>Is this getting just a little silly?  What is the basis for assuming that
>our domestic ferrets need the same diet as their ancestors or feral
>ferrets?  Is it proven that feral ferrets are healthier, or have longer
>lives?  Once upon a time man's diet was whatever he could outrun and kill.
>What was his life span?  15 years?  Our ferret's worst enemy is not TF or
>IAM, or whatever (within reason, of course), but the greedy hi-volume
>breeders...
 
I couldn't agree you more- about everything here.  I think this whole diet
issue has gone a little crazy and is deflecting from our main focus- happy
healthy ferrets.  There have been a few articles lately (and since I don't
want to cause more flammage by stepping on any toes, I'll just let you all
figure out what I'm referring to) about how many ferret caregivers give
their fuzzies a huge variety of food- anywhere from chocolate and cafe
mochas to pepperoni, Dr. Pepper and Ice cream.  And when I hear this- it
just really makes me sad :-(.  I know that a lot of people eat a variety of
garbage-y foods like those listed- which I of course I am guilty of
occassionally, but to feed them to your fuzzies?  Am I the only one bothered
by this?  I know that every owner is entitled to feed their fuzzbutts what
they choose, but this frightens me.
 
I feed my fuzzywuzzins Totally Ferret everyday as their main food ( which is
not an endorsement for this food co.  There are other nutritious
pellet/kibble diets out there, I just chose this one because of it's
individual high nutritional value, the ferrets love it and it produces a lot
less waste material).  But I also give daily bits of raw vegies, cooked meat
(mostly chicken and turkey), tiny amounts of fruits and of course, their
favorite, a raisin or two here and there.  They also get ferretone about
every other day .
 
In addition to this- they are let of cages in the morning for 2 hours, then
let out when I get home from work for the rest of the night- until I go to
bed.  So they get around 6-8 hours of playtime a day- which I am involved
in.  They have abundant amounts of energy- they love to run and jump and
tumble and roll and dook and climb and crawl through and be just plain
adorable for hours on end.  My littlest one,Faya, seems to never get tired.
From the moment I let her out after work until the late evening hour I put
her to bed she never stops.  The other two have a lot of energy, too , but
enjoy just watching her "go nuts" sometimes.  Then there are our trips to
the park.  I think that that is their unltimate favorite.  There is one
particular park we go often to, that has a big beautiful pond and a couple
dozen ducks and geese.  They love to run around(with their harnesses on, of
course) and roll in the soft plush grass, watch the birds, sometimes try to
chase after the ducks (but their mom never lets them near the geese, which
they still can't figure out why), smell everything and dook dook dook!!!
Sounds like some pretty happy healthy ferrets, huh?
 
So, I guess it somes down to this, in order to have happy healthy fuzzheads,
not only do they need good eats, but need to be loved and played with and
all that other good stuff.  Because you could feed your ferret the "best
food on earth", but neglect their other needs, and you would still not have
a healthy ferret.
 
Jennifer M. Coyer CVT
Fred, Faya and Zero the Fuzzmunckins
[Posted in FML issue 2128]