If you own, or are considering owning ferrets then you need to pay careful attention to the food you offer them. There are plenty of generic, muesli type small animal foods
that you can pick up cheaply from any pet store. They don't look very
appetising, and the nutritional content really isn't suited to the special
dietary requirements of a ferret. Ferrets have a very different digestive
system to hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits, so it really does make sense that
they would need a different type of food.
So, what is different about the digestive system of a ferret?
Well they differ in several ways, the most noticable being that they are carnivores (unlike rabbits and guinea pigs) and require meat in their diet.
Their digestive system is short so
food passes through it much more quickly than with other small mammals. This
means that they don't absorb as much of the nutrition from their food as the
other small animals.
They have a very quick metabolism so they need to be
fed more regularly than other pets. Ferrets really need to eat around every
three or four hours. You don't need to give them fresh food every three hours
though, as ferrets will rarely over eat. They will simply eat what the need and
then return to their bowl a few hours later for some more food, so you don't
need to worry about them eating a whole bowl full all at once; just give them a
fresh bowl of food every morning. Unlike other animals such as guinea pigs and
rabbits, ferrets actually need a diet that is low in fibre too.
Ferrets also don't get any nutrition from vegetables
whatsoever, their digestive system just isn't geared up for vegetables, so
feeding them a dry food for guinea pigs that is full of dried vegetables is
just pointless for a ferret. They'll be using up their energy eating the food
and getting no nutrition from it at all.
The best food for your ferret is one that is purpose made
for ferrets and for their unique digestive systems. Spend a bit of money and the best complete ferret food you can find. It's definitely a good investment
and it doesn't cost that much more than the inferior cheaper foods.
When you're
choosing your ferret food, read the labels. A good ferret food will be high in
protein. Look for a food with at least a 30% protein content. The protein
should be animal rather than plant based as a ferret won't be able to digest
the plant proteins. It should be high in fat. Again, check the label and you
should be looking for a minimum of 20% fat. Finally check for a food that is
low in fibre and low in carbohydrates.
There are various ferret foods on the market and some will
be better than others so check out the labels so you can make an informed
choice and pick out the very best food for your furry friends.
