>From:    stephanie ann maehr <[log in to unmask]>
>Sophie seems to like raw broccoli and carrots -- are they difficult for
>a ferret to digest?
 
    Ferrets are carnivores, veggies are hard to digest.  Make sure they're
well chopped.  My wife, Dawn, gave Max a sliver of carrot about the size of
a McD's french frie.  He munched it, and regurgitated several times over
the next hour.  We gave him some Laxatone to help the rest slide through
because the veggies don't get metabolized.  As for ferret food vs.  cat
food, we've got Max on Bench and Field Premium cat food, though there are
several good ones.  Look for at least 30% protien, about 20% fat and low
ash (specifically magnesium) content; less then 6.5% ash in a dry food
(added water in canned makes the content look lower, and wet food isn't
good for the teeth).  Fuzzies don't digest carbohydrates very well either,
so don't look for a high carb content.  All of the ferret food I've seen
costs appreciably more than cat food, and some brands don't stack up as
well as some cat foods.  Spend some time talking with your pet shop owner;
a knowledgable one can be helpful, while you probably don't want to shop
there if the owner is fuzzy on fuzzies.
[Posted in FML issue 1299]