Post by Heather on Apr 30, 2016 1:09:02 GMT -5
Name: Marlene Katherine Case
HF Forum Username: missmo
Please confirm that you are 18 years of age or older: Yes.
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets?
When we adopted Kai I went to the Wysong site because we our previous ferrets the Wysong Vitality cat food. When I was on the Wysong site I was pleased to see that they had a raw ferret kibble. Then I started thinking: “Why couldn’t I just feed Kai a raw diet myself?” Some research ensued, and then I found the Holistic Ferret Forum, did some perusing of the site, and joined.
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret.
I would like assistance with switching Kai, and our new fuzzie when s/he arrives, to a raw food diet. My husband is a vegetarian, and while he fully appreciates that our cats, puppy, and ferret(s) are obligate carnivores – and has always been happy to provide this type of diet for them even when I am not around to feed them myself for whatever rare reason - I do believe it is best that we implement a well-balanced raw diet as opposed to the whole prey diet. I know this may not be the absolute best for our babies, but I also believe that this type of diet gar exceeds kibble.
I would like to implement a FULL switch, and I have actually done this already. Kai has had no kibble for the past two weeks. What I am most interested with my mentor request is making sure that I am following the best guidelines and doing the best I can to ensure than the raw diet I am feeding is appropriate and balanced; furthermore, that my fuzzie(s) are taking to their new diet without any undue stress on their bodies, or their peace of mind!
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet?
The foremost reason I would like to switch our fuzzie(s) to a natural diet is because I believe that if it is implemented properly then it is the most healthful, wholesome diet available to them, and the most, well… natural.
Our two previous ferrets, Cutieflops and Lexi, lived to roughly seven-and-a-half and eight, respectively. My husband had three ferrets before these two, but I was not around – and at the time he was not vegetarian. (This is going back some twenty years.) Anyhow, from the beginning he educated my about ferret-kind, explaining that they are obligate carnivores, understanding that they enjoy live prey (and having provided this foodsource occasionally for his previous ferrets when providing it to his snakes).
He immediately disclaimed Marshall’s brand we brought Cutie home (it was his idea for us to rescue a fuzzie!), and suggested we feed Cutie some high-quality cat food such as we fed our two kitties. (Old School, I know.) But that is what we did. A few months later when we rescued Lexi from the same place we are now looking to get our next member of the family _ the Boward Ferret Rescue – we were introduced to Wysong. Yes, it was still a kitty kibble, but I’ll tell you what: Our babies filled out, their coats and eyes got brighter, and they seemed to be generally happier after less than a month. Sure, we give our babies a lot of attention and love, but diet counts for sure.
In the end, my husband and I both believe that a better diet equals a more acclimated, alert, loving, healthy, and happy animal; that is why switching our ferrets to a natural diet has importance in our lives.
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? It’s [Edit Inserted] not an overnight switch. It requires a commitment of several months at minimum. Your HF Mentor will be more than [Edit Inserted] happy to assist you in switching your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as committed. The switch takes time and effort every single day. It can also be extremely frustrating at times. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc. [Edit inserted]), or limited time due to work, then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing and realistically able to make the necessary [Edit inserted] time commitment?
The answer to all of these questions, and their subsequent informational relatives, is a resounding YES. I do understand the daily commitment and the frustrations that can make themselves evident throughout this process. I do work a lot, but this is nothing new; often I work from home at night too, but this also provides a wonderful time for all the fuzzies to play together and spend time with their Mommy. The bottom line is that I make time to care for my babies every single day, and I believe the answers I have provided throughout this questionnaire make this point clear; however, if you would like for me to follow up on any specific area of inquiry please let me know, and I will be happy to oblige.
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for?
We currently have only one six-month-old female ferret named Kai Fiore (“Sea Flower” - she loves to play in water!). We rescued her about a month ago, and she is a healthy girl. She has filled out a bit since she has been with us, and her coat is shiny and full. She is playful and loving, and can’t wait for her ferret companion to join her – she loves her kitty brothers and puppy sister too, and they love her, but she can’t wait to really romp around and play ferret-style!
