Feeding your Ferrets

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.