If you have just gotten a ferret, or are thinking of getting a ferret, it’s a really good idea to do a little research into the best nutritional diet for your new little pal. Conversely, older ferrets may well need less than this, so monitoring your ferret’s weight and changing the diet accordingly is important throughout their life. Do use dried food made especially for ferrets. Food pellets are an excellent source of protein for ferrets, which can be found at your veterinarian's office or the local pet store. As owners of pet ferrets, you should also know that ferrets do not have a cecum in their digestive systems. Supplement these treats into your ferret's diet and weekly routine. Ferrets are lovely – and long – furry creatures that make for extraordinary pets. They, just like cats, must have taurine added to their diet as well. On average, a ferret will eat 5-7% of their bodyweight in food every day. What to feed ferrets can be confusing. First off, Ferrets are obligate carnivores, this means they require strictly animal proteins and fats to meet nutritional requirements. To find out more about the cookies this site uses, please see our cookie policy. For a detailed review of your ferrets dietary needs check out our article Ferret Food: A Recipe for Success.There are many high-grade ferret foods on the market, however, be sure to read the ingredients to make sure that the food is not fish-based. It is not a good idea to feed your ferret any sugary foods in general. Ferrets will require larger quantities during growth, gestation and reproduction. And being strict carnivores, like cats, they need a high protein food source. Don’t feed the pet meat that you wouldn’t consume because it’s too old. How much a ferret needs to eat depends on: Usually free-feeding is best for ferrets, but you may find you need to restrict their daily intake if they are becoming overweight. For this reason, a ferret diet must be high in animal protein, high in fat, and low in fiber. This is the most common way people ensure their ferrets are gaining the sustenance they need. Food pellets are an excellent source of protein for ferrets, which can be found at your veterinarian's office or the local pet store. Ferrets are actually obligate carnivores so they should have a diet that is rich in three types of meats, bones, and organs, all in little quantities throughout the week. During this time, replace any uneaten damp food with fresh after a few hours – young kits may start to toilet in the damp food otherwise, which can harm toilet training and will also affect your gill’s food consumption as she won’t eat soiled food unless forced. Its also good to avoid foods w… To avoid the risk of disease, cooking meat thoroughly before offering it to your ferret is recommended. Ferrets need to eat 6-8 times per day due to their high metabolic rate, and leaving meat in their cage might be messy. Others if not being fed a protein regularly will have to be switched to that protein as you would when you first start to transition every time you feed it again. Meanwhile, you should avoid giving your ferret any grains, vegetables, ice cream, or chocolate. Ferrets also cannot digest carbohydrates well, so do not feed your ferret any grains, even if they are whole grains. Cat Nutrition: What Makes a Nutritional Cat Food? That doesn’t mean you can’t feed them commercial pet food, however, you just have to find the right kind. Ferrets can be very fussy where food is concerned, and if they don’t identify a food type as edible early on, it can be difficult to get them to take to it. Pellets also help keep your ferret’s teeth clean, an advantage not seen with home-made diets. On some days, your ferret will choose to consume more foods than others. A ferret’s diet should be 36% protein and 20% fat, with no more than 4% fiber in any food that you buy. Ferrets are carnivorous animals. High protein commercial ferret food (kibble) or a raw diet (including skin, organs and raw bones) or mix of the two is best. Dairy foods are the big no-no for ferrets because of high in complex carbohydrates, Dairy food works like a poison for ferrets so you should avoid all dairy food like milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream or any other type of dairy-based food. Dog food has far too many carbohydrates in and is just not suitable for the ferret digestive system. One way to make treat time easy is to cook up a batch of meat and cut it into small chunks that can be frozen for convenience—a minute or so in the microwave on thaw setting and happy times are here! The ferret diet in the wild consisted of raw organs, raw meat and raw bones. As well as the base pellet diet, offer a variety of safe foods to kits to try, as ferrets who are not exposed to a range of food types when young are much more likely to outright reject those food items when older. Baby ferrets, or kits, will nurse from their mother for approximately six weeks, but they can be offered small amounts of food soaked until soft with warm water or broth from three weeks old. Ferrets are actually carnivorous animals, which means that the majority of their diet should come from meat. Kitten food works as well (again, check the ingredients list), as long as you give your ferret fatty acid supplements, which are available from a pet store. Ferrets are carnivores. Ferrets can be very stubborn and cannot be starved into eating something they don’t want. Click again to let them stand. Homemade food is another way to feed your ferret. Ferrets cannot extract nutrients from plants, which is why their ideal diet consists of food that is low in fiber and carbohydrates. Avoid foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, or anything containing sugar. Tamed by feeding one of their favorite foods. Changing a ferret’s diet should always be done slowly and carefully – add a little more of the new food item, and take away a little more of anything you want to replace, every day. A ferret’s food would consist of any smaller animals it might come across day to day. To begin, ferrets have a high metabolic rate, so they will eat around 8 to 10 small meals daily. The diet that would be closest to their natural one is one of raw meat. Ferrets have a very high metabolic rate, and a short digestive tract. However, take your time when picking a pellet food. As ferret parents, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves on the nutritional requirements of ferrets and to provide our ferrets with a healthy diet. Can ‘sit’ and stay by right-clicking them. The nutrition you provide your ferret is hugely important – food provides the building blocks for everything that happens in your ferret’s body. A reproducing female require a minimum of 30% protein in their diet and kits require more protein and fat. Repeat