What Do Ferrets Eat? Protein!
Many people assume that since ferrets are so small, they are members of the rodent family and therefore eat similarly to rabbits, squirrels, and other similarly sized creatures. In reality, ferrets are members of the weasel family and are obligatory carnivores. This means that ferrets must eat meat and should eat little to no fruits, vegetables, and grains, as these cannot be digested and cause plenty of stomach problems.
Plenty Of Different Ferret Food To Choose From
There are plenty of different ferret foods on the market today, so it can be difficult to decide which one is the best for your ferret. There are a couple of different things to look for when comparing ferret foods. First, look for a food that is high in fat. Ferrets may sleep a lot, but when they are awake, they play hard. Fat is going to give them most of their calories, so find a food that contains at least 25 to 35 percent fat.
High Protein Ferret Food Is A Must!
It is also important to find a food that is high in protein to keep them strong and healthy. Ferret food should contain a minimum of 35 percent or more protein. Additionally, ferrets should avoid carbohydrates, with less than 3 percent fiber.
Is Kibble Ok?
Most ferret owners choose to go the kibble route, though some do decide to feed their ferrets a raw food diet. Raw food diets will help you feed your ferret something more similar to what they would normally eat in the wild but can be a little bit harder just due to the risk of foodborne illnesses. A high-quality ferret food or even kitten formula will provide your ferret the nutrition that they need, without the hassle of dealing with raw food.
Quality Ferret Food
Ferrets can be super particular about their food, and can easily imprint on one certain type of food. Therefore, it is important to choose a quality food to feed your ferret from the get go so if they do happen to imprint, you are not worried about the quality of food that they are consuming. Additionally, it’s not a bad idea to feed your ferrets some raw components in their diet either, should you need to change their diet or your pellets of choice become discontinued.
Of course, there are many more things to know when it comes to feeding your ferrets, so be sure to check out our other articles for more information about the best food for your fluffy friends!