reply for Debi on kibble-fed, long-lived ferrets.

Here's a thumbs-up for you from Susie Lee of the now-closed Ferret &
Dove Sanctuary, for we've also had a ferret who made it to 14 years of
age on about literally not much more than kibble and soup made from
mostly the same with maybe egg yolks and gerber's baby food in the
home-made soup mix. That eldest one was a MF blaze-badger who grew an
all-over creamy-colored coat as she worked her way into extreme age
named Jazzmine Miss Boss lived to Pass On of genuine old age at just
over 14 years like your "Jerry Springer".

The next-eldest that had made it to just over 13 years was adorable
Lilly McGillicuddy. Always within hearing of all those who could hear
were the coo-ings of all our doves which was another soothing
natural-environment and interesting-to-ferrets thing. Occasionally
while out-and-about runnings around our house one or more would find a
few loosened soft but interesting-smelling fresh down feathers of those
doves who'd been moulting for when they were, of course the fine soft
little down-feathers would get into everything, everywhere.

Returning from a romp with little birdy down-feathers on ferrets'
whiskers was always so suspicious looking i never took photos of any
of the ferrets with that. Perhaps I should have, too late, now! Most
of the others all would get to around 12 years of age who never did
develop either insulinoma nor adrenal disease and a huge percentage of
the rest who Did get into those last would habitually still make it to
around 9 years of age, despite their internal troubles.

I think a more naturalized environment is something like "the secret"
here...quarters to shnoozle in that are set up to be more like the
"dens" of the once-upon-a-time wild ferrets who would burrow, whether
into their own burrowings or more often likely, stealing some rabbits'
or ground squirrels' quarters. Darkened with covers on all other sides
but the fronts because if you live down in a dirt hole den, where else
is your air coming from but just thru the "front door" as it were (of
course I always keep a low-blowing fan running as well to "simulate" a
natural slight breeze "blowing" into the Dens). Plus something else i
always did was exchanges cage-quarters every now and then so that the
interests of even the eldest was piqued by having some other ferrets'
quarters to sniff-and-burrow-around-in. I still have 3 with whom i play
"musical-cages" on of whom the eldest currently is Jade Spritely, all
on kibble and soup-made-from-same with egg yolks and baby food in the
soup.

[Posted in FML 6894]