Dear Annonymous, Meat is the natural diet-- HOWEVER not the sliced beef as you have mentioned. It is important to point out the NATURAL diet of these animals are mice , small rodents etc. Pet stores often have frozen pinkies, or you can find a ferret form a ferretry which is accustomed to eating mice and feed live mice. A fresh mouse is much more balanced with the organ meats, skin etc than a packaged meat which likely has been fed growth hormones, antibiotics and the like. while in our minds meat is meat, truly the balanced nutrition is not found in a sliced chicken, turkey or beef, however those would be compliments to a kibble diet. Another alternative is to find a local meat market which carries Smart chicken ( no added growth hormones, etc, and have them grind it barf style or chop it into smaller portions for supplimental feedings - you are still minus the organ meat which is highly nutritious for the ferret. Just my 2 censt, Alicia D. www.ferretwise.org [Posted in FML 5769]