Bathtime & Food

Question
I have been using Totally Ferret since I got her! Mostly, because Petco only feeds their ferrets Totally Ferret! What food brand do you recomand I switch too? Also, what shampoo should I use? I used to use "pet sscentsations ferert shampoo sun ripened rasberry" but so I switched to Ferretsheen! Is their a better shampoo?

Answer
Hi Betty:

What a lucky little girl you have to have a mommy like you - wanting only the best!!

However, you've already chosen the BEST items you possibly could for her - lucky you!  Because it's not often that we see ferrets come from a pet store who aren't on terrible food, then the pet store recommends Kaytee Fiesta (NOT good for ferrets, and actually dangerous because it has dried fruits and vegetables in it that can cause intestinal blockages!).  

Many ferret owners mix two or three premium brands together because ferrets "imprint" on their food and if some reason Totally Ferret should change their formula, your ferret would be in trouble.  I would suggest adding another food like maybe Path Valley Food, 8 in 1 ULTIMATE (ONLY Ultimate meets their requirements well), Zupreem, all high in protein which is ONE of the biggest things we look for in ferret food.  Four out of the first five ingredients in ferret food should be MEAT or meat byproducts of some kind, as ferrets are "obligate carnivores", which means they need ALL mean, NO fruits and vegetables.  They also NEED Ferretlax weekly, or daily while they are shedding to prevent them from getting hairball blockages in their intestines.  There are, however, MANY other things normally around a home that can also cause deadly intestinal blockages to ferrets - you MUST *read* and learn all you can to keep your ferret safe. There is just no way I can put everything you need to learn here, but I can tell you that it's life/death important that you do read everything you can get your hands on about ferrets.  A great treat is Ferretone - a liquid that is also vitamin rich, so no more than about 1/2 tsp per day. Ferretone and a good diet will give your ferret a lush, shiny fur coat :-)

Consider joining an online ferret group as another way of learning about ferrets. MSN Groups "Ferret" and "My Norwegian Ferret Family" are excellent for this purpose.

Also, if you wanted to go a cheaper and equally as safe shampoo, you can use Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo on your little girl - but definitely don't bathe more than every couple months or she will actually smell worse because her body will actually secrete more oils if bathed too often. Unless your ferret actually gets into something that needs to be cleaned off, the less you bathe, the better. If it starts to smell, it means you need to clean the litterboxes, wipe out the cage (hopefully solid, easy to clean floors, NOT wire) and put in fresh linens - blankies and hammocks, and wipe the cage down with Nature's Miracle cleaner (safe).  Nature's Miracle is perfect to clean up any messes from her in the house (carpet or bare floor) and also great to wipe the cage down with - but still don't let the ferret run around on the floor until it's dry.

Here is a link to a GREAT website to compare the various ferret foods:

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

Also, there is a great online "Frequently Asked Questions" that you can learn a LOT about ferretproofing, what is and is not safe for your ferret, etc.  I would strongly suggest you click on this link, then click on "FAQ's" and just read, read, read.  Your knowledge will help your ferret live a longer, healthier, happier life:

http://www.ferretcentral.org

For now, don't let your ferret be in temperatures over 80 degrees, as ferrets don't pant and overheat and die in minutes. A ferret who is panting is a ferret who is dying unless they get immediate help in cooling their little bodies (lukewarm water and soak to the skin, then put a fan on them - it's the evaporation of the water that causes cooling).

I would STRONGLY suggest that you get and read a book called FERRETS FOR DUMMIES by Kim Schilling - it's a GREAT book for both old and new ferret owners. It can be purchased at http://www.half.com for a really reasonable price.  ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION in this book that you MUST know as a ferret owner - ferretproofing your home, cage ideas, toy ideas, how to recognize illness, and much much more.

Thanks so much for writing!!  I'm so very happy for your little girl - I can see she has a wonderful and hopefully long life ahead of her with nothing but the best of everything.  She is definitely a rare and lucky little girl.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers