Years ago just about the only knowledge you could find when you bought a new pet was from the T.F.H. Publications library. 'All About Hamsters', 'All About Siberian Husky's, 'All About Ferrets' etc. These books were all I had to go by 30+ years ago when I bought my first ferret. I pulled them out the other day...and kinda laughed. Some of the info still would be fine today...and some not. This is from 'All About Ferrets' by Mervin F. Roberts, T.F.H. Publications inc. ltd, 1977: On diet: 'Ferrets kill and eat rodents, moles, birds, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, grubs and worms. They also eat berries, fruit, vegetables, milk, cereals, bread, cake, fish, eggs, table scraps and greaves. You don't know what greaves are? Well, that's right; your pet will survive without greaves. But if you do have a source of really good greaves, you should put them in a feeding pan and pour boiling water over them and work up the mixture to a consistency of paste which should be fed warm. In some parts of the U.S, greaves are better known as cracklings.' I don't think my ferrets would quite know what to do with 'cracklings'! :) Here's a even more interesting diet mentioned in the book: 'In 1897, Nicholas Everitt told us that "when not at work, bread and milk form their staple diet, " and that sometimes oatmeal is substituted for the bread. Jills with brood were given fresh meat and part of a cat's carcass, was sometimes provided instead of the usual rats, birds, fowls and "duck necks and such like"' Cats! Oh my! About health...I find most interesting. It mentions vaccinating for Canine Distemper and Rabies even back then, but the only 'sickness' it mentions is the common cold, and a disease called foot rot. No mention of cancers, no insulinoma, no adrenal problems, heart problems, etc. Did they exist? But the Vet's had no name for the illness they came down with? I don't know. I do remember, 30 years ago...one of my ferrets lost hair...and the Vet diagnosed it as a 'hormonal' problem. I guess...she was close on that. Looking back now, it was obviously adrenal. (have pictures somewhere) She was a late alter....and passed at 10 years old...with just fuzz on her head. No lupron....nothing. Lived to be 10, eating Meow Mix and Iams Kitten. Also had one live to be 11, she had the screaming seizures, again obviously Insulinoma. But they had no diagnosis for that either. I'd never feed that food now...of course. But it worked then! Besides, I didn't have any cat carcass's handy. :) Joan and the 7 Fuzzies :) [Posted in FML 6905]