HELP!

[animalsgetrevenge]

For some reason this past week I have been thinking about going back to the DARK SIDE....


:'(KIBBLE!!!!!!!!!!!

I need some emotional support! I need to goto Kibble Anonymous! I am feeling very guilty for even having "processed" thoughts!

Someone please help me!!!

My problem is that I am really low on money right now. I had to borrow money from my parents to make rent/tuition this month and will be spending about $100 for Ernie to get his teeth cleaned next week.
I do still have meat in my freezer that I have been feeding, but it will be all gone within the month.
Ernie is eating NV raw medallions which aren't cheap, but its the only thing he will eat at this point. As for meat for my other two, I can't bare to buy cheap meat from any grocery store. Being vegan, buying meat is hard, but I feel better about buying meat from local, small farms, which can add up cost wise.
I've been thinking about looking for a processed diet that is grain-free...

Sorry for the lame complaints, but I need someone to push me in the right direction!

[Heather]

No laim complaints....money gets tight you get desparate . One thing to think about...I know you have a problem with meat but...your furbabies don't. They will eat it wether it comes from a high end butcher or your local supermarket. It's always great to hold to our ideals and I certainly don't want to step on your toes about that but what we hold and believe are not what our furbabies believe in.
Think of it this way...how is meat processed for your kibbles...(it's going to get gruesome )...think about it. I have or had, I'm sure I still have the links for a site that explains about chemicals found in kibbles, chemicals that are only found when sick animals are put to sleep were found in kibbles (and no I'm not going to talk about little FIFI's collar showing up there that's lame and a scare tactic). No, these are cows, sheep and other animals that are too sick for us human carnivores to eat but they're willing to feed it to our furbabies . Do you think that all the animals that end up in the rendering plant that feeds the great kibble vats are treated humanely.... and are healthy. What about the additives that killed hundreds, thousands of our pets only a few years ago? What about the FDA granting kibble mfg permission (I just got the notice a week ago) to use those same chemicals in limited quantities so that they could raise the protein levels in kibbles. I'm still getting recall notices that I have to post to the list that I moderate on so that I can warn people that their furbabies food has been contamintated yet again.
I would love to constantly be able to afford wholistically raised product but I have 14 furbabies that nobody wanted and I feed them as natural a diet as I can afford. They always have their raw meats but they're not always bought from the local butcher that I usually buy my meat from. I look for and buy specials.
In an idealistic world we can hold purely to our ideals but this isn't an idealistic world and these are hard economic times. Money is tight. Our furbabies count on us to supply them with consistency and good health the best way we can. Now, reality is if you can afford high end kibbles, grainless without fillers then you can probably afford to feed the specials in the store. These are still better for your furbabies than feeding dehydrated kibbles.
You asked for some reasons to stay the path I've offered you a few. I didn't mince words or walk around your beliefs, for this I apologise to you but for your furbabies sake, listen, truly listen to what I was trying to say. I'm not trying to be mean to you....please
Thank you
ciao

[pear2apple]

OK, since money is tight, I don't really see any problem with feeding both, the raw and a grain-free kibble. I personally feed both, but for other reasons. You could also stick with freeze dried foods like Ziwipeak or Stella & Chewys. They seem a bit expensive, but you really won't be feeding just the Ziwipeak in place of the raw.

Also, Evo Small Red Meat bites are grain-free and a great kibble choice. Thats what I feed, Evo Red Meat bites, Ziwipeak, Stella & Chewies, and NV. Its nice because its a good variety for them and its a bit of a treat when they get any S&C. My Apple loves the stuff so I try to save it for not as often.

Finally, I've been trying to modify this for like 10mins! OK, I also want to agree with Heather to just buy the cheap meats. Meat is meat unless its soaked in chemicals and if its in the grocery store for people, its not.

Those aren't bad kibble options if you do choose to go that way, but once you have them on raw I wouldn't go back unless there was no other way.

[Forum Administrator]

I agree with heather, it would be MUCH better to go with non-locally raised FRESH meat, then to go with kibble. I know you want locally raised, humanely treated meat, but you aren't going to get that from kibble (or regular meat). IMO going with the regular meat is a MUCH better choice. It is FAR healthier for your babies then kibble and its meat that is fit for human consumption (the meat used in kibbles such as innova is chicken backs (frames) and attached meat. I dont even feed FRESH chicken backs to my ferrets----far too bony, not enough GOOD quality, high taurine, fatty meat. Is it bad to feed fresh chicken backs to ferrets? No, but I certainly wouldnt want that as the MAIN source of meat in their diet, and in "high quality kibbles" you not only get chicken backs as the main meat, but COOKED, PROCESSED chicken backs.

I wish I could feed my kids all organic, locally raised, humanely treated food, but I can't, so I do the next best thing and go with regular meat. Its 1,000,000x better then kibble. You ARE NOT a bad parent if you cant afford the top of the line meat. Think of it this way, if you couldnt afford to eat all organic, fresh foods yourself, would that mean that you'd just throw your hands up and start eating processed junk food, instead? Of course not! A much better alternative is NON organic fresh foods. See my point?

Plus, if you get them back to eating kibble, it may be harder to switch them back to raw. OR on the flip side, they may not even want to eat the kibble at all (this is how it is with my kids and with ferretpalooza's kids. After getting a taste of real food, they no longer want kibble....smart babies!

[animalsgetrevenge]

Thanks for the FAST support guys! I took a shower and had three replies!

