Post by bluedove on Mar 19, 2009 0:30:22 GMT -5
1. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names, ages, genders, and do they have any health problems (this is VERY important)?
We only have the one ferret, but I'm also going to include info for the cats since I think I will need help switching them as well.
Liddle: 1yo female ferret with no known health issues.
Peepers: 6yo female cat with no known health issues.
Rufio: 2yo male cat, a bit thin, has broken his rear foot before. No other known health issues.
Tootie: 1yo female manx cat, no known health issues.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Liddle is eating a blend of 8 in 1 and Marshalls ferret food. Small amount of 8 in 1 Ferretone drizzled over it. Occasional raisin flavored treats as well. She also has access to and eats some of the cat food as well.
Cats are all eating Nurture Heavenly Harvest Holistic Cat Food. It's a soy and wheat free kibble but uses rice and corn.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
Ideally, I want them all on 100% whole prey. (most likely live)
We could begin breeding mice at any time, in a year or two we will also be able to raise chickens, eggs, and rabbits as well.
In the meantime, I will do my best to offer raw and/or commercial raw.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
I have always been on the hunt for the "best" pet food for my fur-babies. I have shelled out for Iams, Science Diet, Eukanuba, etc. But none of them seem to deliver what they promise. The idea of feeding raw meat does bother me... but I still want my pets to have the best I can give them.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
I had heard of raw diets in passing, but always dismissed them because I almost never even buy raw meat to feed myself... so I certainly wasn't about to invest in it to feed the cats. But after learning how many health issues that ferrets can suffer from, I became especially concerned for her well-being. And nowadays, I do have a man who does bring raw meat into the house and we will be able to raise prey animals soon... so why not?
I found references to this site specifically at the ferret.com forum.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is their muscle tone?
Liddle- just shy of 2 lbs (888g) - unsure of what a healthy ferret her size should look like, I suspect she may be slightly underweight - also unsure of what adequate muscle tone feels like, I find her to be a bit squishy rather than solid.
Peepers- about 10 lbs - somewhat overweight - mediocre muscle tone
Rufio - about 7 lbs - underweight - decent muscle tone
Tootie - about 6 lbs - good weight - good muscle tone
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
Liddle - teeth are bright white, no blemishes, gums nice healthy pink
Will update on the cats soon.
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Liddle - I believe she is a Siamese or Pointed pattern sable. Her feet and tail are black and her mask is a bit lighter in color than the rest of her body. Her coat is a bit coarse.
Peepers and Tootie are both dark tabby colored and have nice sleek, shiny coats.
Rufio is a lighter grey with white markings and his coat is dull in appearance.
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
Unsure - update this tomorrow after I can observe her habits for the day.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Yes... badly.
Also Tootie has especially foul smelling feces and often lets off rank gas throughout the day.
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Not bad since she just had a bath, usually she smells pretty musky though.
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
Liddle's maybe about a 7... again unsure about comparison.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
Not very, she give us signs that she's hungry if her kibble is low by trying to get to where we keep it (on top of her cage)
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
We have offered her a live mouse, which she killed and crunched quite enthusiastically, but did not eat it. We then offered her a thawed pinkie mouse... nothing doing. Later covered it in ferretone, she licked it clean and left it.
Have also offered her raw chicken breast chunks, she barely sniffed it.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
I definitely want to keep the switch as stress free as possible. Liddle was starved by her original owner and I don't want to put her through that again.
I expect Rufio and Tootie may be easier to switch as they are always after our people food. Peepers is older and set in her ways and has never even showed an interest in tuna or canned food or even cat treats. I expect she will be the hard case of the bunch.
I am hoping for a mentor who is experienced at feeding raw to cats as well so we can make this a total switch.
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
Try to get this in later when I have batteries for the camera.
17.
a.) Do you understand that by starting this thread you commit to posting updates on the progress of your ferret(s) diet switch at least every other day?**
Yes, this should not be a problem.
b.) Do you understand that if you will be away from your computer for an extended period of time you will need to exchange phone numbers (or email addresses if you don't feel comfortable exchanging numbers)via private message with your assigned mentor, so that we can monitor your progress and ensure your ferret's saftey during the switch?
Yes, again, not a problem.
c.) Do you understand that any threads that have not been updated in for more then a week (with no explanation as to why you are absent) will result in the deletion of the thread?***
Yes.
**Note 1: If you are unable to make it to a computer (such as on weekends) please indicate below so we know whether you just dont have computer access or if you have gone MIA.
***Note 2: If you would like to try the switch again and you are committed to making regular updates you ARE welcome to restart your thread. Failure to provide regular updates will result in the deletion of your thread.
