I, for one, do not believe there is only 1 correct way to feed ferrets. My personal belief is that a ferret's nutritional needs can be met in a variety of ways, including feeding commercially prepared foods. I do think discussions about feeding and foods is good, because it gives us all a chance to learn new things. And, I think each ferret owner should be aware of the various feeding methods, and the pros and cons of each. Additionally, I think that every ferret owner should be aware of their companion's nutritional needs, and do their very best to meet those needs. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, and they need high amounts of animal protein and fat. We all know this, but do we really take it into consideration when choosing a food and a feeding method? I know that many do, but we all need to keep this in mind. Grains contain some protein, but a ferret's digestive tract is not set up to get the maximum or even a minimal benefit from the proteins found in grains. So, a food that has a 40% protein content, but has a grain as the second or third ingredient, may not have anywhere near 40% animal protein. This is one reason that when choosing a kibble of other commercially prepared food, I look for foods that do not contain any grains. There is another reason I choose to avoid foods that contain grains. Grains have a known history of causing allergic reactions in many species of animals. Many humans have grain allergies, but are unaware of it. But, the grains in our diets are proving to be a major source of many of the digestive problems we suffer as we grow older. There seems to be a great increase in the number of ferrets having digestive problems - things like IBD and IBS. I am starting to think this increase may be due, in part, to the grains found in many of the kibbles we feed. I have had ferrets since 1985. Until 6 or 7 years ago, I never had a ferret with IBD or IBS. But, that is now becoming a major concern for me. I have had biopsies done on ferrets with chronic poop problems, and the pathology report has always come back IBD - likely caused by a food allergy. At first I thought it was chicken that was the problem, but when I started having my own problems, and was told I should go on a gluten free diet, I started to wonder about grains and ferrets. Fortunately, for people who want to feed kibble, there are now several good grain free foods. I personally believe in providing my ferrets with a variety of foods, and letting them choose which form they prefer. I do feed whole (pre killed) prey, and some of my ferrets eat that almost exclusively. And, I have 2 that will eat kibble almost exclusively. But, I also offer cooked meats and some of the canned meats as a supplement (or treat), and all will eat these items in small amounts. So, I am not set in feeding only 1 type of food. Some people have made claims that ferrets eating whole prey will have naturally clean teeth without any human intervention. And, I am sure that a prey diet will produce cleaner teeth then a soft food diet or even a kibble diet. Soft foods, like soup or canned meats will be the worst for causing tartar to build up on the teeth. But, I can also tell you that feeding whole prey does not insure clean teeth all by itself. As a person who shows and breeds ferrets, I can tell you that there are many people feeding their ferrets prey, and still before a show, they have to clean the ferrets' teeth. Perhaps not all of them do, but I can tell you from my own experience that at least some do. We have also heard that ferrets on a prey diet will have odorless feces. Again, this is not a guaranteed result. There are at least a few people who feed whole prey exclusively that will tell you that the feces of a prey fed ferret have more odor, and that the degree of odor varies according to what type of prey was fed. My personal experience is that chicken produces the worst odor, followed by rats, then mice, and finally rabbit. When I feed rabbit, I would say the odor is similar to a kibble diet. But, different kibbles can produce different amounts of odor as well. A kibble like Marshall's, which has a lot of fish and fish oil, will produce more odor in the feces. Likewise a food that is not nutritionally sound will produce more odor. And, what odors are considered objectionable will vary from person to person as well. So, my advice to people is to learn what the nutritional needs of your ferrets are, and then decide how you can provide that, with whatever feeding technique you choose. And, if you choose to feed a "natural diet", learn what is needed to keep it both safe and nutritionally sound. Danee DeVore ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know! For more information visit: http://www.ferretadv.com ADV - Find out how you can help: http://help4adv.terrabox.com/ [Posted in FML 6243]