For years I have been asking the same question on the ferret groups
and to this day NO ONE has answered it. Since many feel Natual (whole
prey & raw) makes for a healtheir and longer lived ferret, I want to
know just "HOW long these people's ferrets are living to?"

The longest living rescue I have ever taken in was Jerry Springer, he
passed away at 14yrs old a couple of years ago. He was fed "kibble" his
"entire" life.

When I started my rescue in Washington, NJ in 1998 it was amazing how
many people came up to me to talk when they saw the furkids. Almost all
fed cat food and many fed high quality cat food and they proceeded to
tell me their ferrets where living well into their teens and a few had
lost their's at the age of "20yrs old" when they passed and these were
mostly "pet shop" ferrets.

I honestly beleive that food is NOT the main factor to a healthier
long lived ferret but instead it's the healthcare they recieve and the
genetic background of the ferret.

I may decide to give chicken wings in the future when I'm able to
afford it as a treat but I feel that the type of food a person chooses
to feed their ferrets (whether kibble, raw or whole prey) is "their"
choice and that one person's way of thinging should "not" be rammed
down another's throat. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and
it's great that the info is out there for everyone to read but please
do not condem another if they don't feed what another thinks is proper
and better. These are still hard economic times and people do the best
with what they can afford.

This is JMO, take it leave it.

Debi

[Posted in FML 6893]