We are on a waiting list at our local Ferret Rescue, and we will be adopting another fuzzie in short order. We are hoping to get another fuzzie of similar age regardless of gender, as that is what we did with our previous boys, and they lived almost their entire lives together, but we agreed with Dona, the rescue coordinator, that if a month passes and no youngsters present themselves then we will come in with Kai and find her a companion of suitable nature. I will update everyone when the new fuzzie arrives – we are super excited for this day!
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc. [Edit Inserted]) Do they already eat some form of soup?
I decided to try to switch Kai to raw immediately after I began my research about raw feeding. Perhaps this wasn’t best, but that is what I did. I was still researching and learning. I began with a finger beaten egg yolk which she loved. Next time I added some heart bits. That went okay too, but when I started trying small chunks of chicken or beef, and chicken back she became less interested. So I made the soup. She liked this better. I found that if I finger-fed her for just a few licks or bites she more readily accepted the food, and then would self-feed. I also included baby food (meat, water, cornstarch with roughly 36-40% crude protein.) She didn’t take to the baby food all that well. She would take a few licks off my finger, but she never went to this source of food on her own when I offered it to her. If she were sick she might go for it, and that was my main objective in offering it up, but I’m not sure. I included the remainders of the jars (only two small jars) in her soups successfully, but I will never try to feed her that source again unless she is sick, and I have to. I guess I’ll donate the remaining unopened jar to a foodbank….
I did at first leave the last remnants of the Marshall’s kibble she came us with out for her, but within a week she was happy with the raw foods alone. I ordered the Wysong Ferret Epigen 90 kibble, but I haven’t opened the bag. (I may use this to transition our new addition.) I also dried out a few egg shells and pulverized them to a powder with my mortar and pestle, and I began to add about an 1/8 tsp. of this to her muscle meals – especially if she was not all that voracious with the bone from her previous bone-in meal. Additionally, I got the Ferret Omega-3 Spectrum supplement and the Rabbit Dream Treats from Wysong. I have been providing Kai with an 1/8 tsp. of the Omaga-3 supplement daily, usually with her evening meal, and have introduced the treats sparingly – I’m not sure how crazy she is about them. I don’t know if it’s the rabbit flavor or the texture, but she seems confused by them when I hand-feed them to her? These treats come in disks about the size of a half-dollar, so they get broken into pinky-fingertip sized pieces. One of our cats is a big fan, and the other just seems curious. Our puppy thinks she should get a bite because everyone else is being offered one, and she usually eats her piece, but not always.
Kai gets about one-and-a-half to two chicken hearts per week now, and these are cut into pieces. She also gets one to two to four ounces of chicken liver that I mix with an egg yolk because she not too fond of the liver on its own. Her muscle meals so far have been a combination of chicken breast and beef eye round cut into chunks, and also ground beef (80/20). Her bone-in meals have been chicken backbone and chicken thigh with skin and bone cut into about an inch size chunks. I also include the eggshell and Omega -3 supplement as mentioned before.
I realize that I need to introduce another meat source – way too much chicken, I know! And the thing is she doesn’t really seem to like the chicken all that much. I mean she will eat it (sometimes on a second or third try), but I know it’s important for me not to allow her to imprint on a specific food source – especially one she doesn’t seem all that fond of. She loves the ground beef, but not the beef chunks so much. She definitely goes for the chicken backbone far faster than the chicken thighs. I also need another organ source.
I just tried pork without bone for the first time this morning, and Kai took to that right away, and ate it all the first time; the thing is that I’ve read varying opinions about feeding one’s ferret this raw source, and this is one of the reasons why I would like some help with this process! I may also try to acquire some goat meat this week, and that is relatively easy to do where I live.
