Ferrets are becoming more popular as pets. Having one as a pet is like taking care of both a cat and a dog but less demanding and very low maintenance. In fact it’s here in the UK that they started to become pets, it was Queen Victoria who made ferrets popular. They’re very charming. They’re also playful and sociable. In order for your adorable pet to grow and become healthy it needs to be taken care of properly. They have different needs and unique feeding requirements that you must address carefully.
Ferrets are obligate carnivores which means that they are meat eaters. They also lack the ability to digest foods that are high in fibre and they cannot acquire any nutrition from plants so the ferret food that you need to choose has to be high in animal protein (35%-40%), high in fat (18-30%) and low in fibre (2%). They also have very small digestive tracts and a quick and efficient metabolism. This is the reason why they usually get hungry easily, they eat meals frequently, usually every 3 or 4 hours. It is important that you have ferret food available for your pet at all times.
You can also feed your ferret meats such as mince and poultry. Poultry fat is a good source of omega 6 fatty acid which is very good for ferrets. They do not like fish and feeding them fish causes their bowels to be more odorous. The downside of feeding them meat is that it is more expensive and ferrets stash food. This can rot quickly and is very unhygienic, not to mention the smell!
Dried ferret food is the most convenient choice they can be stored for weeks and are cheaper than raw meat. Canned ferret food can also be given to the but only occasionally and as a treat. In choosing processed ferret food, you must see to it that it is high in protein. Make sure that the protein is animal based not plant based. It must also come from meat and not from ‘by products’.
Cat food is often made as a substitute for ferret food this is not recommended however if you have no other choice choose cat food that are high quality. Ferrets like sweets, bananas and raisins but they’re not good for them and can even cause insulinoma (tumor in the pancreas). Always check the nutritional labels. It is important to feed them high quality ferret food for them to have a longer lifespan.