The lack of truly ideal ferret foods is one reason there is growing interest in more natural diets for ferrets.

Basic Feeding Rules

Ferrets have unique feeding requirements, which are now finally being addressed by commercial pet food manufacturers, though with varying success. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, and food passes through the digestive system of a ferret very quickly. They have a sweet tooth but do not give in -- avoid sweet treats (including raisins and other fruits).

Ferret diets should list meat, poultry or fishmeal, or animal by-products as the first ingredient. Ferrets love fruits and veggies, but their systems don't. They do not digest fibre well at all; a banana in comes out a banana. For this reason, a ferret diet must be high in animal protein, high in fat, and low in fibre.

Feeding Young Ferrets

Whether you are feeding raw or commercial food you should always feed at least two types of food in your young ferret's daily diet to prevent them from imprinting on one food. Ferrets imprint on foods when they're young, so varying the diet will make things easier if you need to change your ferret's food later on.

There are vitamin supplements for ferrets and hairball remedies, which ferrets generally love, and they provide some benefits.

Raw Diet Pros

Good diets tend to be expensive, but are worth it. I researched raw food diets further and found a diet combining raw meaty bones and mince which keeps our ferrets in top condition. Feeding whole raw meaty bones help to prevent tartar forming on the teeth and provides calcium in the diet. Even if not feeding a raw food diet they can be fed alongside dry complete a couple of times a week to keep the teeth clean.

You will see an overall improvement in your ferret's energy and coat condition. One bonus of a natural diet is that the stool volume decreases as more of the food is absorbed and the smell is greatly decreased.

There are many websites containing information on raw feeding. When feeding groups of ferrets watch to ensure no fighting occurs over bones.

Raw Diet Cons

The biggest drawback to feeding any fresh, cooked meat would be the ferret's normal habit of stashing food for later. It is pretty unhygienic and dangerous to have a pile of stashed meat in the corner of the cage. Make sure you collect any leftovers after every feed. When first fed raw bones it can cause your ferret's stools to turn a white/grey colour, the ferrets digestive system will develop stomach acids to break down bone and should soon return to normal.

(Note not all veterinarians promote a raw food diet) In the wild a ferret's natural diet is a mixture of small mammals, some birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates. When feeding groups of ferrets watch to ensure no fighting occurs over bones.

Getting the balance right

Perhaps the best thing to do is to pick up a bag or two of the highest quality ferret food on the market. Make sure you check the ingredients on the pack and see that the first ingredients are meat. Make up a meal of some dry food, some raw bones and meat and even a vitamin supplement. Gradually you can increase the amount of raw food in the diet. Make sure you keep up the vitamin supplements to ensure your ferret is not missing out.

Canned ferret food can be given as a treat or supplement, but only occasionally.

The diet you feed your ferret is vital to their health and overall well-being and could even help your ferret live a long and happy life.

2007 Copyright Catherine Smith
http://www.ferret-training.info

If You Love Your Ferret But Are Frustrated By Its Naughty Behaviour And The Numerous Annoyances Associated With Ferret Care, Then check out http://www.ferret-training.info to Learn How To Turn Your Ferret Into The Most Well Behaved Ferret In The World, While Feeling Great About It.

Recent years have seen an increasing trend regarding the popularity of exotic pets online. Since most people are not free to travel the world in search of the perfect exotic pet, it will be beneficial for you to learn just how to find exotic pets on the internet. Fortunately, finding exotic pets online is not nearly as difficult as some people would make it out to be. However, it is not quite so simple as performing a Google search for "exotic pets online" either.

Unlike common domestic animals, there are often a great number of restrictions regarding the importing, sales and even in some instances, the ability to own exotic pets. Some animals that were previously considered to be exotic are not quite so mysterious, exotic or anything other than just another animal anymore.

Ostriches are just one example of how the situation has changed. While these magnificent birds used to be considered exotic pets to some, they are now commonly raised and often raised much the same as any ordinary livestock. Far from being an exotic pet anymore, they are now a regular food source and an industry rather than simply pets.

It should be noted that most exotic pets will not fall into this category very often or anytime soon. When most people think about exotic pets, they are usually referring to reptiles of one form or another, talking, colorful and exotic birds, and a relatively few more species which are more likely to be welcomed into a home as a conversation starter or a fascination with nature and the extremes among living species.

Whatever reasons you may personally have for wanting to find an exotic pet, you may have noticed that available selections are often very limited in any local exotic pet shops. Searching for exotic pets online will definitely give you a wider selection. There are also additional benefits to searching for exotic pets online that you should take into consideration as well.

Many of the more exotic pets are more expensive and sometimes difficult to come by. There are many unscrupulous exotic pet dealers both online and in the real world. Searching for your exotic pets online will allow you to learn as much about the exotic pet dealers as it will about the animals themselves. Finding a reputable dealer is every bit as important as finding the perfect exotic pet.

Because they are exotic, these pets are often very expensive. Another consideration is that exotic pets available online and in the real world have special requirements. It may b easy for you to see why it is so important to find out as much as you can about the dealer and the animal itself. Most people don't want to spend a large amount of money on exotic pets that may or may not have had adequate medical care, lack the proper documentation and may result in a financial loss and perhaps a broken heart due to the loss of a pet.

