Since 1999, when I got my first ferret and read that they are obligate carnivores, I have questioned feeding them kibble. It wasn't until the past year that I started hearing anything substantial concerning natural feeding. All those years of reading labels on bags of kibble and looking for the "best" kibble I could find for my ferrets never quieted that voice in the back of my head that kept telling me that my ferrets are obligate carnivores. At every education day, I would repeat those same words, "A ferret is an obligate carnivore" and go through the details of explaining that they need a high protein, high fat content kibble, but never totally accepting what I was saying. Until recently, when I found a group, [log in to unmask], was I able to get more information and lots of advice on converting to a natural diet for the ferrets. I now have four ferrets (all under the age of 3) on a diet of cornish hen pieces (including bones & organs), small rats (not live) and chicks (not live). I went very slowly with the transition as my schedule required that I be out of town during the early stages. However, when I returned to my normal schedule, the kibble came out of the cage and was replaced with ground chicken (bones & organs included) and everyone did fine. Then when I started offering whole pieces, Gabriel (2 years old) had a hard time understanding that the chicken pieces were food, but "breading" them in crushed kibble helped him over that hump. When I left for work this morning, he was happily gnoshing away on a chicken leg. Am I suggesting that the only method is a natural diet? No, but what I am suggesting is that it should be looked at and studied as carefully as the kibble that you feed your ferrets. EVERY bag of kibble that I checked contained grain of some sort, potato starch or rice and that was were I drew the line. If you wouldn't feed a lion a bowl of KIX, why would you feed a ferret foods with grain? I don't think it is about the longevity of a ferret fed natural or kibble. Any ferret adopted/purchased today could have some underlying illness that even the best diet of kibble or natural foods wouldn't give that ferret a longer life. I think it comes down to what you, the ferret owner, feel is best for your ferret. You are responsible for choosing the food that you feel best satisfies the nutritional needs of your ferrets. My decision, and I stress that it was MY decision, to feed my ferrets a natural diet is based on what I feel best suits their daily nutritional requirements. I truly believe that we are learning something new everyday about what is best for our ferrets and food is right at the top of the list. I would encourage ferret owners to continue to dialog on this subject as there is much that can be gained from honest and open discussion. This discussion is not about demanding change, it is about learning and sharing. Phyllis [Posted in FML issue 5192]