to put them down. Ferrets in particular have very specific dietary needs. This means they need meat in their diet. Good treats for ferrets include cooked egg, cat treats, and bits of chicken, turkey, or lamb. Do feed your ferret protein. which... Fruit - These are very high in sugar. The Wellness Core cat food can be good for ferrets because it does not contain grains. Human Rights and Modern Slavery Statement. Fee feeding is the best way to feed your ferrets. Various aspects like growth, age, pregnancy, lactation and high exercise days can affect their appetite. These can upset a ferret’s digestive system. “Ferret food” is not necessarily ferret food. Don’t be afraid to hide the food or make it a little difficult to get to – mental stimulation is great for ferrets and there is nothing wrong with making them think! And being strict carnivores, like cats, they need a high protein food source. It's best to stick with treats that are specifically made for ferrets or, second best, treats that are made for cats—but never dog treats. Ferrets are weasels and, as such, they are obligate carnivores. Lastly, ferrets should not eat any dairy products. It is especially important to know what is in the food you feed your ferret. Cat food has less protein content than kitten food, so kitten food is much more suitable. Ferrets are strict carnivores who need a high energy, high protein and low fibre diet. Ferrets can have ferret-formulated kibble or kitten chow, but only if you’re unable to purchase ferret kibble. The ability to prevent any hairball-related complications far outweigh the costs of this cure. They need fresh food and although ferrets are pretty resilient to food poisoning, they won’t like rotten food and they might become sick after eating it. Here's a tip: Ask your neighborhood butcher for cast-off pieces of fresh meat, like the organs and other bits that people don't like but that ferrets do. In the wild they hunt and kill their food, surviving only on meat. Ferrets are well designed to digest fats and protein, but struggle with carbohydrates. They can be found in Savanna biomes. However, it doesn’t have to be! Older ferrets may need less food and of course if you think your pet is gaining weight, feed levels should be adjusted. This means that they must have meat in their diet. What I feed my ferrets - I receive a lot of questions about what I feed my ferrets and so I thought I would share what I bought today. Ferrets also get hairballs from self-grooming, but they don’t regurgitate them like cats do. Like cats, ferrets can be fussy creatures, preferring only one type of food, so it's a good idea to vary it up (just in case a brand either changes its ingredient makeup or goes out of business). You can feed your ferret cooked or raw chicken along with the pellets. All ferrets are obligate carnivores – this means they need animal protein to survive. Some elderly ferrets switch overnight as where with others you’ll be fighting for months. Chicken baby food is acceptable as a supplement to the pellet diet, too. What Not to Feed Ferrets. This slow transition can take several weeks, but patience will be worth it. Speaking of treats, ferrets love them! This list includes chickens, turkeys, lambs, rabbits and pigeons among many other animals. Other items that should also be avoided in ferrets are: Read more of our expert ferret advice to keep your ferret happy and healthy. Ferrets can also eat kitten food, as it has a high meat protein content, baby food that's high in meat protein, and dried ferret food, that's high in meat protein. Because ferets are strict carnivores, their digestive tracts cannot process these types of food. I want to feed them a mix of raw, evolutionary, and natural diet (I don't know if those are basically the same) I … Ferrets, like cats, are obligate carnivores. In addition, ferrets need to eat every 3-4 hours because of their short digestive system and fast metabolism, so they need food that is high in energy, animal-based protein and fat. This cat food contains not less than 45% proteins and not less than 18% fat. As your gill’s milk dries up, your young kits should be ready to move onto a dry diet. To combat the problem, manufacturers have designed treats to prevent hairballs from developing. Another option for providing the protein your ferret needs is with kitten food. As an occasional treat, your ferret can also eat eggs. Grapes/raisins are also toxic to ferrets. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means they must eat meat. You should include a good amount of meat in their regular meal. Most ferrets will eat 8-10 small meals of commercial pellet food on a given day. No matter if you already have one or you’re only thinking to get one, you should plan ahead and inform yourself about the do’s and don’ts of ferret diet. Due to the frequency of their feedings, it is best to keep a supply of food available at all times. Look for foods that are high in protein and fat: 30-40% protein content What can I feed my ferret? This means sugar is off the menu. PetMD is here to help you on your way. If you do have a fussy ferret, you might try slowly mixing small amounts of the new food in with the old, until you transition over completely to the new food. To avoid any potential for illness caused by raw meat, cook the meats before you feed them to your ferret. Ferrets are obligate carnivores and food passes through the digestive system of a ferret very quickly. These have nutrients that ferrets especially need, in the amounts they need. Ideally ferrets will eat 6-8 times per day. Grains (especially corn) are highly undesirable in a ferret diet. Many people claim a little bit here or there wont hurt but ferrets by nature cannot digest these things being obligate carnivores, so no matter how much fruit or veg you feed it will be doing more harm than good. Ferrets are strict carnivores. Kits will eat almost anything you put in front of them. Carbohydrate content is less than 3%, which is quite acceptable. If your ferret does have hairballs that have become lodged, you may need to take it in to a veterinarian to have it surgically removed. Kitten food has a higher protein content than adult cat food and is therefore more suitable. You will need to read the ingredient list on the packet to make sure that the pellets are made of the most nutritious ingredients. They require a diet of meat/animal products that are typically high in protein and fat and low in carbohydrates and fibre. As lists go, the ingredients are listed in order from highest to lowest quantity. They also lack the ability to derive nutrition from plant matter. Ideally, ferrets eat 5 – 7% of their body weight in food every day. Scrambled egg, white fish, and fresh meat are all healthy treats your ferret needs – and loves.