Q: Is it ok for ferrets to eat or play with crickets?
 
A: It might be ok to play with them, but it's the wrong time of the
season to consume cricket players; you cannot harvest cricket players
in months ending with an "R".
 
Ferrets can eat any insect they decide it is ok to eat.  Some might taste
bad, others might sting, squirt something nasty or hot, or bite, but that
is how ferrets learn on their own.  If the bug is nasty or poisonous,
they will spit it out quicker than you could ever remove it.  Even if
they did the stupid human trick of swallowing it, they would probably
gack it up faster than you can say, Where's the porcelain altar?  I
have to toss a technicolor cat... Besides, there is strong evidence that
avoiding bright, contrasting colors is somewhat instinctive, so they will
probably not bother many of those.  Seriously, I would keep them away
from scorpions, dangerous spiders, centipedes, and brightly colored or
hairy insects or caterpillars.  If you use pesticides in or around your
residence, it is possible insect visitors could be contaminated, so I
wouldn't let ferrets eat insects from those areas.  But, other than that,
I would worry more about mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas biting my ferret
than my ferret chomping on a grasshopper.  Clean, pesticide free insects,
pupae, and larvae can be purchased at pet stores or online, and they make
excellent, extremely nutritious snacks if your ferrets like them.  If you
give them to ferrets when they are young, they will love them the rest of
their lives.  Insects are full of protein and fat; they are MUCH better
for ferrets than a raisin.
 
Popeye periodically shows up with lumps on his face; they are from being
stung from bees because he likes to stalk them in the backyard flowers.
I just scruff him and remove the stinger if it is still present.  Tui
used to love eating stink beetles; he would gag and spit, but he insisted
on eating them.  Moose would eat carpenter ants.  Well, a few of them
anyway, then off he would run to drink some water and then back to ant
eating.  Once I thought I saw a booger on his nose, but it was the head
of a carpenter ant, mandibles sunk deep into the side of his nose.  I
guess you have to nose around to get a head in life.
 
Bob C
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[Posted in FML issue 4647]