>By the way, Mabel is the best example I know of the dangers of letting
>your kids eat only only kind of food.
 
AMEN.
 
I had the same problem with my first ferret, Mickey, in the late 80s.  In
the days before I knew "a lot" about ferrets, I used to feed only one
food - Meow Mix (ok, ok, I know better now) and they also changed their
formula.  He wouldn't eat it.  I tried every food in the store and he
wouldn't touch any of them.
 
Trying a more scientific approach, I looked for foods of the same flavors
and the same shape - Dads - fortunately he ate it, until he died at age 7.
 
Ferrets are very stubborn.  Where other animals will break down and eat
something new, ferrets won't.  They'll starve before they'll eat if they
don't like the food.
 
Putting different bowls of food down doesn't work well either.  You need
to slowly introduce the new food with the old food.  Since you're having
so many problems, you must go very slow - try a different food and put
only a few pieces in with the old stuff.  Once you know she has eaten
those pieces, then gradually increase - but do it slowly.  This has been
successful for me.  Mixing some of the new food in a container with the
old food also helps.  The smells and flavors blend and aren't so strange.
 
If you can get Mabel to eat 4 or 5 pieces of new stuff blended in a full
bowl of regular stuff, then GRADUALLY increase the ratio - add a few more
new pieces each day, but don't push
 
As for getting her off your special mixture, you may want to try lightly
coating the dry food with some of the mix and see if that doesn't encourage
her to eat her regular food.
 
Also, have you talked with 8 in 1 about shelf life?  Will that food still
be ok in 3 years even in a sealed package?  Most food companies don't
recommend longer than 1 year in a sealed package.  I think you should be
thinking about trying to switch her now, so that you don't go thru this
again in the future.  Try a bag of the new stuff and add just a few pieces
and see how this goes.
 
Debbie Riccio
WNYFLFA
Rochester, NY
[Posted in FML issue 1291]