Feeding FAQ's
Answers to all of your common questions about ferret nutrition
What do they eat?
Ferrets are what is called an obligate carnivore. This means that they get all necessary nutrition from meat. Ferrets cannot digest (and actually do not have the systems necessary to digest) fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, sugars, and dairy items. Feeding these items can cause blockages and disease in your ferret Ferrets should be fed either a balanced raw diet, or high quality meat-based kibble (canned food is also an option)
But wait! I thought by-products were bad? You listed them under desirable proteins?
This is true, I did list them as desirable. There is much debate out there about by-products in foods. Here is my two cents. I prefer NOT to see them as the first ingredient in a food. I prefer if they are specified (ie "organs only")
Animals in the wild will often eat the organs first! They should not be discounted as a protein source. That said, many higher end foods are moving away from by-products, or using them as a supplementary protein source, as opposed to primary.
The food I bought said "Natural/Holistic/Premium" on it! Doesn't that make it better?
Not necessarily. These terms are not regulated (just like human food!), so "Natural/Holistic/Premium" are pretty vague. What does "Natural" mean? Just because a food is labeled "natural", doesn't make it superior to another food. Always read the ingredients!
This kibble has "3lbs of fresh chicken in every 4lb bag" That means it's good right?
Unfortunately, no. That fresh chicken has to be dried before being packaged, so that 3lbs of fresh chicken may shrink to more than half once dried. Because ingredients have to be dried first, more than 3lbs of raw ingredients go into making 4lbs of dry kibble.
Can a ferret eat cat food?
Ah, it depends.
Can a ferret eat generic grocery store cat food, or cheaper brands such as Purina, Whiskas, or Deli Cat? No. This food isn't healthy for ferrets or cats (who are obligate carnivores too!)
Can a ferret eat high quality cat foods that meet the criteria listed on the "Nutrition" page? Certainly. Unfortunately the availability and selection of high quality ferret foods is quite lacking. There are only 1-2 brands of ferret food that I consider suitable. Thankfully, the availability of high-end cat foods are much more prevalent. Some high end cat food brands I recommend include Orijen, Nature's Variety Instinct, Wellness Core, and Go! Fit and Free
Can a ferret eat dog food?
Generally speaking, no. Dog food is often too low in protein and fat, and too high in fiber for ferrets. They often do not contain appropriate amounts of meat-based ingredients to be suitable for ferrets. The only dog food that I am aware of that is considered ferret- suitable is EVO Red Meat, though it does have peas as the 4th ingredient, so some may choose to avoid.
What are healthy treats for ferrets?
The best treats for ferrets are those that are meat based. I try to feed my guys treats that are as minimally processed as possible. Healthy treats include raw eggs (whisked or yolk only), raw chicken, raw turkey, salmon oil, and Ferretone/ Furotone. I try to avoid store bought treats, though my ferrets have been known to enjoy an occasional N-Bone (once a week or less!)
Nature's Variety produces awesome freeze dried treats called Raw Boost Bites. My ferrets love them and would eat the whole bag if I let them!
But my ferret loves bananas/Cheerios/peanut butter? What aren't they good?
See "obligate carnivore". Ferrets simply cannot digest these items, and they get absolutely no nutrition from these items. At best, your ferret might enjoy the sugary taste, and have a bit of diarrhea. Worse, a piece of hard carrot may cause a blockage. Long term feeding of carb heavy foods (this includes lower quality kibble as well!) has been correlated with the disease insulinoma. It is incurable and requires the ferret to be on life-long medication.
My Vet recommended I feed Xx food, but it ranks badly on the food chart?
It's important to remember that vets are not nutritionists. They receive only minimal nutritional training during schooling, and unfortunately much of the information put out there about ferret diets is outdated. Some (not all) may receive compensation for selling certain brands of food. By all means, take what they have to say into consideration, but don't be afraid to ask questions.
(ie why do they recommend that brand?)
What do you feed your ferrets?
Currently, my ferrets are fed a mix of Nature's Variety Instinct and Orijen cat. They get NV Raw Boost bites, Good Lovin' lamb heart, Ferretone, raw eggs, and chicken baby food as treats.
