[petkeeper]

Hello all

I am new to this forum...sorta! My name is Shannon. I have recently gotten ferrets again. I have had them in the past and I now have 2 new twin boys named...Hilden and Banky..they are approximately 8 months old and came with those names. I got them a week ago tomorrow. They are settling in really well.

My questions are about food. When I got them they were on kitten chow kitten food, I switched them over to Nutro kitten food. What do you guys think of this food? I have my cats on the cat food and they do very well and their poop does not smell at all. I have noticed since the ferrets have been on this food their stools don't smell. I was also thinking about getting some 8 in 1 Ultimate to mix with it. My other question is about ferretone. Now I in the past with my ferrets gave it to them out of the bottle. Is it better to put it on the food or is okay to continue to give straight out of the bottle?

Thanks in advance for you help.

Shannon and the weasle butts.

 

[petkeeper]

Hi...me again...I just realized I made a typo!! My ferrets name is Holden! That is what you get for typing while your kids are bugging you!! lol.

 

[kemasa]

I found this website very useful when I was researching ferret foods for my babies.

http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html

I've not had any personal experience with that food. But the chart rates it as a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Ultimate is rated as a 10 so that would be good to add.

I would only add the ferretone to the food if they were having trouble getting into liking it enough to eat it by itself. I would think it would kind of make the food mushy and yucky after awhile? I've had this happen when SOMEONE (I won't name names!) got some water in the food bowl and it became quite the smelly mess. I like to put ferretone in my hand and have the come lick it out.. It makes me feel closer to them.

 

[fstybrat]

Hello all

I am new to this forum...sorta! My name is Shannon. I have recently gotten ferrets again. I have had them in the past and I now have 2 new twin boys named...Hilden and Banky..they are approximately 8 months old and came with those names. I got them a week ago tomorrow. They are settling in really well.

My questions are about food. When I got them they were on kitten chow kitten food, I switched them over to Nutro kitten food. What do you guys think of this food? I have my cats on the cat food and they do very well and their poop does not smell at all. I have noticed since the ferrets have been on this food their stools don't smell. I was also thinking about getting some 8 in 1 Ultimate to mix with it. My other question is about ferretone. Now I in the past with my ferrets gave it to them out of the bottle. Is it better to put it on the food or is okay to continue to give straight out of the bottle?

Thanks in advance for you help.

Shannon and the weasle butts.

Shannon, welcome to PT!! I honestly don't see anything wrong with teh food you switched them to... what is the fat & protein % in it... that is the most important thing to look for as well as you owant most of the ingredients (especially the first few listed) to be made up of mostly meat protien. and yes 8 in 1 ultimate is a great food to add to the mixture.

As for the ferrettone ... I wouldn't add it to the food only because as Kemasa said it could make the food yucky & spoil faster if it isn't eaten fast enough. I would continue to give it to them out of the bottle or meybe on a treat instead.

I can't wait to hear more about your fur babies & get to know you better!!

 

[petkeeper]

Thank you for the warm welcome. That is what I thought about the ferretone too. I also like giving it to them on my hand and getting them to lick it off. I also found it really useful for nail trimming. When I got these guys their nails were quite long, and I put so ferretone on their tummy and they didn't even notice the nail trimming!!

As for the Nutro here is the stats and ingredients:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (minimum) 35.00%
Crude Fat (minimum) 21.00%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 3.00%
Moisture (maximum) 10.00%
Ash (maximum) 7.00%
Linoleic Acid (minimum) 4.00%
Zinc (minimum) 250 mg/kg
Vitamin E (minimum) 250 IU/kg
Taurine (minimum) 0.18%
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) (minimum)* 0.06%
Ascorbic Acid (minimum)* 15 mg/kg

Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavors, Oat Fiber, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Yeast Culture, Potassium Chloride, Menhaden Fish Oil, Choline Chloride, Dried Egg Product, Taurine, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Inositol, Dried Bacillus Licheniformis Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Chicory Extract, Cranberry Powder, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Calcium Iodate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid.

Let me know what you think. I think if I continue to give ferretone and add the 8 in 1 they would have a complete diet.

I gave my ferret a new litter box they had the largest triangle shape litter box. Well I will explain, I have my ferrets temporarily in the largest hagen ferret cage I have another cage for them but I have to get ramps! I also wanted to start them out on a one level to make sure potty habits were good. Well i felt the litter box was taking up to much room in their cage so I got a large dish pan one of the squares ones and cut down a side so they could get into it easily. Well they don't seem to be taking to the new box very well! They move it and one decided they should poop in the corner behind it!! lol....So they have waged litterbox wars and I intend to win this war!! lol!

Well thanks guys. I am looking forward to talking to you and reading all your stories too!

Shannon