Of course, she always has fresh water, places to play, appropriate toys to play with, and lots of love available to her. If her nutrients are slightly deprived right now, her foundational support for livelihood is not, and that’s for absolute certain!
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened?
No, this is the first time. So far I feel pretty lucky at how well it seems to be going, and I have to mention that Kai sure does look better overall. For me raw feeding is the way to go, and I’m committed to the process of learning how to provide the best variety of nutrients I can for my fuzzie(s). I am mainly concerned with providing a well-balanced diet most suitable for them.
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share?
My husband Justin and I have happily lived with our two kitties, Freckles and Blu, for fourteen years; we miss our two ferret fuzzies, and are happy to have Kai now. We also have a Min Pin puppy named Twinkie, and she is about a year-and-a-half, and a terrestrial snail terrarium. My husband is a designer, and he works from home (lucky him!), and I am a recent MA graduate in English Literature who is still looking for my dream job, or at least a job that I’ll enjoy more than the one I have now. We are both very creative people, and we enjoy our artistic endeavors and our babies with all our hearts!
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer?
Every day; usually I am available for personal time on my computer around 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and anytime on Sunday and Monday.
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible).
I’m going to wait on the photos because I would really like to post this questionnaire now, but photos will be forthcoming.
11. Have you met the requirements for this program? Are you at least 18 years of age? Do you have your scale, a place to access meats, hearts, livers, etc. [Edit Inserted]?
Yes. We have a scale, and we have already used it to weigh Kai. Just now she weighs 2lbs. 5 oz (1051 grams). We have several sources to access the raw proteins we need to obtain: Publix, (our local supermarket, where it easy to ask the butchers to break-up packages, cut something to order, etc.), Penn Dutch, Save a Lot, Bravo, and the various ethnic markets. Also, there are several other privately owned meat markets within a sixty mile radius – some of them I have visited, others I have not. I feel confident that we will be able to provide the components of a raw diet for our fuzzies.
Hi and welcome to the mentoring program . In a little while your mentor ( Celene ), will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun (dance) . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey.
ciao
HF Forum Username: missmo
Please confirm that you are 18 years of age or older: Yes.
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets?
When we adopted Kai I went to the Wysong site because we our previous ferrets the Wysong Vitality cat food. When I was on the Wysong site I was pleased to see that they had a raw ferret kibble. Then I started thinking: “Why couldn’t I just feed Kai a raw diet myself?” Some research ensued, and then I found the Holistic Ferret Forum, did some perusing of the site, and joined.
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret.
I would like assistance with switching Kai, and our new fuzzie when s/he arrives, to a raw food diet. My husband is a vegetarian, and while he fully appreciates that our cats, puppy, and ferret(s) are obligate carnivores – and has always been happy to provide this type of diet for them even when I am not around to feed them myself for whatever rare reason - I do believe it is best that we implement a well-balanced raw diet as opposed to the whole prey diet. I know this may not be the absolute best for our babies, but I also believe that this type of diet gar exceeds kibble.
I would like to implement a FULL switch, and I have actually done this already. Kai has had no kibble for the past two weeks. What I am most interested with my mentor request is making sure that I am following the best guidelines and doing the best I can to ensure than the raw diet I am feeding is appropriate and balanced; furthermore, that my fuzzie(s) are taking to their new diet without any undue stress on their bodies, or their peace of mind!
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet?
The foremost reason I would like to switch our fuzzie(s) to a natural diet is because I believe that if it is implemented properly then it is the most healthful, wholesome diet available to them, and the most, well… natural.
Our two previous ferrets, Cutieflops and Lexi, lived to roughly seven-and-a-half and eight, respectively. My husband had three ferrets before these two, but I was not around – and at the time he was not vegetarian. (This is going back some twenty years.) Anyhow, from the beginning he educated my about ferret-kind, explaining that they are obligate carnivores, understanding that they enjoy live prey (and having provided this foodsource occasionally for his previous ferrets when providing it to his snakes).
