F. Scott Giarrocco wrote:
>>They can eat a high quality ferret or kitten food, be trained to use a
>>litter box and can be kept in a cage.
>
>Ferrets are not cats.  Cats are not ferrets.  Cats have a more advanced
>digestive system containing a caecum, ferrets do not.
 
No, ferrets do not posses a caecum.  This allows them to digest plant food.
Since they don't have one, plant food transits their digestive tract
without gaining nutrition from it.  And your point about this is exactly?
Cats have a small one.
 
>Cats have a slower digestive process than do ferrets.
 
Slightly, cats have a fairly high metabolism also.
 
>Cat food is specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of cats.
>It is not designed to meet the unique nutritional needs of ferrets.
 
What do you think the unique nutritional requirements are?  No fiber.
Ferret food has fiber.  Yes, is it lower than kitten foods, 1 to 3 percent
lower.  Not much.  Fat?  Some kitten foods have more fat than ferret foods.
Protein, some kitten foods have more protein.
 
A good place to check is at The Ferret Store, they have a wonderful chart
up and running comparing all of the most common foods for ferrets.  There
are several well known major brands that I would not feed to a dog (my own
opinion here folks), let alone a ferret.
 
http://www.theferretstore.com/foodchart.html
 
BTW, by your statements, I should feed my cats cat food.  I don't, they eat
the same food as the ferrets.  In my house I feed either Totally Ferret,
Iams Kitten Food, or right now, the Ferret Store private label.
 
>Knowing all of that, it is foolish to continue to maintain that ferrets
>can eat cat food and remain healthy.
 
My ferrets have. I have known ferrets that lived to 9-10 years old eating
cat food. Pretty crappy cat food at that.
 
>There are good commercial ferret foods designed specifically to meet the
>unique digestive and nutritional needs and ferrets available, and it
>should be fed to ferrets over cat food.
 
All ferret food is not good.  Just like all cat food isn't.  If you will
read what you quoted of mine, you will see I said high quality.
 
>Poor nutrition can directly lead to poor health.  It is that simple.
 
That is true, but since you are just picking apart a very brief statement
in my post, I would hope you would say what you mean, rather than just
inferring that I am wrong.  Besides, feeding something like Iams or Science
Diet kitten food is a long, long way from a poor diet.
 
Frankly, I find your post is rather distressing.  Not everyone can feed
ferret food.  Most of it is rather expensive.  Totally Ferret runs 2-3
times as much as Iams Kitten food.  Not everyone can afford to pay such
prices for food.  I am having trouble since my finances have changed.  So
I am trying the Ferret Store food.  I think it great.
 
Would I feel Iams again?  Yep, I might too.  It is hard for me to remember
to mail order ferret food all the time.  Sometimes I run out.  The stores
here sell small quantities of ferret food, at huge markups.  I can pay $18
for 5lbs. Totally Ferret at Petco, or pay $23 for 20 lbs. of Iam's kitten
food.
 
The food in the U.S. is not available everywhere.  Would you have folks
where there isn't ferret food not have them because of that?  You must
remember that the U.S. is not the only country represented on this list.
 
I have owned 32 ferrets personally.  I have educated myself a great deal
and was already widely read in nutritional needs of various animals.  I
have lost 4 ferrets in the last 6 years.  3 to accidents, one last week
due to ill health.  He was 6.  I have 5 cats, ages 5 to 17.  I have worked
with vets, clubs, shelters, etc.  I know I have a great deal of knowledge
about ferrets.  I also have a great deal more understanding than you seem
to about the real world and what we truly need to educate folks on.
 
I simply will never ever tell folks that they can't feed a high quality
kitten food.  You have to look at each name brand by itself in order to
make statements.  Which is why my statement was so general.  You are
eliminating foods that are better because they have kitten printed on them
rather than ferret.  You are doing a great disservice by doing this.  Plus
your criticism will make folks feel guilty, or turn others off that can't
feed the so called "proper food."
 
BTW, my name is Maggie.  Next time please have the courtesy to use my name
when you quote a post of mine.
 
Mo' Maggie and her Mighty Munching Mobsters
[Posted in FML issue 3088]