We only have the one ferret, but I'm also going to include info for the cats since I think I will need help switching them as well.
Liddle: 1yo female ferret with no known health issues.
Peepers: 6yo female cat with no known health issues.
Rufio: 2yo male cat, a bit thin, has broken his rear foot before. No other known health issues.
Tootie: 1yo female manx cat, no known health issues.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Liddle is eating a blend of 8 in 1 and Marshalls ferret food. Small amount of 8 in 1 Ferretone drizzled over it. Occasional raisin flavored treats as well. She also has access to and eats some of the cat food as well.
Cats are all eating Nurture Heavenly Harvest Holistic Cat Food. It's a soy and wheat free kibble but uses rice and corn.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
Ideally, I want them all on 100% whole prey. (most likely live)
We could begin breeding mice at any time, in a year or two we will also be able to raise chickens, eggs, and rabbits as well.
In the meantime, I will do my best to offer raw and/or commercial raw.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
I have always been on the hunt for the "best" pet food for my fur-babies. I have shelled out for Iams, Science Diet, Eukanuba, etc. But none of them seem to deliver what they promise. The idea of feeding raw meat does bother me... but I still want my pets to have the best I can give them.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
I had heard of raw diets in passing, but always dismissed them because I almost never even buy raw meat to feed myself... so I certainly wasn't about to invest in it to feed the cats. But after learning how many health issues that ferrets can suffer from, I became especially concerned for her well-being. And nowadays, I do have a man who does bring raw meat into the house and we will be able to raise prey animals soon... so why not?
I found references to this site specifically at the ferret.com forum.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is their muscle tone?
Liddle- just shy of 2 lbs (888g) - unsure of what a healthy ferret her size should look like, I suspect she may be slightly underweight - also unsure of what adequate muscle tone feels like, I find her to be a bit squishy rather than solid.
Peepers- about 10 lbs - somewhat overweight - mediocre muscle tone
Rufio - about 7 lbs - underweight - decent muscle tone
Tootie - about 6 lbs - good weight - good muscle tone
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
Liddle - teeth are bright white, no blemishes, gums nice healthy pink
Will update on the cats soon.
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Liddle - I believe she is a Siamese or Pointed pattern sable. Her feet and tail are black and her mask is a bit lighter in color than the rest of her body. Her coat is a bit coarse.
Peepers and Tootie are both dark tabby colored and have nice sleek, shiny coats.
Rufio is a lighter grey with white markings and his coat is dull in appearance.
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
Unsure - update this tomorrow after I can observe her habits for the day.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Yes... badly.
Also Tootie has especially foul smelling feces and often lets off rank gas throughout the day.
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Not bad since she just had a bath, usually she smells pretty musky though.
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
Liddle's maybe about a 7... again unsure about comparison.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
Not very, she give us signs that she's hungry if her kibble is low by trying to get to where we keep it (on top of her cage)
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
We have offered her a live mouse, which she killed and crunched quite enthusiastically, but did not eat it. We then offered her a thawed pinkie mouse... nothing doing. Later covered it in ferretone, she licked it clean and left it.
Have also offered her raw chicken breast chunks, she barely sniffed it.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
I definitely want to keep the switch as stress free as possible. Liddle was starved by her original owner and I don't want to put her through that again.
I expect Rufio and Tootie may be easier to switch as they are always after our people food. Peepers is older and set in her ways and has never even showed an interest in tuna or canned food or even cat treats. I expect she will be the hard case of the bunch.
I am hoping for a mentor who is experienced at feeding raw to cats as well so we can make this a total switch.
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
Try to get this in later when I have batteries for the camera.
17.
a.) Do you understand that by starting this thread you commit to posting updates on the progress of your ferret(s) diet switch at least every other day?**
Yes, this should not be a problem.
b.) Do you understand that if you will be away from your computer for an extended period of time you will need to exchange phone numbers (or email addresses if you don't feel comfortable exchanging numbers)via private message with your assigned mentor, so that we can monitor your progress and ensure your ferret's saftey during the switch?
Yes, again, not a problem.
c.) Do you understand that any threads that have not been updated in for more then a week (with no explanation as to why you are absent) will result in the deletion of the thread?***
Yes.
**Note 1: If you are unable to make it to a computer (such as on weekends) please indicate below so we know whether you just dont have computer access or if you have gone MIA.
***Note 2: If you would like to try the switch again and you are committed to making regular updates you ARE welcome to restart your thread. Failure to provide regular updates will result in the deletion of your thread.