Food That Is OK for a Ferret

Ferrets are obligate carnivores (animals that must eat animal tissue to survive) and require a high-energy, high-protein diet. Muscle meat alone will cause nutritional imbalances that result in death, so a healthy diet should contain muscle meat (beef or chicken) combined with other animal proteins such as liver, kidney, beef or chicken heart, and animal fat. Ferrets are notoriously fussy eaters, so offer samples of several different kinds of food to make a tempting meal. Stay away from foods with high carbohydrate and fiber content because they are indigestible by your ferret.

  1. Pellet Food

    • Food should always be fresh to prevent health problems with a ferret. Pellet or dried foods remain fresh longer than canned foods. Crunching pellet food also keeps plaque from developing quickly on ferrets' teeth. A ferret on a diet of moist food develops plaque at a much faster rate than one on dry foods. Use a mix of dried ferret and cat foods, and keep the food dish full 24 hours a day.

    Cat Food

    • Ferrets can eat cat food, but stay away from the generic brands. Generic-brand cat foods do not have enough calories for a healthy ferret. Use premium cat foods listing chicken, turkey, beef, liver, kidney or lamb as one of the first ingredients on the label. The label should list approximately 35 percent protein and 18 to 20 percent fat. Ferrets are often picky eaters, so choose a variety of different cat foods to mix for each meal.

    Ferret Food

    • Many pet stores sell food developed for ferrets. When choosing a store-bought ferret food, read the label carefully. Manufacturers are in the business to make money, and many times, their primary goal is to create a product that looks appealing to the human making the purchase. One of the first five ingredients on the label should be a meat or poultry source. The label should also list a high percentage of protein and fat.

    Treats

    • Use treats sparingly. A treat makes a good training item, but stay away from sweets. A ferret will eat sweets, but cannot properly digest them. Cooked meat, liver and heart are high in proteins; however, make sure these items are fully cooked. Raw meats could contain harmful bacteria. Hard-boiled or scrambled eggs also make a good treat. Cooked foods will spoil so if the ferret does not finish the treat right away, remove it and throw it out.