"Henry Lee Jr." <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>I have heard that Totally Ferret was better from a few people, and that its
>also cheaper.  Is there any hard evidence that its better?
 
Yes it is better.  I'm not sure it's any cheaper though.  It's kind of the
difference between a premium kitten food like Iams (also very good for
ferrets) and a "regular" kitten food like Kitten Chow.  As for "hard
evidence", I'll let someone better versed in the specifics of ferret
nutrition answer that.  All I can say is that I've done a lot of research
into the available commercial foods for ferrets and cats and kittens.
Totally Ferret is far and above the BEST ferret food to feed ferrets.  Iams
Kitten, Innova, and Eukenuba Kitten are among the best feline foods for
ferrets.  I personally wouldn't include Marshall's food as one of the best
or even one of the better foods to feed.
 
>2. Ferret Litter.  I despise clay litters.  <snip>  Right now I am using a
>fine ground cedar liter called Katgo.  <snip> I have heard that cedar oils
>can cause problems.  If so, what kind of problems, and is this true?  I was
>told by a kind user to try Feline Pine Litter, because it was cedar oil
>free.  Any feedback on this as well?
 
Clay is bad for a number of reasons.  Cedar can cause some respiratory
problems.  Pine chip bedding can do the same.  The Feline Pine Litter
doesn't seem to be a problem at all for the ferrets.  It is pelleted and
looks like tan rabbit pellets.  I have tried it, hoping I could tolerate it.
I am allergic to pine, and unfortunately, even in this form, I could not
deal with it.  The ferrets did fine, however.  I use Yesterday's News which
is also a pelleted litter.  This one is made from recycled newspaper.  I
find it fairly inexpensive and odor controlling.  Yesterday's News has both
cat and ferret litter.  They are identical except for the size of the
pellets (cat size is the same as the Feline Pine or rabbit pellets, ferret
size is smaller) and the price.  I have used both.  The ferrets don't seem
to care which is in their box.  The cat size is cheaper, so that's what I
buy.  My ferrets do very well with it.  There are some other brands that
make the same kind of thing.
 
>3. Laxatone is what I would like to get for my ferrets, since it is a
>ferret-made hairball remover.  Where can I get this?
 
Laxatone was originally made for cats just like most of the hairball
remedies on the market.  Laxatone, Petromalt, and others work equally well
and are equally safe for ferrets and cats.  They can be purchased at many
pet supply stores, mail order catalogs, internet, etc.  (See below)
 
>4. Ferret Supplies.  <snip> and have never seen ferret litter or laxatone.
>Does anyone know where I can get any of this stuff at low prices?
 
Yep.  I'm a wildlife rehabber so I use A LOT of supplies and do a lot of
mail ordering.  Mail order prices are usually better than retail prices.
In pet supply stores, check the cat section for the litter and hairball
remedies.  The following are suppliers I regularly use:
 
Jeffers Pet Supply:  1-800-JEFFERS (for a free catalog) - they do charge
shipping
KV Vet Supply:  1-800-423-8211 or www.kvvet.com
                 - on orders of $40 or more there is no shipping charge
 
I usually find one or both of the above have the best possible prices.
 
The Ferret Store: www.theferretstore.com - No shipping on orders for the US.
 
Kim and The Dynamic Duo
[Posted in FML issue 2386]