>From:    Kathy <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferrets live for 5 YEARS?!?!?! I *NEED* a reply
 
Hello Kathy:
 
>When I was speaking to the receptionist about the life of a ferret she
>said that ferrets live about 5 years!!  Can you beleive that?!?!  5 years?
 
Lifespan varies widely depending on genetics, environment, and nutrition.
Before we came along, our vet would have sworn that ferrets never lived (at
least not healthy life) past about 5 years, but one of our boys died at age
11 and half our gang is over 5.  Minx, a 6-year old, can whup any of the
younger females anytime she wants to.
 
Genetics plays a big role, we feel, since if the ferret came from a severely
inbred line that tends to work against longer lifespan.  (This is one reason
why we believe European ferrets tend to live longer.)
 
Another reason is surely nutrition.  Some folks feed their ferrets regular
cat food (Meow Mix, Purina's Cat Chow, etc.) whereas most dedicated ferret
people know that their weasels need more protein than that.
 
Environment definitely plays a factor as well.  When we inherited Slinky, at
age 3, she already LOOKED old.  The people who had had her loved her, but
never really played with her much or anything.  She came to our house she
learned she had an entire basement to run around in, other ferrets to play
with, etc., and she BLOSSOMED.  The last 4 years of her life were far and
away the healthiest and most active.
 
Good luck!
 
Steve and Colleen
http://www.concentric.net/~swoodcoc/ferrets.html
Continually Matching wits with Newone, Minx, Puck, Taz, Scamp,
                               Ranger, Rosie, Mica, and Splinter
Waiting on the Other Side:  Ripple, Missy, Slinky, and Zebulon Pike
[Posted in FML issue 2158]