Ferrets are what is called an obligate carnivore. This means that they get all necessary nutrition from meat. Ferrets cannot digest (and actually do not have the systems necessary to digest) fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, sugars, and dairy items. Feeding these items can cause blockages and disease in your ferret Ferrets should be fed either a balanced raw diet, or high quality meat-based kibble (canned food is also an option)
But wait! I thought by-products were bad? You listed them under desirable proteins?
This is true, I did list them as desirable. There is much debate out there about by-products in foods. Here is my two cents. I prefer NOT to see them as the first ingredient in a food. I prefer if they are specified (ie "organs only")
Animals in the wild will often eat the organs first! They should not be discounted as a protein source. That said, many higher end foods are moving away from by-products, or using them as a supplementary protein source, as opposed to primary.
The food I bought said "Natural/Holistic/Premium" on it! Doesn't that make it better?
Not necessarily. These terms are not regulated (just like human food!), so "Natural/Holistic/Premium" are pretty vague. What does "Natural" mean? Just because a food is labeled "natural", doesn't make it superior to another food. Always read the ingredients!
This kibble has "3lbs of fresh chicken in every 4lb bag" That means it's good right?
Unfortunately, no. That fresh chicken has to be dried before being packaged, so that 3lbs of fresh chicken may shrink to more than half once dried. Because ingredients have to be dried first, more than 3lbs of raw ingredients go into making 4lbs of dry kibble.
Can a ferret eat cat food?
Ah, it depends.
Can a ferret eat generic grocery store cat food, or cheaper brands such as Purina, Whiskas, or Deli Cat? No. This food isn't healthy for ferrets or cats (who are obligate carnivores too!)
Can a ferret eat high quality cat foods that meet the criteria listed on the "Nutrition" page? Certainly. Unfortunately the availability and selection of high quality ferret foods is quite lacking. There are only 1-2 brands of ferret food that I consider suitable. Thankfully, the availability of high-end cat foods are much more prevalent. Some high end cat food brands I recommend include Orijen, Nature's Variety Instinct, Wellness Core, and Go! Fit and Free
Can a ferret eat dog food?
Generally speaking, no. Dog food is often too low in protein and fat, and too high in fiber for ferrets. They often do not contain appropriate amounts of meat-based ingredients to be suitable for ferrets. The only dog food that I am aware of that is considered ferret- suitable is EVO Red Meat, though it does have peas as the 4th ingredient, so some may choose to avoid.
What are healthy treats for ferrets?
The best treats for ferrets are those that are meat based. I try to feed my guys treats that are as minimally processed as possible. Healthy treats include raw eggs (whisked or yolk only), raw chicken, raw turkey, salmon oil, and Ferretone/ Furotone. I try to avoid store bought treats, though my ferrets have been known to enjoy an occasional N-Bone (once a week or less!)
Nature's Variety produces awesome freeze dried treats called Raw Boost Bites. My ferrets love them and would eat the whole bag if I let them!
But my ferret loves bananas/Cheerios/peanut butter? What aren't they good?
See "obligate carnivore". Ferrets simply cannot digest these items, and they get absolutely no nutrition from these items. At best, your ferret might enjoy the sugary taste, and have a bit of diarrhea. Worse, a piece of hard carrot may cause a blockage. Long term feeding of carb heavy foods (this includes lower quality kibble as well!) has been correlated with the disease insulinoma. It is incurable and requires the ferret to be on life-long medication.
My Vet recommended I feed Xx food, but it ranks badly on the food chart?
It's important to remember that vets are not nutritionists. They receive only minimal nutritional training during schooling, and unfortunately much of the information put out there about ferret diets is outdated. Some (not all) may receive compensation for selling certain brands of food. By all means, take what they have to say into consideration, but don't be afraid to ask questions.
(ie why do they recommend that brand?)
What do you feed your ferrets?
Currently, my ferrets are fed a mix of Nature's Variety Instinct and Orijen cat. They get NV Raw Boost bites, Good Lovin' lamb heart, Ferretone, raw eggs, and chicken baby food as treats.