Kibble and Raw

[bigsis7]

Ok, so Chewie has gone back to eating his poo again . It's been going on for a month or so, but he stopped doing that when I had food in the cage with him 24/7. Also some days I'm so busy it's hard to find time to feed the ferrets (don't worry, I do, but sometimes it's still partially frozen.) I don't exactly want to leave meat in the same cage as them all day, because they like to hide the bones in their hammock . So I have been wondering what other options there are? I don't really want to start them on kibble even if it's just a little bit. That's my ver, very, very last resort. I just need something that they can chew on during the day and at night (this seems to be the time Chewie starts his bad eating habit). My mom is also not willing to go to many stores, so most of the stores we shop at have pretty spendy meat. I can find sales once in a while, but it doesn't seem to be very often.

WARNING POO QUESTION

Also their poop (both of them) seem to have black/brown, runny poop latley. Is this normal?

[sherrylynne]

I usually leave the morning meat in until the evening meal, and vice versa. If they've eaten everything, though, I use either Stella and Cheweys or Archetypal 1. Both freeze dried meats, however both somewhat costly for daily usage.

[Heather]

My guys have food available 24/7. One must take special allowances (cleaning out hammies when furkids decide to eat in bed ) if one cannot get the furbabies out to feed them or they must be fed in their cages. Frozen meat just means that they can have the whole foods longer than you would normally leave it. Whole foods can easily be left all day, in fact ground raw diet can be left to be eaten all day as long as it's been in the fridge up to the time that is was placed in the cage to be eaten. Dark slimy poopies can mean a couple of things. Ulcers, these are usually tarry and blackish in nature or it's possible that you are either not feeding enough bone or your guys aren't eating any bone. This is an ongoing problem that many on the list have and you're not alone. It sounds to me that they're only eating meat. This will often result in loose dark brown slimy poopies.
Raw feeding takes certain responsibilities, as it can be far worse for your furchild than kibbles if it's not done correctly. I have never had a ferret eat his own poopies. There has always been a debate amoung health professionals as to wether it is a nutritional difficiency or not. I"m not saying it is. The only time my dog did this was when he was bored. My concern when reading your post is that your guys aren't getting what they need both in play time and food time. I realize that life gets in the way of living but we have taken on certain responsibilities when we take on furkids. When, we decide that we will feed a natural diet we must also realize that we cannot just open a pkg and throw food in a cage because we're too tired or too busy and then take it out when we think they're done because we don't want to clean up a mess. This isn't kibble. We must also realize if we indeed don't have time that perhaps we're going to have to take a little more cleaning time as we have to leave their food in their cage.
I realize that there are days when time is at a premium, and my guys have spent some days where they don't get the play time that they normally get. They're locked in their room instead of getting the whole house to play in. Those are the days when I go in their play room and discover litter boxes overturned, food stashed in drawers, bedding that normally is stored on top of cages thrown on the ground and sometimes even pooped on. I have a couple of boys who steal their whole food bowls and if I'm lucky they will stash them in one of the feeding dens, if not they take the whole bowl, food and all and dump it in one of the litter boxes. They are angry and they should be but that is my fault and my responsibility. I have hours of cleaning ahead of me but I know this happens. It's all part of taking care of these intellegent little trouble makers. I'm not trying to lecture, I'm just going on what you've posted. Meat and bones left in hammies and having to take them down and wash them is easy and better for them than having a ferret eating his or his companion's poopies.
If you cannot feed them raw in a timely and affordable fashion perhaps feeding a part kibble part raw diet might work better for you instead. There are those that do this. I'm not fond of it myself but who am I to say that it's not correct. I know of many who do this. It isn't for us to judge what you feed. If you cannot feed raw you've not failed your guys. If you continue to feed partial raw diet you're still giving them some benefit of their natural diet. It is much better than feeding a raw diet incompletely. If I have misread your post I most sincerly appologise but I want you to understand that we're only here to help you feed your guys in the best possible manner within your budget and your capabilities.
I hope that you can find a plausible solution for your little guy...good luck
ciao

[bigsis7]

Haha breakfast in bed! I've been feeding the ferrets in a feeding cage especially when I feed them liver! I have been trying pig feet lately 2 days a week, so this may be why they may not being getting as much bone, so I'll get some different kind of RMB. My ferrets still get out of the cage at least 2 hours a day and then have 30 minutes two times a day to eat. So I don't think it's boredom. I'm worried about the days though when I'm hardly home and they're so used to being spoiled and are left in the play pen instead of being able to run around in the basement. I really do not want to start feeding kibble again. I'll start leaving meat in the cage for them and see if that works. And no Heather, it did not offend me at all! Thank you for taking time to answer my questions and help me out .

[jojodancer]

Maybe Chewie isn't getting everything he needs because Olliver is stealing some of his food? Or maybe it is the pig's feet. Or maybe he's looking for attention? I'm not sure.

Anyway since time is hard on all of us, perhaps having ziwipeak available 24/7 is the way to go? ziwipeak is air dried jerky-looking food, that can be left out all day. It's raw, and has either 65 or 70% meat and the rest organs and bone depending on the variety you purchase. This way they have food available to them whenever they want it, but it won't spoil, it's raw, and it's healthy.