly amazing to me how little
anyone knows about the diet of anything and how fast the reasoning changes.
You should see all the stuff on horses, and you can't ferret out the truth.
OK, so I couldn't resist that one. ;-)
 
And one last thought, I keep getting one thing running through my mind (ok,
two but I already posted the Mousies song) and that is the scene in Jurrasic
Park of the goat tethered for the Rex.  hehe.
 
Maggie Mae and her stinky mobsters
 
"I like cats, too.  Let's exchange recipes"
[Posted in FML issue 2547]