It's been almost three years since I last wrote to the FML and almost as long since I last had ferrets. I'm considering some new additions in the future so I've been poking around the world of ferrets to see what, if anything, had changed over the past few years. In doing so, I read a few things that got me thinking. One note first.... This is my own thinking coupled with what are (to me) logical sounding statements. I'm not planning on doing anything with this; I'm definitely a "think before you act" kind of guy. I'm bouncing it off the FML because this is arguably the best place for such ideas. One item I read about ferret nutrition raised what I believe to be valid points. This article theorized that a number of current ferret health problems are diet-related. Ferrets, it's explained, are pure carnivores and as such they lack the body chemistry and physiology to properly digest things like sugars and plant matter. It's theorized that the inclusion of sugars into ferret diets by way of treats like raisins, cereals, and a variety of other "treats" causes the ferret's pancreas to become hyper-responsive to sugar as the ferret ages. This can cause medical conditions such as diabetes, insulinoma (tumors, etc), often treated with steroids as a control solution. (I've had three or four ferrets with this condition so I can readily attest to this.) Similarly, humans feed ferrets a lot of plant material. The second ingredient in the popular "Totally Ferret" food is rice flour, followed shortly by wheat flour and corn meal. Other ferret foods are similarly designed. For a pure carnivore, the inclusion of plant materials into a ferret diet is questionable at best. Couple that with things like fibery raisins and Cheerios and it's not hard to wonder why a carnivore is eating so much plant material. So here's the question: What would happen if you fed a ferret nothing but meat? If all of the above is true (and, as I said, it sounds logical to me) then the natural assumption would be that reverting a ferret to a 100% meat (and water) diet would result in a resoundingly healthy and long-lived ferret. For example, at the local warehouse supermarket they sell "fajita beef" in bulk packs. This is a five pound wad of thinly sliced steak, designed to be grilled or stir fried or (obviously) put into fajitas. Each slice is about 1" wide by about 6" long and about 1/8" thick. Let's say I fed a ferret two or three strips twice a day, plus as much water as he'd drink. No treats, no raisins, nothing other than that (and, of course, the things which makes a ferret tick -- plenty of sunshine, play, regular vet checkups, etc). Has anyone ever done anything like this before? If so, what were the results? Purely as a theory I'd imagine that the ferret's waste would be less both in quantity and odor, and I'd suspect a longer and higher quality life. I'll be honest: It makes so much sense to me that if I were to get a ferret right now (and, no, I'm not) I find little reason not to put it on that kind of diet. Anyone have any stories, experiences or facts to share about this? [SH] [Posted in FML 5768]