Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie, "
O, what a panic's in thy breestie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
 
Robert Burns "To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough"
(1785)
 
Jen B wrote:
 
>I'm trying to picture just how exactly "live prey" is given to ferrets
>who are used to eating it - do you just put the prey in their cage and
>the ferret goes after it?"
 
I've heard that some people put the mouse & ferret in a bathtub together.
 
>I doubt I'm going to ever be able to 'convert' my Snowball from kibble
>to live prey (or anything else but kibble at this late stage in his
>life) but I m still interested in knowing just how one goes about the
>feeding process nonetheless.
 
At 7 1/4 years, Snowball is not too old to switch to a natural diet
(note: not live prey).  We've changed 6,7 & 8 year olds and they thrive.
In fact, they can be the most accepting in a quicker time that some of
the youngsters Come to Natural Ferrets to find out how if you like. :-)
 
Tyler wrote:
 
>The ferrets are fed Kibble which is what they are meant to eat.  They
>occasionally eat chicken meat....cooked....
 
I really admire your compassion for animals but ferrets, being obligate
carnivores, are designed by nature to eat other animals.  There are
animals in kibble, and the chicken was once living.
 
I think this is what many folk have trouble with when deciding what to
feed their ferrets.  I can remember when I first started to feed whole
prey and had put a plate of mice & chicks on the floor.  My son
complained that it was gross.  I responded by saying that he ate beef
and lamb so was maybe being a bit of a hypocrite.  He told me that at
least I didn't put a whole cow on the table!
 
You see, we have become protected by not having to kill, gut and skin
our own meat any more.  We even call our meat differently to the animal
it comes from; beef, mutton, pork.
 
For me, I had to overcome quite a hurdle to be able to feed whole prey.
I still can't look to closely at the small animals as I give them to the
ferrets.  However, one look at all of my ferrets and their fabulous good
health and I know I am doing the right thing.
 
I think Holly put it beautifully into perspective.  (Although I am not a
vegan, I do like to hug trees.)
 
Shirley
Aways for the Ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 5198]