>I love all animals and I WOULD NEVER NEVER NEVER FEED MICE TO MY FERRETS
>NO MATTER WHAT.  If I am wrong in this subject I would to have someone
>tell me the advantages of giving mice to ferrets and what it exactly does
>to help maintain the good health of our animals.
 
I don't think I would give a rat to my furkids but if I did, I am sure it
would be dispatched with typical ferret glee.
 
I feed mice and rats to my snakes all the time..have now for over 20 years.
Needless to say, I raise them.  I also give my ferrets mice, regularly.  I
give them to them live and the let the ferrets chase and kill.  Gory?  No,
it is good exercise for the ferrets and believe it or not, makes them
think.  Cruel?  I don't think so.  No more so than life.
 
What good is a mouse to a ferret?  Natural vitamins and minerals, not
processed like found in even the best ferret foods, ie: Totally Ferret,
Mazuri, 8in1, Marshalls, etc.  My two now departed old-timers you see in my
signature, Bubba and Billy-Bob both lived to be over 10 years of age.  They
both had mice since they were kits.  Everyone tells me, ferrets just don't
live that long.  Horse-hockey..they can and do.  I have read about ferrets
getting into their teens.  My oldest now is 8 plus years and although he is
fighting bladder infections probably caused by a left adrenal involvement
(His right is already gone), he is a very strong 8 year old.  My vet thinks
he is spectacular, as she did with my two older boys.
 
Did the live food contribute to their longevity?  I don't know.  Ask Bob
Church.  I am sure he will say as I feel, "It sure didn't hurt!"
 
As for feeding what some feel is inappropriate food...professional dog
breeders feed their animals raw horsemeat.  Good stuff.  I grew up in the
'dog world' what with my mom raising German Shepherds and the local meat
processing plant in Tucson used to do a booming business with horse meat
and dog breeders.  I know that the Rocky Reach Kennels in Claremont used
to feed horse meat to their German Shepherds.  Some would say this is cruel
to horses, but, the breeders just felt the dogs would benefit from getting
a more natural food than processed food.  I feel the same way about my
ferrets and their food.
 
For our ferrets
 
MC, The Rude One
(With Garret, Snorkle, and Tuzigoot.  In spirit, Bubba and Billy-Bob)
[Posted in FML issue 2753]