Those links are IMO outdated and offer only marginally acceptable
information. They offer generic information based on a kibble approach.
A better answer to those Q & As posted on the page would be:

Q. What do ferrets eat?:
A. Ferrets are obligate carnivores and as such have evolved to thrive
solely upon animal sources of protein and nutrients, ferrets have no
cecum which is essential to digest plant matter. In light of that fact
when feeding your ferret in order to offer them optimum nutrition you
should offer a variety of meaty bone sources and whole prey. Ferrets
teeth are specifically designed to shear meat from bones, shred tough
connective tissues and crack open raw bones to get to the nutritious
marrow. Their fast digestive system easily breaks down muscle tissues,
cartilage and nutrients from chewed raw bones but it cannot get proper
nutrition from plant stuff like corn, wheat, barley, potatoes, rice,
tapioca or fruits and vegetables. Raw and whole prey sources from a
variety of animals(like all sorts of rodents, cornish game hen, duck,
chicken, quail, pheasant, pigeon, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, salmon,
herring, sardines, crickets, earthworms, superworms) is the ideal but
in lieu of that, for those people who are adverse to handling raw
meats or whole prey items, there is the option of freeze dried,
dehydrated/reconstituted, and canned meaty items. A consistent diet
of dry kibble creates blunting of the teeth because the teeth are
constantly having to crack pieces of hard kibble that are much harder
than a raw bone! Because there is no softer meat or connective tissue
for the teeth to shear through, the teeth do NOT get scrubbed all the
way to the gum line so with a kibble diet there is a build up of
placque and tartar which creates health problems elsewhwere in the
ferret's body.

Q. What treats should I give my ferret?:
A. You should NEVER give your ferrets treats that can harm it! Stay
away from any fruit or vegetable as well as cookies, cakes and candies
and no pastas, never give a ferret alcohol. These are all treats high
in carbohydrates. While ferrets DO have a sweet tooth and it may seem
cute to watch them go crazy for the sweet- watching them slowly die
due to insulinoma brought on from exposure to high carbohydrate diets
is NOT cute. Raisins have been proved to be toxic to carnivores as
has Chocolate. Any kind of nut or piece of vegetable can create an
intestinal blockage within your ferret so should be avoided at all
costs! Fruits and Veggies often upset the digestive tract enough to
cause days worth of diarrhea which can quickly dehydrate a ferret.
Fruits and vegetables often create explosive flatulence which may seem
funny- but can be very painful, even life threatening for your ferret
if the gas bubbles within the intestines create a twisted bowel. Offer
treats of dehydrated or freeze dried meats, even a bit of ground meat
or sushi fish, cooked chicken or turkey is usually well received and
many ferrets go crazy for shrimp. Whatever you offer your ferret make
sure it is devoid of salts and spices and sauces.

>Bandits treats by Marshall's are exceptionally BAD for your ferret!
They are terribly high in corn sweeteners and other high carb plant
derivatives

>Instead of an N-bone chew to offer your ferret which is high in wheat
and soy as well as glucose give your ferret a chicken neck to chew on!

Q: Can I feed my ferret cat food?
A: NO! Kibbled cat foods are designed for cats which DO have a cecum in
their intestinal tract and therefore CAN make use of the plant foods
within the kibbles. Cat foods often have artificial dyes and flavorings
added which no animal needs. Cats would benefit from an entirely
natural diet too and would thrive upon what a natural fed ferret eats.
Ferrets DO need a decent amount of taurine in their diet, like cats
do, but this taurine is readily available in dark meats, and cicken or
turkey hearts. Naturally available taurine is more readily absorbed
than "added nutrients" mixed intosome mysterious goo cooked and pressed
into cute shapes! Ferrets do NOT need catnip either!

Q: When should I switch my ferret to a senior diet?
A: Never! Ferrets fed an optimal natural raw and whole prey diet do
NOT need a "senior" diet. Their bodies are able to acquire necessary
nutrients easily from the natural animal sources. Ferrets bodies
are designed by nature to utilize fats and proteins for energy NOT
carbohydrates. If they have been fed these aimal sources all their life
when they reach their senior years it won't be at age 4- it will be at
age 7 or 8! Ferrets fed a diet high in carbohydrates from plant sources
and forced to try to glean nutrients from plant stuffs and fibrous
kibbles WILL age more rapidly and their digestive systems will begin
to fail. You cannot overwork and overload a system day in and day out
and expect it NOT to fail!

Cheers,
Kim

[Posted in FML 6057]