RAW FEEDING FERRETS
Ferrets are obligate carnivores. They require a diet of composed solely of animal proteins to maintain optimal health. A ferret's diet should never contain any vegetation as they have no use for it .
Unfortunately there are at this time no precise nutritional standards for ferrets like there are for cats and dogs. What we do know is that they likely require a diet similar to the cat. Although there are a few differences.
Unfortunately there are at this time no precise nutritional standards for ferrets like there are for cats and dogs. What we do know is that they likely require a diet similar to the cat. Although there are a few differences.
Many ferret owners opt to feed whole prey only diets and I must agree this is likely the best diet for a ferret. I personally feed my ferrets a large amount of whole prey. Whole prey can be purchased from a few raw food retailers, see our Sourcing Guide . Or many also purchase from reptile suppliers or to save money learn to raise mice ect.. themselves. This is obveously not for everyone!
Franken- prey Diets For Ferrets
If feeding a whole prey diet isn't for your ferret or you. A franken prey diet is an option. A franken-prey diet uses a variety of cuts from various proteins to essentially recreate what an entire animal would consist of, or at least as closely as we can Frankenstein it together!
To follow this method it's often thought to be easier to spread the balance of what your ferret needs to consume out over the course of the week. This is an okay approach as long as the ferret has no medical issues that would require specific nutrients each and every day. I do prefer to see a more balanced method of feeding being used though as nutrients have interactions and when fed together can optimally function. Making a large mixed batch of ground or chunked together complete food is ideal in my opinion. When looking to nutritional standards for ferrets they most closely resemble NRC requirements for kittens, this is the nutritional standard I will follow with customized ferret diets.
So what does a ferret need in their diet?
- Animal proteins only. Plant materials are not healthy nor of benefit for ferrets.
- Taurine rich foods must be included. Heart muscle meat is the best source followed by tongue meat. If food is being served ground, has been frozen & thawed multiple times, has been in storage long term you will NEED to add supplemental taurine to the food.
- Bone from appropriate sources. These are most commonly small poultry bone, including chicken, quail, partridge ect.. Wings, ribs and necks are good choices from chicken sized poultry, smaller quail sized birds are entirely consumable. Bone can be whole or ground. If bone is not an option then a human grade bone meal is acceptable.
Ferrets Eat A LOT!!!
A typical adult ferret will need to consume approximately 10% of their body weight daily for maintenance.
* Note* Ferrets appetite can change dramatically with the season, consuming considerably less during hot months and more during cold months. This is completely normal. Also note, some ferrets born in the fall may have reversed seasons and eat less in the winter.
Ferrets fed raw diets do not need 24/7 access to food unless they have insulinoma. They preferably should eat twice daily. They may stash food! This is a natural ferret behavior so don't be alarmed if they do this. Just try to keep track of what they've stashed where and clean up appropriately. Feeding dens can curb the instinct to stash.
Nutritional Guidelines for Ferrets
Unfortunately the precise guidelines we can refer to for cats and dogs we do not have for our ferrets. The best we can do is look at the information available for similar species. The closest thing as far as formulating a diet for a ferret to an nutritional standard such as NRC for a ferret would likely be a kitten formulation. I personally use the guidelines for kitten diet formulation when creating a recipe for my own ferrets.