Food for Ferrets – Make The Right Choice And Enjoy Many Healthy And Fun-Loving Years Together
So you’ve brought home a pair of ferrets-wonderful new pets for your family to enjoy and love. You’ve brought a cage and toys, as well as cozy bedding. But what do you feed them? Fortunately food for ferrets doesn’t have to be expensive.
Ferrets love meat, and when they live in the wild, they eat mice, rabbits, frogs, and bugs. But unless your home is infested with rodents or insects, you probably want to feed them something a little not as messy.
Many people who adopt ferrets choose to feed their new pets ferret food, available at most pet stores. These friendly little animals can eat cat food, too, although they should receive that which is formulated for kittens. They need more protein than cats do, especially when they are under five years of age. Look for a chicken-based cat food, which you should be able to find in any supermarket or big-box store.
Avoid any type of food for ferrets that contains a lot of fish. While ferrets love fish, it will make their litter boxes smell bad. So look for chicken or beef as the main ingredient for their usual food, and your ferrets-and you-will be happy.
But variety is important when it comes to food for ferrets. After all, eating the same thing day after day can be dull. And if you don’t provide some variety in your ferrets’ food, it will make it difficult for you to give them supplements or medications if they ever need it. Ferrets are generally very young when they determine what is food and what isn’t. You can’t expect a ferret that’s been raised on one type of kibble meal after to meal to suddenly accept something new.
So give them some real meat occasionally. Chicken, beef, or pork are good options as food for ferrets. You can feed it to them raw or cooked. Just keep in mind that a ferret that’s never eaten raw food before might experience stomach upset. So it’s a good idea to start them on raw meat early, allowing them to get used to it.
You can also give them shrimp or fish, but only small amounts. Again, this is mainly because it can cause their litter boxes to take on a strong, unpleasant smell that no one in the home-including the ferrets-will appreciate.
Food for ferrets can also include an occasional occasional. They like fruits and vegetables but these contain lots of fiber and sugar, so the ferrets can only handle very small amounts. Give them small-tiny, really-pieces of cucumbers or apples. You can even give them a bit of mashed bananas.
Avoid giving your pets dairy products as they become lactose intolerant after they are weaned. Also avoid any food that contains large amounts of vitamin A, such as carrots. This can be poisonous to ferrets. Never give chocolate, coffee, garlic, or onions to ferrets. Nor should any foods for ferrets be heavily seasoned or salted. Too much sugar is bad for them, too.
In general, food for ferrets should revolve around high quality kibble, a little raw meat and an occasional nibble or two of fruits and vegetables. Your veterinarian can advise you more specifically, especially if problems occur. But if you feed your new pet correctly, he’ll be with you for many years.