Well, this time I have mostly been reading the posts on raw/kibble diets. I have been feed a natural diet (raw chicken, etc.) for over 6 months now and I am still satisfied with my decision - which I might add took me over 5 years to make. I think Suki's suggestion on adding downsides of raw feeding is well taken as there are a few things that took some getting used to. 1) the poops might be smaller, but they are definately stinkier - "Who just used the litter box? PHEWWWW!! 2) it is critcal to provide food at least twice a day, so this means, no overnight pajama parties with friends, unless they stay at my house. 3) wasted, leftover uneaten food - "Do you guys have any idea how much this chicken cost me?????" On the other hand, I love watching the kids eat their dinner as they just close their eyes in ecstasy as they chew away on their dinner. One interesting observation that I would like to share... I have a foster ferret who is about 6 months old. He is being fed kibble as I didn't want to disturb his diet when he is adopted. However, he decided to join the natural-fed kids at dinner time. He picks the boniest piece of chicken and eats the whole thing. I never tried to introduce him to natural foods - he just made the decision on his own. He still gets kibble, which he thoroughly enjoys. I just think it is interesting that he chose to eat the raw chicken on his own, while it took months to convert the others to a natural diet. Now I realize that some on this list will say that ferrets eat raisins and such and it's not good for them, so don't think that I am suggesting that Teddy chose raw chicken because he knows it's good for him. I just stating an observation. Anyway, I hope someday we have more solid evidence as to what is the best diet to feed our ferrets. In the meantime, I do enjoy reading about ferret diets, how they might differ and improvements being made in the kibble industry. Diet in ferrets is something that should be openly and freely discussed, so that we all may share in as much information as we can get. The final decision on diet still rests on the shoulders of the ferret owner and I know that each one of us is making the decision that we feel most strongly about. I do want to thank people like Shirley Hewett and others who have had the courage and commitment to share their knowledge with us. Phyllis [Posted in FML 5401]