I wrote this company that was advertising their food on the web for ferrets which is strictly vegan. I wrote to them explaining that ferrets have a short digestive tract of four hours and that ferrets do not have a cecum, so they can not digest vegetables or vegetable proteins. This by far is the worst response I have ever had, and they told me I basically have no clue about ferret nutition. Now I may not be an expert, but I have read a lot of articles by experts. At this point I don't know how to respond to these people. Here is their reply to me about their food. Thank you for your interest regarding ferret health and well being I think you are well intentioned but you have had no experience feeding ferrets a strict vegetarian diet that is high in plant based proteins (30%) and high in pure vegetable oil (14%) with added live prodigestive bacteria, enzymes and added protein isolates with higher than normal doses of vitamin supplements. We have 18 years of experience with records and observations regarding ferrets being fed the Evolution Diet. My last ferret lived to 13.5 human years and we routinely get client ferrets living into their early teens. We have the proof that the propaganda articles you are referring to, come from the meat industry. The meat industry gets rid of their byproducts (waste) by using them for ferret food and other pet food products. They circulate propaganda articles written by vets and other so called experts that would give the impression that ferrets could not live adequately on a strict vegetarian diet. They are simply protecting their turf and most people like yourself fall for it. Again, this is the same picture that permeates the pet food industry. Evolution Diet is now fed to tens of thousands of dogs, cats and ferrets. On the Evolution Vegan Diet they are living the very longest and healthiest lives and not having to depend on highly contaminated meat based pet foods. All Evolution Diet have about 1/4 or 25% of the chemicals found in a conventional or premium meat based diet for ferrets. Your current pet food is going to be responsible for killing your ferret prematurely and your vet is going to tell you that it is because of its genetic heritage. Vets have little or background in formal nutrition training: Instead they receive virtually all their training from pet food company representatives that give them free samples in vet school and encourage them to sell highly chemical laden prescription diets that are of questionable clinical value. If you have a ferret, please consider the tainted ingredients that are in your current food. Virtually all fish meal and fish oil is contaminated with mercury, PVC's, cadmium and many other chemicals. Fish meal and fish oil and animal fat are all byproducts (waste) of the fish slaughter industry much like poultry meal is a waste product of the chicken-turkey industry (feathers, dried blood, intestines, fecal matter, dried urine, heads, feet etc.) If what you were suggesting about the Evolution Strict Vegetarian Diet were true, we would have many ferrets being reported dead prematurely. That is simply not the case: In fact the opposite is true. They are living much longer, with much less health problems when they consume the Evolution High Plant Protein Diet that is strictly vegetarian with some added supplements. If you have additional questions or issues please call my office at 651-221-9056 Sincerely: Eric Weisman, Doctor of Health Sciences, Director of Health & Nutrition, Evolution Diet Pet Food Corporation, Director of Evolution Holistic No-Kill, No-Cage Home Style Rescue Shelter for Dogs, Cats & Ferrets [Posted in FML issue 5345]