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Average Member
 
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Last Login: 8/12/2007 3:46:12 PM
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| Ok.. so its day 2 of trying to get my bunch to eat raw chicken.. They REFUSE to touch it. I had mike take away their food about 4 hours before I was due home from work. that way when I got home they had gone without food for a bit and would be hungry. I get the chicken all ready, room temp, thawed, and cut into the little bits, dump some ferretone on it and a few kibbles to maybe draw them quicker. they look at me when I walk in like im some kind of psycho having daddy take away the bowl. I let them out to run a bit (get them hungrier, they ALWAYS eat after play time) and set the bowl in the cage. after putting them up they race over to the bowl and all of them dead stop and stare at it like theres a dead body in it or somthing and then look up at me. day 1- no chicken eatten. they picked off the kibbles and went to bed giving me the most dirty looks and hissing sounds.. today we try again, making sure to give them the same size chicken peices with ferretone and such and give them the bowl. I get the same looks, huffs, and aphrodite even looked like she was crying. the only exception was that sable tried. she licked at it a bit, probly trying to get the ferretone. she did take one peice, but only licked it and then left it and went to see if she could pick off a few kibbles before she gave up and went to bed. as im typing this titus and aphrodite are watching the bowl like *poof!* the kibble will magically return and this nightmare will end. oh well... its time to go clean the cage.. sable dragged that chicken all over the cage floor PS- theyve gone as far as trying to steal the puppies kibble bag and went cage climbing for their treat bags
-------------------------- Mommy of 5 lovley ferrets- Kiba, Sable, Amon, Aphrodite and Titus Over the Bridge- Podo, dec.06 
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Average Member
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Last Login: 9/15/2007 8:43:51 PM
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| Ferrets can be addictecd to the preservatives in kibble, but dont fret. Dont forget that after 24 hours they MUST have a little bit of babyfood to keep them from gettin sick. Only give a little bit, just enough to make their tummies stop rumbling, not enough to make them stuffed. Next time you prepare your chicken you can put some babyfood on the chicken in addition to the crushed kibble and ferretone. Hang in there! Once they actually TASTE the chicken they are gunna go nuts on it. You may feel like a mean ferrent, but they dont know what they are missing! They learn soon enough that the food is good to eat. You can mince the chicken finely and mix it with slightly warmed babyfood, put a few drops of ferretone and dust with finely powdered kibble. If after the 24 hours hours they dont eat, give more babyfood. I give approx 2.5ml every 12 hours. They will catch on fast that they need to eat or they are gunna starve. Sounds harsh, but its not like you aren't giving them food. You ARE giving them food, they are just being picky and beggers can be choosers. Have you joined the naturalferrets board below in my siggy? If not, do so, they can give great tips for stubborn eaters. Kittyboo04 is on the boards really anymore but her ferret sid was a NIGHTMARE to switch, but even he switched. Hang in there, dont give the kibble back whatever you do!!!!!!! and keep your chin up.
--------------------------------- Love, Giuli 
Check out my pictures/videos of all my "furkids" by clicking on the links below! http://lugnutandhendrix.myphotoalbum.com (The cats album is also here) http://samsonanddelilah.myphotoalbum.com http://willowandweezie.myphotoalbum.com http://apollopuppy.myphotoalbum.com Interested in natural feeding? Join NaturalFerrets! (Just click on the button below) 
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 8/15/2007 2:20:13 PM
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Average Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/15/2007 8:43:51 PM
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Average Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/12/2007 3:46:12 PM
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im going to have to restart trying them on it... me and mike are going away for 4 days and his mother is well.. useless when it comes to following directions and wont feed them the raw chicken. also aphrodite threw up and wouldnt eat for a day after getting the chicken in her and none of them will take baby food....
-------------------------- Mommy of 5 lovley ferrets- Kiba, Sable, Amon, Aphrodite and Titus Over the Bridge- Podo, dec.06
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Average Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/15/2007 8:43:51 PM
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| Okay........restarting is fine, but make sure that the next time you start them you don't have to go back to kibble (the back and forth business makes it rough on their tummy AND might give them the impression that if they wait long enough that they will get kibble again lol). But once you get back home: 1. Sounds like Aphro has some nausea. This is normal when switching to a raw diet (its also why I reccomend ALWAYS having pedialyte available). The vommiting is NOT from being sick from bacteria, but from eating the new food and the body not being used to how to digest it. With a raw diet its reccomended that you switch all at once (it makes it easier on you and the ferret) but there are some tummy issues that can arise. Probiotic supplements can help, but I actually had my vet prescribe lugnut an anti-nausea medication and it helped tremendously! 2. Keep your chin up. they might be a little more stubborn about trying the food again (because now they could think that if they are stubborn enough they will get kibble again) so be prepared for that. You can definitly still switch em, but it might be a tad more frustrating lol. You can do it! Keep us posted on how things turn out.
--------------------------------- Love, Giuli
Check out my pictures/videos of all my "furkids" by clicking on the links below! http://lugnutandhendrix.myphotoalbum.com (The cats album is also here) http://samsonanddelilah.myphotoalbum.com http://willowandweezie.myphotoalbum.com http://apollopuppy.myphotoalbum.com Interested in natural feeding? Join NaturalFerrets! (Just click on the button below)
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 1/17/2008 1:27:45 PM
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Wow, Darklight I am so proud of you for taking the time to switch to natural diet. Once my Rayn is better I'm thinking of doing the switch myself. Im taking the time now to do the research I need to do so I can be prepared. My biggest worry is that my boyfriend will give in and give a treat or kibble to the ferrets. How has Mike been with your choice to go natural?
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