From:
caitlynmaire@earthlink.net
Date: 2002-06-20 22:31:00 UTC
Subject: Re: food (long)
Hi, Shelley,
> I have been feeding my ferret Purina One kitten food since I got him
> 10 months ago. Is this what he needs?
Our vet would say no. He believes that today's high quality ferret
foods are specially formulated for a ferret's needs, and that kitten
foods aren't.
> He didn't seem to care much for the
> green ferret pellets I bought when I got him.
Green pellets? Yikes! No decent food has green pellets that I am aware
of. Your Kiki needs something that is at least 30% protein, and 35-40%
is better, and at least 15% fat, with a higher number (around 20%) being
much better. Ferrets are obligate carnivores (lots of archive posts
about this) and need a meat based diet. Some good brands are:
Totally Ferret
Zupreem Ferret Diet
8-in-1 Ultimate (*not* Ultra)
Path Valley Chicken and Rice
Mazuri
If you decide to change Kiki's food, mix a little in with his kitten
food until he gets used to it, then gradually increase the ferret food
and decrease his old food. This will avoid tummy upset and make him
more likely to accept the new. I have changed diets successfully on
ferrets as old as seven.
Of course, Kiki may like one but not another. Buy small quantities
until you know what he will eat. If you find he likes two, mix them.
That way if one isn't available for some reason when you need food, at
least the other will be.
> He is playful and
> energetic, his coat is rough, but it was like that when I got him.
A fatty supplement (8-in-1 Ferretone, Lambert Kay Ferret Linatone, or
Marshall's Furtone) will help that.
> He won't touch ferretone
I'd try another brand (see above).
> What do you mean
> by "cuddle"? Kiki won't sit in my lap or accept being "petted" like a
> cat or dog would. Am I doing something wrong, or do some ferrets
> dislike that kind of thing?
Ferrets have different personalities. Some like to cuddle, and some
don't. Ker Avon earned the nickname "Mr. Cuddle Weasel" or just Cuddles
when he was seven months old. There are times he wants to play, run
around, and be a little terror. A lot of the time, though, he is
happiest if Keith or I or any friendly person holds him in their arms.
Petting him is fine too. Adric, on the other hand, doesn't want any
part of being held.
> I thought I did enough research before I committed to making
> my home into a ferret home. It took me several months of research to
> decide to bring him home with me. Now I find that I was still
> woefully unprepared.
If you still have him 10 years from now you will still be learning.
They are amazing little animals. I feel like the more I know, the more I
realize how much I just don't know.
> I adore my baby, wouldn't give him up for the world, but all I'm
> hearing is that they get sick when they get old.
So do people. So do dogs and cats. It's part of the aging process.
> Do they all get sick as they age?
No, not all. Some get sick young. Some never get sick. Some start
having problems when they are seven. Think about people. We're no
different. Now divide our lifespan by ten and you have ferrets. For
every 10 people years you have one ferret year. That, to me, best
explains why it seems like there are a lot of problems.
I have three ferrets over the age of four (one of whom is nearly eight)
who have never had a major medical problem, period. I have Pertwee, who
has lead an incredibly medically challenged life. You just never know.
Expect that a ferret, like a person, is going to have at least one major
medical problem in their lives. Put away a bunch of money for that,
just in case. Here are the extremes: Tenchi, Adric, and Kodo haven't
cost me anything out of the ordinary. Pertwee's medical bills have
topped $6,600, or as much as the other nine (including Ryo-Ohki, who
passed away) combined. The average works out to about $1,250 per ferret
in our household.
All the best,
Caity