Before you go searching for the perfect pet or try to find a pet online gather as much information as you can to determine if an exotic pet will fit in your lifestyle. In this way, you can be certain that you get the pet that is right for you and one that you will have for a lifetime.

CS Swarens is the president of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065

For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet's pet resource including pet classifieds at http://www.findapetonline.com

Research over 430 pet breed profiles http://www.findapetonline.com/breeds.html

This is a question that has been asked of me and a thousand (million?) other herp keepers. I think its almost a case of once bitten, twice as determined. But seriously, it is something I have pondered but not really found an adequate answer for. They are not cute and cuddly. They bite (when young), they feel cold (not really) and they have funny eyes. And scales.

As a little tacker I was always into animals frogs, lizards, tadpoles, butterflies, beetles, spiders you name it, I went looking for it.

I dont think I ever got over it. Its hard to explain to people who do not have a fascination with animals, what the attraction is. Its just there. I think most people actually have it but for a variety of reasons they do not act upon it or ignore it.

Snakes are particularly intriguing. The way they move, the way the eat, the way their metabolism is so brilliantly attuned to the particular environment they inhabit, their ancestry, the development of venoms so potent that that can kill in minutes, all of these things interest me and make me want to know more about them.

There is some part of you that has to overcome a natural fear in the first instance to want to own and keep a reptile. For some reason, Im not sure if its instinct, we fear snakes and many reptiles. Witness a small child when you show them a snake. They instantly recoil. Its only when you show them that they have nothing to fear that they can then pet the snake and overcome their own fears (well, as long as its not venomous).

Where I live, every snake is venomous. There is no such thing as a snake that is not dangerous. Copperheads, red-bellied black snakes, mainland tiger snakes and eastern brown snakes all inhabit my local area, so its understandable that people fear them. We have no pythons or non-venomous snakes in my area. Just the other day one of the painters doing my house remarked to me that he nearly leapt out of his skin when he saw what looked to be a snake in the grass near where he was painting. It turns out it was a blue tongued lizard, but nonetheless, his fear was well grounded. Living in the area makes you wary of snakes.

I think this is somewhat unfortunate. Snakes are more scared of you. How big you must appear to a snake. Standing still when you see one will prevent an attack. They only attack when threatened. Slowly backing off is also a good thing to do.

So why keep them? I think it is a duality of fear and fascination. And the trouble is that once you have one, you want two, and then three etc. If you have them, you know the feeling.

Another aspect is the actual act of managing to keep an animal that is not naturally suited or normally kept as a pet in an artificial environment. Learning about its needs, how to maintain optimal health, how to breed it, how to tame it and how to enjoy it for what it is. These are challenges that herp keeping offers that few other pets do.

Mark Chapple is the Author of "How to build enclosures for reptiles" Find out how to build snake and other reptile cages as well as arboreal cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions.

http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com

So what does it mean with Saturn coming to "Opposition"?

Simply put it means that as the sun sets in the west, Saturn will be rising in the east.

More correctly put Saturn will be following the path of the ecliptic, this is the path that the sun and most of the planets follow across the sky. This will obviously vary depending on your latitude and the time of year. If you drew an imaginary line between, the Sun, Earth and Saturn, it would have been a straight line at the time of opposition (24th of February).

Saturn can now be seen at near its closest point to the earth for the year and as such it is an ideal time to view the beautiful ringed planet. Saturn's rings are slowly closing up as each year passes, this means that in a few years time we will see the rings edge on, making them almost disappear!

At the moment Saturn's rings are tilted at 8 degrees, making them still visible in a small telescope. Right now though is the time to look though, and if you have never seen Saturn before you are in for a big treat. It is a planet of incredible beauty and the subtle colors will be seen when your scope size is 6" or above in mirror or lens diameter.

Colors visible on a clear still night include pale yellow, Tan, white and black. If you can get a look through a telescope take the time to watch for as long as you can. Changes in the clarity of our atmosphere from moment to moment will affect just how much detail you see. You will also be able to pick out 4 or 5 moons of Saturn, depending on your scope size!

The main moons that are visible are Titan, Dione, Tethys, Encelandus, Mimas & Rhea. However there are now 60 identified moons around the ringed giant, with some as small as 2 km in diameter right up to the giant Titan which is 150% the size of our own moon.

Best time to enjoy Saturn is mid evening, when it has risen half way up in the eastern sky. If you can find the constellation of Leo and the bright star Regulus, you will be able to find Saturn approximately 5 degree's (about 1 hands width) away, as the bright yellowish "star" nearby that is not shown on the star charts.

If you want to learn more on how to find Saturn and the other planets visit http://www.nightskysecrets.com

Ian Maclean - Author, Presenter and Science Show host
Homepage: http://www.nightskysecrets.com

Discover how you can uncover the hidden secrets of the night sky for yourself.On my homepage http://www.nightskysecrets.com you will be able to download a free copy of my Audio "Night Sky Secrets - Revealed" plus get a free subscription to nightskysecrets, where you will be kept up to date with all the latest events you can see in the night sky and gain subscriber only access to my blog page, often with maps, charts, photos and movies to compliment these articles and much more. I hope you enjoyed my Article.