Q: "Please excuse my dumb brain but I wonder that if the carbohydrates in kibble are so bad, would sugar treats be bad as well?" A: I'll forgive your dumb brain if you forgive my smart ass. The truth is, IF sugary treats are indeed treats (that is, they are only given in small quantities on occasion, NOT in large quantities all the time), AND they are given to healthy ferrets, THEN they are harmless. They are the "evolutionary diet" equivalent of finding a berry or other fragment of fruit. There is only a limited amount of simple sugar contained in the treat and the sugars will probably be digested and metabolized rapidly. Some sugary treats are better than others; I prefer the idea of giving my ferrets their sugary treats in the form of a few licks of maple syrup or honey, or small fragments of dried fruit rather than from starch based carbohydrates. But, in all honesty, I cannot see the occasional cheerio as a bad thing. This is a moot point when it comes to ferrets eating a kibbled diet anyway. Kibble is approximately 50% starchy carbohydrate, which (at least theoretically) can be converted into, you guessed it--sugar. Now, the amount converted depends on the exact carbohydrate, processing and length of time inside the ferret, but even if only half of the carbohydrate was converted to sugars, it would mean the ferret was eating 2.5 lb of sugar per each 10 lb bag of kibble. Next to that, a few cheerios just doesn't seem to matter much. I mean, after a baby has hosed you down, what consequence are the sprinkles at the end? Now, just to be fair, I readily admit the EXACT amount of kibble converted to sugar is, in fact, unknown. I cannot quote a single source of information which confirms experimentally what percentage of kibble is converted by ferrets into sugar. I know of no published study. BUT we do know a good part of it is converted into sugar. So, what percentage would be good? 40%? 30%? 10%? Even if only 10% of the kibble was converted to sugar (translated as 20% of the total carbohydrate in a kibble that is about 50% starchy carbohydrates), it would mean your ferret would be eating a pound of sugar for each 10 lb. of kibble. Pour a pound of sugar out on your table. Is that ok for your ferret to eat? The occasional sugary treat is insignificant to what they are getting in kibbles. Q: "So, what are good treats?" A: Some of that good old Bob sugar (I'm so sweet, I sweat honey). Well that depends on your ferret. Most animals love the taste of sweets, so it is not hard to convince them to eat something sugary. One taste and they will probably say the ferret equivalent of "please mum, may I have some more?" Other treats don't fair as well because of olfactory imprinting. If the treat doesn't smell "right," it is usually rejected. Plus, you have the problem of taste preference--some ferrets simply like one treat better than another. What can you do? I love Pepsi and hate Coke. I spurn the evil empire and bought an Apple Macintosh G4, so advanced it makes the pentium act like a potato chip. Hey, preference is all about freedom of choice, and a ferret will chose what it likes. Go figure. Bear's favorite treat is homemade beef jerky (stay AWAY from salt). Tui LOVES pepperoni. Chrys would die for a cheerio. Forget Chrys; he would die for anything. Fraggle loves peanut butter and nutrical. Daye will climb glass walls for a raisin. Micky Moose would chew off his own tail for ANYTHING. Ok, especially anything that smells like a mouse. And believe it or not, Carbone has a cricket fetish. They all love meaty and sugary treats. I just give them sparingly; after al, they are not a proper meal. Bob C and 16 Mo' Living Treats [Posted in FML issue 3023]