I have to feed kibble, what kind?

[tako]

block of access to dangerous furniture or closets you don't want them in/doors you don't want them exiting through, make sure there's no access to things like air conditioning/heating vents or other ways woozles could get into the walls, pick up things they're likely to chew on or try to eat. Basically they same way you'd ferret proof any other room in the house.

Tackle the big obvious things first. Pick up stuff that may be out that they shouldn't be getting in to. Then, get down on your hands and knees and snoop around at their level to check for things you missed. Then, the first few times you let them out watch them EXTREMELY carefully to see what they're trying to get in to and make improvements based on what you see them investigating/trying to get in to. Ferret proofing (or any type of pet proofing really) is always going to be an ongoing process.

[suds]

you can use thick plastic stapled to the bottom of the boxsprings or put cheap thin plywood / paneling under it.

(note this is getting of the subject should probly start another thread in general chat for ferret proofing to get more responces )

[starrlamia]

You could try orijen cat as well its an excellent food, and not as pricey as Wellness Core, my 2 kids get a mix of both and I only spend about 40 bucks a month for their food atm.

the Basic Ingredients for Orijen:
Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, lake whitefish, chicken fat, sweet potato, whole eggs,deboned turkey, salmon meal, salmon and anchovy oils, salmon, natural chicken flavour, sunflower oil, sun-cured alfalfa, dried brown kelp, carrots, spinach, peas, tomatoes, apples, psyllium, dulse, glucosamine Hcl, cranberries, black currants, rosemary extract, chondroitin sulfate, sea salt.

Analysis
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein 45.0%
Fat 20.0%
Carbohydrate 15.0%
Moisture 10.0%
Fiber 2.0%
Calcium (min.) 1.6%
Calcium (max.) 1.8%
Phosphorus (min.) 1.3%
Phosphorus (max.) 1.5%
Omega-6 3.8%
Omega-3 0.9%
Glucosamine (min.) 500 mg/kg
Chondroitine (min.) 150 mg/kg
Microorganisms 80M cfu/kg
pH 5.0
Ash (min.) 7.0%
Ash (max.) 7.5%

Plus their meat is fresh grain-fed chicken, freshcaught
Whitefish.

Sorry gotta plug it I love it.

[pear2apple]

I don't understand why you want to feed canned. All in all, its not an ideal main food. Not to mention, it may not *wear* their teeth down, put plaque and tartar will build up insanely quickly and you will have that problem to deal with. Also, smelly poop and not the correct amount of nutrients for them. Secondly, I can't even find anything about 8 in 1 canned pet foods...?!

It is a better idea to NOT feed canned foods. Evo, Ziwipeak, Nature's Variety, Stella & Chewy's are all fantastic options to feed and all available through Amazon. Please rethink the canned idea, and especially rethink 8 in 1, it is not that good of a food.

[pear2apple]

Ziwipeak is freeze dried meat. The Ziwipeak Cat is good, any flavor is fine. You want a variety, I know it looks expensive, but really they last longer in a mix and I had a 3lb bag of Evo Red Meat bites that I bought back in May and I am just now finishing the bag. These last a long time when you feed in a mix. I highly suggest you feed a few different kibbles at once to get all the nutrients they need.

It is really not all that pricey, especially for how long they last when you mix a few foods together.

If by feeding bin you mean the container they feed from, just refresh the food every night. I don't wash mine, and because I feed several different foods, I do not put a lot in my cups everyday, and its always gone by the end of the day.

[pear2apple]

I'm a little confused by your questions, I thought you had to feed kibble?

When I feed mice, its live mice and I feed them in the bathtub. When I was feeding raw, I also fed in the bathtub. Much easier to wash up that way.

www.ziwipeak.com/nzl/cuisine.shtml

You want to feed Ziwipeak Cat cuisine, not sure how good the canned is, so stick to the bags. Go to the contact page and request free samples, totally worth it. I'm going to try all 3 kinds of Ziwipeak, I have no preference now. You should still provide some food 24/7 if you are not feeding the raw. Its not that bad to just leave the Ziwipeak sit out all day, its not at all a hassle, and unless your climate is high humidity it is fine/safe to leave out all day. And kibble, theres really no reason to feed them on a set schedule.

[suds]

there are many ways others feed , if you are going to switch them to raw alot do set a schedule feed .with raw some feed 2 x's a day , some 3x's a day . when feeding raw properly they dont need food available 24 hours a day . but alot of people leave snacks for them like wysons A1 or freeze dried meats . It realy depends what works best for you in your situation. some also feed kibble and suplement with raw . the best thing I think you can do is sit down with your Mom see if you can get her to read some of threads here about natural diets then the 2 of you discuss what will work for all you then you can plan from there.

[suds]

when Giuli gets the website finished there wll be plenty of good things you can print out and show your Mom how much a better diet if done properly can be as sanitary as cooking for dinner , cheaper then kibble , and in the long run less vet vists also a money saveing pluss. just continue learning gathering info . its great you are trying to be a great ferrent

[pear2apple]

Free samples are just that- Free! Just look up Ziwipeak and Stella & Chewys website and Contact Us and fill it out, they will send lots of samples. Totally worth it!

I suggest you start talking to your Mom about supplementing with raw instead of heading straight for whole prey. She might be more ok with the supplementing then seeing them eat a whole mouse. It can be a shock the first time for some people!

[pear2apple]

Oct 6, 2008 10:09:37 GMT -5 luxuriousferret said:

And how should I supplement? like giving them some meat, or fast them for a few hours before feeding them raw? Thank you.

I would head over to the Newbie Questions section for this and post a question there. This should really get its own thread and more people will see it and be able to give more help.

It really depends on your ferret and what else you are feeding, what your limitations are, and how you want to supplement. The mentors and Giuli will be able to give you more help for that.