Don't worry Heather, you didn't step on my toes or offend me at all. Heck, I had to step on my own dang toes to even start feeding raw in the first place! Haha. One of the big reasons I switched to raw originally was because I knew that I could get humanely treated meats oppose to questionable kibble... thank you for reminding me! I was hoping that I could buy a kibble or freeze-dried food that claims to be organic, humanely treated, cage free, etc. but now that you guys point it out, IF I COULD find something like that it would probably be even more expensive than the meat I am already buying!!!

I think I am just getting tired of this whole "switch" thing (how in the heck to mamas of big businesses do it???) and need to kick everyones butts into gear so they are all eating the same thing. I'm getting tired of seeing poor Ernie sleeping alone because the big bad woozles will eat his NV mush.

Sorry for being a baby, Hahah!

I better just tough it out for now, I know it is the best things for my babies. Thanks for reminding me guys

I'm going to go hug my weasels

[Forum Administrator]

Don't feel bad, its stressful to make the switch, I understand (it took FOREVER to get De to eat ground raw, and she STILL wont touch chunks of raw meat bigger then a pinky finger nail). Just take a breath. As for how the momma's of big businesses make the switch, I have NO idea (but they are my personal heros! ) ask Jaycee, I'm suprised she is still sane and functional after her switch!

Kick Ramona and Didj into gear and give em a WHOLE raw meaty bone (with a wing you can break it into 3 segments, at the joints, but dont break it any further then that). As for Ernie, time to start adding chunks of meat to his NV (if you havent already). He doesnt get to sit on his tushy just because he's a big baby () he needs to get his bum in gear and start eating chunks, you already compromised with him by giving him the NV.

They'll all get to the "end point" soon enough. Just keep on truckin babe! You've made WONDERFUL progress. Sometimes it helps to not look at how far you have left to go, but how far you've come and what is going on NOW. Hang in there.

[mustelidmusk]

You can't abandon your babies now ....they need you to keep working with them - and Ernie has just started eating the NV - and loving it

They have come too far - and they're almost there.
Have you considered going to a butcher and asking if there are any good "extras" that are trash for him but would be a delicacy for your kids ( things like necks, hearts, gizzards, backs, tails, wing tips, etc., whatever, that he can sell you super cheap?)

Butchers commonly have high quialty meats, and a LOT of the items that ferrets need in their diet are perfectly healthy foods that we just prefer not to eat in this country.

My brats don't get all organic food- neither do I !

Hang in there and let me know where you
are "burned out" on the switch process - Ernie is getting closer to eating the wy Didj and Ramona are eating, so you hopefully can get everyone on the same page soon, which will be easier.
We can work on this...Just think of those soft thick coats coming in for winter - and all the energy they gained when they switched to raw!!!! Wouldn't you hate to give that up???

Hang in there!!!
-jennifer

[animalsgetrevenge]

Thank you for the "winter coat" reminder! When I got Didjeridu and Ernie last December their coats were pretty rough... this winter they will be beautiful!

I had tried to find a butcher in my area and have found NOTHING. There is one Asian style mart that sales strange meats but everything looks freezer burnt. You would thing there would be at least a few butchers in LITTLE OLD PORTLAND, OREGON wouldn't you??? Haha.

Luckily at the grocery store I shop at (New Seasons) they sale me special parts from the back. I have gotten chicken necks and backs (a lot of bone), Turkey necks (same issue, except I couldn't even cut through these), pork neck (almost no meat), chicken heart and liver, beef liver and kidney, and lamb liver and kidney, besides the obvious meats. Unfortunately, these things still aren't CHEAP, but they about 1/2 the price as usual meats. Luckily after buying 2 lbs of pork neck and 4 pounds of turkey neck and having the ferrets completely reject them, my dog was very happy.

Giuli- I will push Didj and Ramona to eat full pieces as soon as I am out of what I have in my freezer that I cut up and bagged. At least for this month I won't have to worry about spending money on meat for my "big kids"!

Thanks guys!

[Heather]

The whole switch thing can get you down, it gets the best of us. I found myself asking myself "why" while I was sitting up force feeding Babushka at 2 in the morning when I first got her. She wouldn't even open her mouth and if any got in, she'd squirt it out the side of her mouth like someone spitting tobacco. She'd then gag and choke and carry on like someone was trying to poison her. I had to wonder at the time if trying to switch a 9 yr old ferret was really worth it. I mean how much longer was she actually going to have. At that hour of the morning I was actually wondering how I could possibly mentor someone when I couldn't even get myself through a switch...despite switching well over 25 or more ferrets in a few years. No, my hats of to you guys who have made the leap of faith and are switching your furbabies.
You've no idea yet, the pleasure as the other night as I watched that same little girl whom I had fought so hard with as she was trying to deal with a rat that was almost twice her size and just giving that thing what for (it had been frozen She's got a gorgeous coat, she roams around (she did nothing but sleep when she was turned in, her spleen was large enough that I and my vet was concerned, but that too has gone down to a reasonable size for the age of the ferret). She now has a little fat belly and her coat is black as pitch. She really is a beautiful little thing, but man did she give me grief to get her to switch.
So, don't be too hard on yourself. I know this sounds silly but relax and enjoy the journey, there's so much you will learn about your furbabies and yourself (sometimes if it's just to question your sanity ) They say that patience in learned....this is when we learn
I'm glad that I didn't offend. Good luck
ciao

[animalsgetrevenge]

Thank you again Heather. I love your story about your nine year old ferret... I feel like I have gone through a lot with Ernie but compared to the struggles of others it is probably not much! At one point I wondered if I would ever be able to switch him... after hearing your story I am even more inspired!



I have already seen great changes in my babies, so I will just keep pushing them along.

And about sanity- I already threw that out the door years ago!