reply for Debi on kibble-fed, long-lived ferrets. Here's a thumbs-up for you from Susie Lee of the now-closed Ferret & Dove Sanctuary, for we've also had a ferret who made it to 14 years of age on about literally not much more than kibble and soup made from mostly the same with maybe egg yolks and gerber's baby food in the home-made soup mix. That eldest one was a MF blaze-badger who grew an all-over creamy-colored coat as she worked her way into extreme age named Jazzmine Miss Boss lived to Pass On of genuine old age at just over 14 years like your "Jerry Springer". The next-eldest that had made it to just over 13 years was adorable Lilly McGillicuddy. Always within hearing of all those who could hear were the coo-ings of all our doves which was another soothing natural-environment and interesting-to-ferrets thing. Occasionally while out-and-about runnings around our house one or more would find a few loosened soft but interesting-smelling fresh down feathers of those doves who'd been moulting for when they were, of course the fine soft little down-feathers would get into everything, everywhere. Returning from a romp with little birdy down-feathers on ferrets' whiskers was always so suspicious looking i never took photos of any of the ferrets with that. Perhaps I should have, too late, now! Most of the others all would get to around 12 years of age who never did develop either insulinoma nor adrenal disease and a huge percentage of the rest who Did get into those last would habitually still make it to around 9 years of age, despite their internal troubles. I think a more naturalized environment is something like "the secret" here...quarters to shnoozle in that are set up to be more like the "dens" of the once-upon-a-time wild ferrets who would burrow, whether into their own burrowings or more often likely, stealing some rabbits' or ground squirrels' quarters. Darkened with covers on all other sides but the fronts because if you live down in a dirt hole den, where else is your air coming from but just thru the "front door" as it were (of course I always keep a low-blowing fan running as well to "simulate" a natural slight breeze "blowing" into the Dens). Plus something else i always did was exchanges cage-quarters every now and then so that the interests of even the eldest was piqued by having some other ferrets' quarters to sniff-and-burrow-around-in. I still have 3 with whom i play "musical-cages" on of whom the eldest currently is Jade Spritely, all on kibble and soup-made-from-same with egg yolks and baby food in the soup. [Posted in FML 6894]