Ferret Diet 101

Food



Ferrets aren't anything to do with the rodent family - they are mustelids, so please don't ever think of giving your ferret any kind of seed or vegetable as its daily diet. Ferrets have an extremely high metabolic rate so there should always be food available for them so that they can snack away whenever they're hungry.

Food made especially for ferrets is hard to come by here in Malaysia so we have to dish out the premium quality cat food.The food for an adult ferret needs to have a high meat protein value, around 31-32%, 18% fat and a maximum of 3% for fiber. Kits need food with a higher protein percentage so they should be fed something like Iams Kitten when they are weaned, as that has a 34% protein value.

Kibbles Chart
here's a link that i found very usefull . its a comparison chart for ferret food. remember that ferret kibbles must have a high meat protein value, around 31-32%, 18% minimum fat and a maximum of 3% for fiber.

and if u wanna give meat, ... give chicken .. it has 42% protein.. but not too much and not as staple diet. too much fat .

and for daily treats ... smoothy ...most ferret will enjoy this ..

1. 1/4 cup of Whiskas Pet Milk or any pet milk thats lactose reduced and with thiamine and taurine added
2. a squirt of Nutrigel or ferretvite gel (this stuff is sweet.. dont put too much. it would be bad for their teeth)
3. one egg yolk

mix it all up and serve at room temperature..


:shakehead: No cow's milk
Don't give your ferret cow's milk (like the stuff we drink) as they are lactose intolerant and the milk would cause them to have diarrhea.

:shakehead: No chocolate
Another no no is giving them chocolate, for whatever reason. Theobromine, which is in chocolate, is dangerous to most pets.

Ferrets have very special need in diets. It's not that easy to find in Malaysia, that's why the usual recommendations are Innova Evo Cats, Innova Evo Ferret (Not available in Malaysia Yet), 2nd choice would be Science Plan, Iams, Royal Kanine. We recommend that kibbles be a mixture so that if one is out of stock, the picky eaters won't have too much problem changing over to single diet for a short term. Easier on their stomach also.

First 2 Ingredients should be whole meat, (Not By Product or Meal). Fillers should not contain Corn or Wheats. Preferably no potatoes also if possible.

Generic Cat Food such as Whiskas and Friskies should be avoided as the nutritional value is not suitable for ferrets. They also contain high amount of salt which is not good for a ferret.

That said, Ferret owners should also feed their ferrets with supplements to provide them with essential Amino Acids, Minerals and Vitamins which are usually not present in Kibbles. Recommended supplements would include Ferretone and Ferretvite. As these are not on sale in Malaysia, recommended replacement supplements include Linatone for Cats (Available at Pets Wonderland) and Feriovite or Nutrigel (Available in most Pet Stores).

Sick Ferrets are to be fed Duck Soup (a mixture of kibbles, meats, supplements blended together) or Smoothies (Eggs, Lactose free milk, and Supplements).

It is very important to take care of the ferrets' diet to ensure that they live a long healthy, fun filled, disease free life.