FERRET LITTER SUGGESTIONS:
 
The pelleted newspaper litters, such as Yesterday's news, are quite
absorbent, but don't do a very good job of absorbing odors, in my opinion.
My favorite is Gentle Touch, which is a pelleted aspen wood litter, but is
hard to find.  Other pelleted wood litters are Feline Pine and Pine Fresh.
Stove chow is available at many hardware stores at a much less expensive
price (sold as a woodstove fuel) and can do in a pinch as well.  I believe
the pelleted wood litters do a better job of odor control than the pelleted
newspaper.
 
If you are changing the litter 3X a day and it still smells, there may be
other odor sources.  Have you washed all the ferret bedding?  (Do this at
least once a week).  Is the cage made of wood or have carpet in it (both
absorb odors -- permanently!)?  Do your ferrets have clean ears (earmites
and wax can be pretty smelly)?  And most important, what type of diet are
your ferrets eating?  A diet high in fiber and grain products such as corn,
or a diet with artificial colors and preservatives can cause some really
stinky poop.  Look for a diet high in meat protein and low in fiber.  My
favorites are Totally Ferret and Iams Kitten.
 
HILLS CAT FOOD
 
The 34% protein, 24% fat, and 1% fiber looks pretty good, but you have to
check the ingredient list to see what the source of these proteins and fats
are.  Ideally, these would come from meat/poultry sources.  In my opinion,
most Hills foods have a lot of less expensive corn products as their main
protein sources and fillers.  Although the food sounds fine for the ferret
from just the guaranteed analysis, more info is needed.  Sticking with Iams
Kitten is a safe bet.
 
Cheers from Erika M. and the dirty dozen (who are really really dirty
and having a great time digging up my mother's flowerbeds in Florida).
[Posted in FML issue 2431]