If you want your ferret to live a long and healthy life, you need to provide him with the right food. Given time, a poor ferret diet comprised of low quality, unhealthy food will take its toll on your pet’s health. Baby ferrets, which need the best food you can get in order to grow, are especially vulnerable to such health problems caused by a poor nutrition. Ferrets are meat eaters, the scientific term being obligate carnivores. So in order for them to live a healthy life and reach their potential life span, you need to give them a diet based on a high protein, low fiber content.This is exactly what high quality cat food contains, but if your local pet shop has special ferret food available, even better then. These foods deliver high quality fat/low carbohydrate content for a slightly higher price. Don’t worry about spending a fortune on food though. You might think that fuzzies are savage eating machines, but the reality is they don’t eat all that much, so your wallet is safe.The ideal ferret food contains a minimum of 35-40% protein, anywhere between 18% and 30% fat, a maximum of 7% ash and just 2% fiber. Many commercially available products also contain at least some of the 21 amino acids your pet needs and high quality carbs such as rice flower or brewer’s yeast. Some lower quality food products are made with poorly processed frozen fish. Don’t waste money on these products as chances are your ferret will refuse to eat them. And even if they do eat it, you’re doing them a disservice by feeding them junk food.Most ferrets eat twice or three times a day. A good feeding strategy is to serve him two meals and leave some food at his discretion. This way, if he feels like having a snack, he can. Alternatively, you can also give him small treats like cooked eggs once in a while. The important thing is for him to get all the calories he needs in order to keep his energy levels up.If you’re giving him moist food, remember to change it after 45 minutes since it’s no longer fresh (though some ferrets will still eat it). There is no such problem with dry pellet food though; you can leave it in the food dish all day. Dry pellets also have the added benefit of acting like a sort of chewing gum, cleaning the fuzzy’s teeth. One last thing to remember, especially if you give him dry food, is to have a bowl (or bottle) of fresh water.A proper diet will guarantee your carpet shark is happy, healthy and comfortable and also greatly reduces the risk of developing life-threatening illnesses. Not only does proper nutrition pay dividends, but it’s also the best way to show love to your little pet.
George Dinu is a ferret enthusiast. He spends his time teaching others about the joys of being a ferret parent and how to properly care for these wonderful and playful creatures. For more information on what constitutes a healthy ferret diet visit ferret-guide.com.
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