to Shen10 and many others.
 
I tend to zip my lips, or rather, my fingers, on FML due to my realising
that cultural differences may lead to misunderstandings.  I also have no
leisure time to speak of and my posts, therefore, are typed in a hurry.
So please bear with me.
 
I have 13 ferrets of my own and also take in boarders and "recues" so
numbers of ferrets in my household can get as high as 45.  For the most
part, all ferrets run free together in the house and yard except for the
frail "oldies" or infirm who have a room of their own and separate free
time.  Once each day, though, every ferret in my care shares one room
with every other ferret here.  That time is at 4.30am when the
computer/sewing/ferret-food room has up to eight large bowls of warmed
LACTOSE FREE milk containing raw egg yolk, extra cream and a small amount
of cerial.  The world stops for the ferrets at this time as heads go down
and peace reigns supreme.
 
Milk may not be a necessary part of a ferrets diet but they LOVE it.  Over
the last few weeks, quite a few FMLers have warned against feeding their
ferrets milk as they are lactose intolerant.  The answer, of course is
lactose free milk.  Apart from the protein, fat and calcium, milk is a
great comfort food.  Ferret babies who are too soon deprived of their
mothers would take great comfort from a bowl of warm nourishing milk.  I
have had a desperately ill ferret live on her milk for many weeks before
finally recovering enough to recommence her normal diet.
 
By and large, I consider soy milk a poor substitute for lactose free cow
or goat milk as it is a vegetable product and has vegetable oil added:
not a lot there for a ferret.
 
Anyway, do give it some thought, especially if you have a frail.  sick or
recovering ferret.
 
Do I sound as passionate as Ed Lipinski about his LUMPS ( Hi Ed) - perhaps
I am :-)
 
Shirley
WAFFS
[Posted in FML issue 3324]