He immediately disclaimed Marshall’s brand we brought Cutie home (it was his idea for us to rescue a fuzzie!), and suggested we feed Cutie some high-quality cat food such as we fed our two kitties. (Old School, I know.) But that is what we did. A few months later when we rescued Lexi from the same place we are now looking to get our next member of the family _ the Boward Ferret Rescue – we were introduced to Wysong. Yes, it was still a kitty kibble, but I’ll tell you what: Our babies filled out, their coats and eyes got brighter, and they seemed to be generally happier after less than a month. Sure, we give our babies a lot of attention and love, but diet counts for sure.
In the end, my husband and I both believe that a better diet equals a more acclimated, alert, loving, healthy, and happy animal; that is why switching our ferrets to a natural diet has importance in our lives.
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? It’s [Edit Inserted] not an overnight switch. It requires a commitment of several months at minimum. Your HF Mentor will be more than [Edit Inserted] happy to assist you in switching your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as committed. The switch takes time and effort every single day. It can also be extremely frustrating at times. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc. [Edit inserted]), or limited time due to work, then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing and realistically able to make the necessary [Edit inserted] time commitment?
The answer to all of these questions, and their subsequent informational relatives, is a resounding YES. I do understand the daily commitment and the frustrations that can make themselves evident throughout this process. I do work a lot, but this is nothing new; often I work from home at night too, but this also provides a wonderful time for all the fuzzies to play together and spend time with their Mommy. The bottom line is that I make time to care for my babies every single day, and I believe the answers I have provided throughout this questionnaire make this point clear; however, if you would like for me to follow up on any specific area of inquiry please let me know, and I will be happy to oblige.
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for?
We currently have only one six-month-old female ferret named Kai Fiore (“Sea Flower” - she loves to play in water!). We rescued her about a month ago, and she is a healthy girl. She has filled out a bit since she has been with us, and her coat is shiny and full. She is playful and loving, and can’t wait for her ferret companion to join her – she loves her kitty brothers and puppy sister too, and they love her, but she can’t wait to really romp around and play ferret-style!
We are on a waiting list at our local Ferret Rescue, and we will be adopting another fuzzie in short order. We are hoping to get another fuzzie of similar age regardless of gender, as that is what we did with our previous boys, and they lived almost their entire lives together, but we agreed with Dona, the rescue coordinator, that if a month passes and no youngsters present themselves then we will come in with Kai and find her a companion of suitable nature. I will update everyone when the new fuzzie arrives – we are super excited for this day!
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc. [Edit Inserted]) Do they already eat some form of soup?
I decided to try to switch Kai to raw immediately after I began my research about raw feeding. Perhaps this wasn’t best, but that is what I did. I was still researching and learning. I began with a finger beaten egg yolk which she loved. Next time I added some heart bits. That went okay too, but when I started trying small chunks of chicken or beef, and chicken back she became less interested. So I made the soup. She liked this better. I found that if I finger-fed her for just a few licks or bites she more readily accepted the food, and then would self-feed. I also included baby food (meat, water, cornstarch with roughly 36-40% crude protein.) She didn’t take to the baby food all that well. She would take a few licks off my finger, but she never went to this source of food on her own when I offered it to her. If she were sick she might go for it, and that was my main objective in offering it up, but I’m not sure. I included the remainders of the jars (only two small jars) in her soups successfully, but I will never try to feed her that source again unless she is sick, and I have to. I guess I’ll donate the remaining unopened jar to a foodbank….
