What Do Ferrets Eat?

Having a pet ferret requires commitment and careful consideration of its care. Playful and affectionate by nature, ferrets need proper nutrition to maintain their health. The variety of food available for ferrets in the marketplace may make it a bit confusing to know what to feed. Knowing what ferrets eat makes it easier to provide them with the right foods so they can grow and thrive.

  1. Identification

    • Though some believe them to be wild animals, pet ferrets are domesticated, distantly related to the weasel, badger and skunk. Humans started keeping ferrets as household animals beginning in 63 BC. The domestic ferret (Mustela furo) reaches a weight of up to 5 pounds at adulthood. Ferrets generally don't bite when treated well and properly trained. These animals tolerate litter box training and often live to 7 years old if given proper care. They need their rest and will sleep up to 18 hours daily.

    Meat

    • Ferrets are carnivores and need a diet based on meat protein. Choose packaged ferret food that has a high animal protein content and few carbohydrates such as corn meal and wheat. Overall the food should contain between 15 percent to 20 percent fat and at least 32 percent to 40 percent meat. Provide ferrets with protein from dry ferret food and supplement with poultry such as turkey or chicken and red meat like beef. Look for food containing taurine for health vision and cardiac function.

    Water

    • Maintain an ample supply of water at all times for your ferret. Ferrets run and play, and lead physically active lives that require adequate hydration. Fill the pet's water bottle with tap water, unless the water contains any harmful chemicals or has been deemed unsafe to drink. If using bottled water simple drinking or spring water will suffice, as some pet experts deem distilled water lacking in enough nutrients and vitamins for ferrets.

    Foods to Avoid

    • Avoid feeding ferrets milk as they produce low levels of lactase enzyme, making them highly lactose intolerant. Never substitute dog food for ferret food, as it's often lacking in the protein ferrets need and is based too much on grains. Skip ferret food with labels displaying high concentrations of grain and carbohydrates.

    Additional considerations

    • Clean your ferret's teeth at least monthly, using a toothpaste formulated for ferrets applied with a soft pet toothbrush, to maintain good oral health and eating habits. Also ferrets may develop hairballs, which should be avoided as they can cause dangerous intestinal blockages that can lead to illness or even death from complications. Ferrets don't cough up hairballs like felines. Use a hairball treatment to combat this occurrence.