Jamie wrote: >... I am now feeding them Totally Ferret and I have heard that this is very >good but it seems my little guys could use a variety.... Also could someone >give me an idea of what kind of treats to give them. ... Don't change their diets! Totally Ferret (in my opinion) is the best diet you could be feeding to 3 month old kits. Animals bodies, especially ferrets, are very different then ours- much more sensitive. It's not recommended to vary their staple diet. A variety of treats is okay, but changing their daily food can upset their stomachs, cause diarrhea, depression, and they just might plain not eat it! Imortant nutritional values of ferret food are concentrated on protein and fat. A minimum requirement for protein for younger ferrets is 35%. Fat percentages ranges from 20-18%. Ash and magnesium are to be avoided as much as possible and moisture should be around 10% at the most. Ferrets inner systems don't require much fiber so 1.5-2.5% is recommended. Now when choosing a ferret food, corn and fish products should be avoided in the first 3 ingredients. Instead concentrate on poultry, rice, eggs and animal fat. Sounds yummy right :)? Anyway here's a few ferret diets , their age recommendation and their nutritional values: Totally Ferret- Protein(36%), Fat(22), Fiber(1.5), Ash(6.5), Magn(.09) First 3 ingredients: poultry by-prod meal, rice flour, poultry fat. (Recommended for kits and adults) Kaytee Forti- Prt.(35%), Fat(18), Fib.(4), Ash(?), Magn.(?) Diet First 3 ingred: Poultry meal, fish meal, animal fat (Recom. for Adult) Marshall - Prt.(38%), Fat(18), Fib.(3.5), Ash(6.5), Magn.(?) Farms First 3 ingred: Chicken by-prods, Herring Meal, Corn (Recom. for Adult) Mazuri- Prt.(38), Fat(20.5), Fib.(4), Ash(7.5), Magn(?) Ferret First 3 ingred: Poultry by-prod meal, ground yellow Diet corn, animal fat w/ BHA (Recom. for Kits and Adults) 8 in 1 Ultra- Prt(35%), Fat(15), Fib.(3), Ash(6.5), Magn(?) Ferret Diet First 3 ingred: Chicken meal, corn, brewer's rice (Recom. for Adult and Dieting Ferrets) Iams Kitten- Prt(34%) Fat(22), Fib.(3), Ash(7), Magn.(0.1) 1st 3 ingred: Chicken by-prod meal, chicken, rice flour (Recom. for Kits and Adults) Nutro Max- Prt.(34%), Fat(20), Fib.(3), Ash(7), Magn(.08) Kitten 1st 3 ingred: Chicken meal, corn meal, wheat flour (Recom. for Adults) Science - Prt(33%), Fat(23), Fib.(3), Ash(6.5), Magn.(.11) Diet Kitten 1st 3 ingred: Poultry by-prod meal, ground corn, animal fat w/ BHA, ETC (Recom. for Adults) Sheppard- Prt(35%), Fat(20), Fib.(3), Ash(6.5), Magn.(.15) & Greene 1st 3 ingred: chicken meal, ground rice, corn meal Nutri-Life (Recommended for Kits and Adults) Ferret Well, as you can see from above, Totally Ferret has all the nutritional values needed by kits and adults, but stays away from corn and fish. Both are hard to digest by most ferrets and have little nutritional value. So basically, T.F and Iams Kitten Food are the best for your fuzzheads. Now treats. Ferretone really is the greatest thing because most ferrets love it and it is a wonderful supplement- good for their skin and coat. But since your little girl doesn't like it or raisins (another great treat that most ferrets like, but don't threat, my picky fuzzbutt, Fred, won't touch 'em), you might try Ferret-Vite, Linatone,or Vita-sol Ferret Vitamins. These are all ferret supplements and need to be used as recommended on the label. Also there are ferret treats such as ferretbites, made by eight in one, that come in chicken and banana raisin flavors. Marshalls makes a treat called bandits ferret treat that you might like to try. Also you can try some other treats made for ferrets (Path Valley Farms is one manufacturer) that are peanut-butter flavored. Fred, my picky one, will only eat peanut-butter treats and ferretone. Also you can try cheerios, bananas, watermelon, shrimp, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, raw or cooked potatoes, spinach and celery. Just make sure to give these goodies in small quantities and if your fuzzies show signs of loose stools, cut back on the treats. It's my professional opinion as a certified vet technician, that if you're feeding a healthy staple diet to your fuzzhead, and a daily supplement, a small treat here and there is fine....and makes training so much easier. Just make sure to stay away from treats like chocolate (ferret's lack enzymes that digest cocoa and could make them seriously ill), ice cream, cheese, and other dairy products. These can cause diarrhea and upset tummies. Cakes and cookies are no-no's, but even I have been guilty of giving a crumb or two. Other than that have fun with it, experiment a bit, always give in very small quantities and good luck with your fuzzheads. Dooks to all. Jennifer M. Coyer CVT Fred, Faya and Zero The Fuzzmunchkins [Posted in FML issue 2117]