Hi All - I am really enjoying the diet posts from Bob!  Is there anyway one
can get the posts (or download them) as a set.  I get the digest version of
the list....
[Moderator's note: I'll make the posts available as a set when the series
is over.   Oh, and this list is *only* a digest version :-)  BIG]
 
I was given my first ferrets in 1985 and of course knew nothing about them.
There was no one to ask and no access to ferret lists.  They were about 2
years of age, a gib and a sprite.  Being a good zookeeper, I researched
diets for small carnivores and ended up using a daily combination of regular
cat food (9 Lives - the only "good" cat food we had in Israel at the time),
frozen and thawed day old chicks, seasonal fruits and veggies (about 1/3 cup
per animal) and fruit yogurt or high protein baby cereal.
 
These ferrets lived to age 12 - the gib and 11- the sprite, and were never
sick a day in their lives.  They were handled by many 100's of kids over the
10 years I had them (I kept them at the zoo).  I have no proof of course
that diet was the reason that the animals lived so long and were so healthy.
They never had shots of any kind, as we had no access to the proper
vaccines.
 
Well, time passes and progress hits Israel, I now use Iam's kitten, or SD
Feline Growth and sometimes Totally Ferret (when I can get it...).  All my
kids have their shots and since I am a caring ferret owner, I am careful not
to give to many treats - translation: a small piece of fruit daily, no dairy
products and no baby cereal.  I am starting to wonder if I am making a
mistake.  I wonder if in my efforts to be the best ferret mom I can be, I am
in fact shortening their lives?  Any comments?
 
Beverly Burge
Zoological Assistant - Jerusalem Zoo
http://www.itmi.com/jeruzoo/
[Posted in FML issue 2313]