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Post by missylouwho on Mar 29, 2010 19:53:03 GMT -5
I have 4 fuzzies that I would like to supplement with raw meats. Not change over completely (as of right now they eat EVO chicken and turkey) but supplement with raw if they like it. So far Mellow loves it in small amounts, but no one else really cares for it. I have 3 lazy boys, and one really spunky almost bloodthirsty girl named Remy. My question is about Remy. She doesn't care for more than a bite of raw meat (tried chicken, veal, venison so far but we're new at this and I don't want to attack them with it!) but she seems to like stalking her toys and our toes. She's our biter. She's the boss. And I am almost certain she'd love to hunt a mouse. Should I get one and try it? Or are there stages she has to go through first? I know my human kids have a tendency to try new things if they help cook it. Could it be that way in a sense for ferrets, too? If she kills it, she'll be more inclined to eat it? I am afraid she'll get bit, too. I don't want her to catch anything from a mouse bite. I am not looking forward to cleaning mouse guts out of my tub, either. Or disposing of it if Remy doesn't want any part of it. I am a complete newbie to all of this. So don't laugh!!!
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Post by Heather on Mar 29, 2010 22:11:43 GMT -5
Hey laughing makes the whole job easier Your little one would probably enjoy hunting, my girls are some of the most deadliest of hunters. I can't promise that she won't leave you with a carcass to clean up or a mess but I think she will hunt. With all my furbrats, I've only had one who didn't enjoy the hunt. He loved little stuffies (had a teddy bear that he dragged around with him), he snuggled the mice. Even he's learned to hunt now. It was just a matter of allowing him to hunt with my hard core hunters. Please understand, he loved eating dead mice he just seemed to view live ones as pets. You can start with younger mice, hoppers and such, pinkies usually don't offer enough movement but any of the faster little ones would probably fascinating. Being nipped is part of the learning process, I've not had any one nipped seriously and they've been hunting for a couple of years now. Even when they were allowed to hunt rats (they're not allowed any more) no one got bitten. Ferrets are hardwired to hunt. It's what they know how to do. Why do you not want them to eat raw if you don't mind me asking? The health benefits are huge, you're going to teach Remy how to hunt why not get the rest into the whole healthier lifestyle? Just curious. Some people have problems with handling raw meat or the whole killing thing...you're going to let Remy hunt so it can't be that? ciao
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Post by missylouwho on Mar 30, 2010 7:13:34 GMT -5
Mostly for the expense part. Don't want to raise my own food to feed them (too much of a hassle) and to buy live food I'd have to run to the pet store and the nearest one that sells live or even frozen is 45 minutes away. I get a great deal on EVO at $17 a bag (the mom n pop pet store near me has a contract to sell it so they get it at a great price) and it lasts me 3 months. IDK, I might change my mind and slowly make my way over to the 'raw only' side. I never thought I'd even be considering a mouse! I need to do a lot more reading to get aquainted with raw feeding first
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 30, 2010 20:12:57 GMT -5
Just to let you know, I feed nine on raw, for not much more than I'd spend on a higher quality kibble. Granted- I do have to buy in bulk, and watch for sales, but you don't have to feed whole prey if you don't want to. Simple meats that you'd buy at the grocery store will fill the bill nicely
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