Many people feed their ferrets kitten food.  We use Iams, Science Diet, Pro
plan, and Walthams in several different flavors, some are cat instead of
kitten foods.  I also serve a canned cat or kitten food both morning and
evening and a special soupy recipe twice a day as well.  Oh and I can't
forget morning and evening cereal treats or the warm watered down Lil
Friskies and Whiskas.  We also feed Totally Ferret, Marshall Farms, Kaytee,
8 in 1 ferret foods.  Goodness almost forgot the Purina Kitten Chow and
Deli Cat.
 
Why so many foods and why some grocery store brands you may ask.  Because
many of the ferrets that share our home came to me later in life and only
ate one type of food.  So to make them comfy and happy I mixed their food
with better food but apparently some of the already residents decided the
junk food was good too. (sigh)   So it stays on the buffet, even if in
regulated portions.  I serve much more of the high quality cat/kitten and
ferret food than I do the grocery store brands and I always monitor who is
eating what.  The recipe is filled with the good stuff and almost everyone
eats it so I believe their nutritional requirements are being met.  Oops,
almost forgot the dog food they steal out of the dog food bowl.
 
Everyone has soft full coats and their skin looks fine.  They are bouncy
and happy.
 
One rule to remember for ferrets - you can buy the most expensive foods but
if they won't eat them then you'll have a very skinny or dead ferret on your
hands.  I'd rather have a happy, healthy ferret that eats a bit of generic
foods now and again, wouldn't you?
 
I've seen too many skinny ferrets that were fed only one type of food or
several quality foods that they only ate enough to barely survive.  If a
ferret is thin and it isn't medically related it could possibly be the food.
Not all ferrets have the same taste for food.  That is well proven in our
home (why else would I feed 15+ brands of food).  I'd rather add the generic
and have a fat, healthy, happy and sassy ferret.
 
So those of you that are now sitting there with your mouths open, close
them. ;-)
 
Hugs to all.  tle
[Posted in FML issue 2371]