What do ferrets eat?
Ferret food needs to be both healthy and tasty. Did you know ferrets are called super-carnivores because of their specific need to eat meat? Learn all about ferret food here.
Here’s our ferret food list:
- Fresh water
- Concentrate (nuggets or mix)
- Cooked or raw eggs, fresh raw chicken wings or legs including the bones
- Snacks or treats – Supreme ferret treats or small amounts of kitten treats
- Your ferret will benefit from eating all of these foods.
Fresh water – must always be available. It can be provided in a bottle or a bowl. Make sure to check the sipper of the water bottle at least daily as they can become clogged. Water bowls should be heavy so they are not knocked over.
Concentrate – ferret food concentrates provide the high protein levels ferrets need, as well as vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may be absent or present in variable amounts in other foods.
Nuggets or kibbles provide all the nutrients needed in each mouthful. A high-quality concentrate will contain natural ingredients that ferrets like to eat, without the addition of sugary syrups which can result in digestive upset or dental disease.
Cooked or raw eggs, raw chicken – always take care when handling raw meat and make sure that you remove any uneaten meat promptly to reduce the risk of infections. Small amounts of liver make a suitable ferret food. Sometimes ferrets are also fed kitten food or treats – these are suitable as a ferret food because they contain high enough levels of protein and taurine. It’s not generally advisable to feed cat food, which might not contain all the nutrients ferrets need or dog food, which contains carbohydrate and is not easy for a ferret to digest.
Ferret treats – hand feeding a treat or snack is an important part of bonding with your ferret. Ferret food treats like Frankie Chicken Meaties are healthy and contain no added sugars.