Ferret Feeding?

Question

At the moment I'm feeding my ferret kittens wet James Welbeloved & Supa Ferret Excel Ferret food but I'm just wondering what other people's opinions are on the different foods out there. Also I know that ferrets eat raw meat diet too but how old do ferrets need to be before they can start eating the raw food and does raw have a higher nutritional value than if the meat were to be cooked?

Answer 1

Ferrets, like cats, are obligate carnivores (meat eaters). They cannot survive without meat in their diet. However, although fresh raw meat is part of the ferret's natural diet, it may contain harmful parasites and micro-organisms that create risks unacceptable to pet owners. Meat is only part of a natural diet: predators eat not only the muscle meat of their prey, they also eat the liver, kidneys, and intestinal tract, and crunch up bones as well. A diet limited to meat alone would cause harmful and eventually fatal nutritional imbalances.

A good diet for a ferret has to be:

high in energy

high in protein

low in fiber

Good Snacks in Limited Quantities

• Commercially packaged meat-based cat or ferret treats, especially liver flavor

• Cooked eggs  

• Cooked meat

• Freeze-dried muscle or organ meats, available as commercial treats

• Linoleic acid coat conditioners (e.g.; Linatone, Drs. Foster & Smith Vitacoat, Ferretone, a few drops daily)