Those links are IMO outdated and offer only marginally acceptable information. They offer generic information based on a kibble approach. A better answer to those Q & As posted on the page would be: Q. What do ferrets eat?: A. Ferrets are obligate carnivores and as such have evolved to thrive solely upon animal sources of protein and nutrients, ferrets have no cecum which is essential to digest plant matter. In light of that fact when feeding your ferret in order to offer them optimum nutrition you should offer a variety of meaty bone sources and whole prey. Ferrets teeth are specifically designed to shear meat from bones, shred tough connective tissues and crack open raw bones to get to the nutritious marrow. Their fast digestive system easily breaks down muscle tissues, cartilage and nutrients from chewed raw bones but it cannot get proper nutrition from plant stuff like corn, wheat, barley, potatoes, rice, tapioca or fruits and vegetables. Raw and whole prey sources from a variety of animals(like all sorts of rodents, cornish game hen, duck, chicken, quail, pheasant, pigeon, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, salmon, herring, sardines, crickets, earthworms, superworms) is the ideal but in lieu of that, for those people who are adverse to handling raw meats or whole prey items, there is the option of freeze dried, dehydrated/reconstituted, and canned meaty items. A consistent diet of dry kibble creates blunting of the teeth because the teeth are constantly having to crack pieces of hard kibble that are much harder than a raw bone! Because there is no softer meat or connective tissue for the teeth to shear through, the teeth do NOT get scrubbed all the way to the gum line so with a kibble diet there is a build up of placque and tartar which creates health problems elsewhwere in the ferret's body. Q. What treats should I give my ferret?: A. You should NEVER give your ferrets treats that can harm it! Stay away from any fruit or vegetable as well as cookies, cakes and candies and no pastas, never give a ferret alcohol. These are all treats high in carbohydrates. While ferrets DO have a sweet tooth and it may seem cute to watch them go crazy for the sweet- watching them slowly die due to insulinoma brought on from exposure to high carbohydrate diets is NOT cute. Raisins have been proved to be toxic to carnivores as has Chocolate. Any kind of nut or piece of vegetable can create an intestinal blockage within your ferret so should be avoided at all costs! Fruits and Veggies often upset the digestive tract enough to cause days worth of diarrhea which can quickly dehydrate a ferret. Fruits and vegetables often create explosive flatulence which may seem funny- but can be very painful, even life threatening for your ferret if the gas bubbles within the intestines create a twisted bowel. Offer treats of dehydrated or freeze dried meats, even a bit of ground meat or sushi fish, cooked chicken or turkey is usually well received and many ferrets go crazy for shrimp. Whatever you offer your ferret make sure it is devoid of salts and spices and sauces. >Bandits treats by Marshall's are exceptionally BAD for your ferret! They are terribly high in corn sweeteners and other high carb plant derivatives >Instead of an N-bone chew to offer your ferret which is high in wheat and soy as well as glucose give your ferret a chicken neck to chew on! Q: Can I feed my ferret cat food? A: NO! Kibbled cat foods are designed for cats which DO have a cecum in their intestinal tract and therefore CAN make use of the plant foods within the kibbles. Cat foods often have artificial dyes and flavorings added which no animal needs. Cats would benefit from an entirely natural diet too and would thrive upon what a natural fed ferret eats. Ferrets DO need a decent amount of taurine in their diet, like cats do, but this taurine is readily available in dark meats, and cicken or turkey hearts. Naturally available taurine is more readily absorbed than "added nutrients" mixed intosome mysterious goo cooked and pressed into cute shapes! Ferrets do NOT need catnip either! Q: When should I switch my ferret to a senior diet? A: Never! Ferrets fed an optimal natural raw and whole prey diet do NOT need a "senior" diet. Their bodies are able to acquire necessary nutrients easily from the natural animal sources. Ferrets bodies are designed by nature to utilize fats and proteins for energy NOT carbohydrates. If they have been fed these aimal sources all their life when they reach their senior years it won't be at age 4- it will be at age 7 or 8! Ferrets fed a diet high in carbohydrates from plant sources and forced to try to glean nutrients from plant stuffs and fibrous kibbles WILL age more rapidly and their digestive systems will begin to fail. You cannot overwork and overload a system day in and day out and expect it NOT to fail! Cheers, Kim [Posted in FML 6057]