Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1). Occasional serving of kitten food, good or bad?

2). Occasional live insect (meal worms, crickets) good or bad?

3). Fruits and vegetables- Good or Bad?

4). Bones to chew on?

5). Rawhide?

6). Occasional tine piece of Bazooka gum . . .deadly?

7). Ferrets are smarter than cats or dogs- Yes or No???

Except for the gum question I have found conflicting info about these questions all over the Internet

1). Occasional serving of kitten food, good or bad?

High quality kitten foods are sometimes better than foods marketed for ferrets. Personally, I use Maximum Nutrition Kitten & Nutro Max Kitten as a regular part of my mix.

2). Occasional live insect (meal worms, crickets) good or bad?

Perfectly good source of protein but you might want to brush their teethies before you kiss them.

3). Fruits and vegetables- Good or Bad?

Bad, they can't digest them and the sugar & carb content can contribute to insulinoma. Ferrets tend to really like them though and a very occasional bite probably won't do too much harm.

4). Bones to chew on?

Raw bones are especially good for cleaning teeth. There really isn't a concensus on cooked bones. I think Bob Church said they're fine to give but some people worry about splintering. Guess it depends on your own level of comfort.

5). Rawhide?

No, if pieces are ingested they could become a blockage.

6). Occasional tine piece of Bazooka gum . . .deadly?

I don't know about deadly but I can't see any reason to give it to them.

7). Ferrets are smarter than cats or dogs- Yes or No???

Different kind of intelligence. Dogs & cats have better memory but ferrets are better problem solvers.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

I agree also with WeaslLuvr. Myself, I wouldn't give bones or rawhide. I'd worry too much! LOL! As for cat/kitten food, that's all mine get, the dry kind. I haven't seen a ferret food that's better then some of the cat/kitten foods. Plus it's usually a lot more expensive. Fruits and veggies, seldom.
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Kat
Ferret mom to Jasmine and Daffy
A Cheesehead from Wisconsin

Definitive? I don't think you'll find definitive answers to most of these questions. I have my opinions and others have their own. Right or wrong is based on your perspective.

>>1). Occasional serving of kitten food, good or bad?

Even when I fed my ferrets kibble I didn't feed them kitten food. But occassional? Well, in my opinion the occassional kibble is right up there with the occassional dose of arsenic.
However, popular opinion would probably say it's perfectly fine, and some would say it's not any different than the occassional Snickers bar.

>>2). Occasional live insect (meal worms, crickets) good or bad?

If they'll eat them and they're from a reliable source I don't see any reason why not.

>>3). Fruits and vegetables- Good or Bad?

Ferrets are obligate carnivores. Fruits and vegetables are high in carbohydrates/sugar. This is something that is beginning to get some attention as there is question of whether or not this contributes to a common ferret disease. I don't give my ferrets either but some people find it ok. (see answer to first question)

>>4). Bones to chew on?

To chew on? *shrug* I feed whole prey so they get bones anyway, some they eat, some they leave. But they're not recreational chewers, at least mine aren't.

>>5). Rawhide?

NEVER! I do not give rawhide to any of my pets. I have, however, been present during the removal of rawhide that has blocked the intestinal tract of dogs. It's a terrible thing to give pets.

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>>6). Occasional tine piece of Bazooka gum . . .deadly?

Why on earth would you give a ferret gum? I would be concerned with the sugar content and the possibility of it causing a blockage. Absolutely never.

>>7). Ferrets are smarter than cats or dogs- Yes or No???

Intelligence in animals is border line anthropomorphism. What we view as intelligence is merely the individual ability to survive when faced with possible death, the aquiring of food and seeking shelter. I guess some would equate it with trainability, but I find that an unreliable measure.

>>Except for the gum question I have found conflicting info about these questions all over the Internet

And that is the nature of the beast. You will find common knowledge, opinions, misinformation, and hard facts online. It's up to you to discover/decide what is real.

Valk
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Valkyrie de Minato Neshoba
Slave to the Furry Fantastic Four: Lilith, Pandora, Marcus and Daphne.

"Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace."
-- Dr. Albert Schweitzer