I did at first leave the last remnants of the Marshall’s kibble she came us with out for her, but within a week she was happy with the raw foods alone. I ordered the Wysong Ferret Epigen 90 kibble, but I haven’t opened the bag. (I may use this to transition our new addition.) I also dried out a few egg shells and pulverized them to a powder with my mortar and pestle, and I began to add about an 1/8 tsp. of this to her muscle meals – especially if she was not all that voracious with the bone from her previous bone-in meal. Additionally, I got the Ferret Omega-3 Spectrum supplement and the Rabbit Dream Treats from Wysong. I have been providing Kai with an 1/8 tsp. of the Omaga-3 supplement daily, usually with her evening meal, and have introduced the treats sparingly – I’m not sure how crazy she is about them. I don’t know if it’s the rabbit flavor or the texture, but she seems confused by them when I hand-feed them to her? These treats come in disks about the size of a half-dollar, so they get broken into pinky-fingertip sized pieces. One of our cats is a big fan, and the other just seems curious. Our puppy thinks she should get a bite because everyone else is being offered one, and she usually eats her piece, but not always.
Kai gets about one-and-a-half to two chicken hearts per week now, and these are cut into pieces. She also gets one to two to four ounces of chicken liver that I mix with an egg yolk because she not too fond of the liver on its own. Her muscle meals so far have been a combination of chicken breast and beef eye round cut into chunks, and also ground beef (80/20). Her bone-in meals have been chicken backbone and chicken thigh with skin and bone cut into about an inch size chunks. I also include the eggshell and Omega -3 supplement as mentioned before.
I realize that I need to introduce another meat source – way too much chicken, I know! And the thing is she doesn’t really seem to like the chicken all that much. I mean she will eat it (sometimes on a second or third try), but I know it’s important for me not to allow her to imprint on a specific food source – especially one she doesn’t seem all that fond of. She loves the ground beef, but not the beef chunks so much. She definitely goes for the chicken backbone far faster than the chicken thighs. I also need another organ source.
I just tried pork without bone for the first time this morning, and Kai took to that right away, and ate it all the first time; the thing is that I’ve read varying opinions about feeding one’s ferret this raw source, and this is one of the reasons why I would like some help with this process! I may also try to acquire some goat meat this week, and that is relatively easy to do where I live.
Of course, she always has fresh water, places to play, appropriate toys to play with, and lots of love available to her. If her nutrients are slightly deprived right now, her foundational support for livelihood is not, and that’s for absolute certain!
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened?
No, this is the first time. So far I feel pretty lucky at how well it seems to be going, and I have to mention that Kai sure does look better overall. For me raw feeding is the way to go, and I’m committed to the process of learning how to provide the best variety of nutrients I can for my fuzzie(s). I am mainly concerned with providing a well-balanced diet most suitable for them.
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share?
My husband Justin and I have happily lived with our two kitties, Freckles and Blu, for fourteen years; we miss our two ferret fuzzies, and are happy to have Kai now. We also have a Min Pin puppy named Twinkie, and she is about a year-and-a-half, and a terrestrial snail terrarium. My husband is a designer, and he works from home (lucky him!), and I am a recent MA graduate in English Literature who is still looking for my dream job, or at least a job that I’ll enjoy more than the one I have now. We are both very creative people, and we enjoy our artistic endeavors and our babies with all our hearts!
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer?
Every day; usually I am available for personal time on my computer around 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and anytime on Sunday and Monday.
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible).
I’m going to wait on the photos because I would really like to post this questionnaire now, but photos will be forthcoming.
11. Have you met the requirements for this program? Are you at least 18 years of age? Do you have your scale, a place to access meats, hearts, livers, etc. [Edit Inserted]?
Yes. We have a scale, and we have already used it to weigh Kai. Just now she weighs 2lbs. 5 oz (1051 grams). We have several sources to access the raw proteins we need to obtain: Publix, (our local supermarket, where it easy to ask the butchers to break-up packages, cut something to order, etc.), Penn Dutch, Save a Lot, Bravo, and the various ethnic markets. Also, there are several other privately owned meat markets within a sixty mile radius – some of them I have visited, others I have not. I feel confident that we will be able to provide the components of a raw diet for our fuzzies.
Hi and welcome to the mentoring program . In a little while your mentor ( Celene ), will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun (dance) . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey.
ciao