Soupy Question

[odin]

My soupy consists of 5 oz chicken thigh meat w/skin, .25 oz chicken liver, one chicken heart, 1/2 tsp of ground egg shell, water to meet consistency wanted. Does this seem well balanced? probably gonna add some omega 3 fish oil to my next batch. this recipe lasts us about three days.

Any suggestions as to getting my little monster to eat her soupy on her own? She takes it from my finger with some coaxing, then eats out of the bowl for a bit, but stops and i feed her from my finger some more to get her to eat the amount i want. she'll eat about .4 - .5 oz a meal, and she gets it 3 times a day most days.

[luci]

1/2 tsp of egg shell seems a bit much, but if she's not getting constipated it's probably okay. The guide for adding powdered egg shell is generally 1/2 tsp per pound of meat. (And actually that's the ratio for cats. Ferrets seem to be able to tolerate more bone.)

As for getting her to eat on her own it may take time. It could be that she's being fed often enough that she isn't motivated to seek out food on her own. Once you feel that she's at a good weight and healthy cut down to feeding twice a day. Put down the new batch of soup, put her in front of it and maybe just be near by since she's used to you being there at mealtimes. Is the bowl shallow enough that she can eat comfortably all the way to the bottom? If not try feeding on a saucer or other small plate. Maybe she would prefer that.

[sherrylynne]

General ratio for ferrets is 1tsp per 8oz meat for eggshell.
I'm with Luci on trying to get her to two meals per day. You do want her a bit hungry for her meals. That way she'll be more receptive to them.