Recently, it has become more and more popular to start as pets not ordinary cats or dogs, but some more unusual animals. And an increasing number of people prefer to have a ferret, or, as it is also called, a ferret, as a pet. And, despite his somewhat wild appearance, he becomes a real pet, tame and affectionate. This is a very active animal, a real acrobat, playing with him or watching his games is a pleasure. With a ferret you can even walk on a leash, like with a cat or a small dog.
But the ever-growing popularity of ferrets does not always benefit the latter - after all, many, seeing on television, somewhere for a walk or visiting this miracle beast, immediately light up the desire to make oneself the same. The small size of the animal and the seemingly deceptive lightness in its maintenance, many of the owners, newcomers sets to a not very serious way, which ultimately leads to sad consequences for the animal. And the most common mistake made by new owners is when they decide that feeding a ferret is no more difficult than feeding other "domesticated predators" - cats and dogs. And acquiring a new animal, they do not care at all about the question of how to feed the ferret, what products are necessarily included in his diet, and what to give him absolutely is forbidden. And this mistake, unfortunately, often turns out to be fatal for their pet, since the needs of the body of the ferret are fundamentally different from the needs of a cat or dog.
What do ferrets eat in nature?
The ferret is a predator. In the wild, he eats almost everyone he can hunt. Most often, these are small rodents - mice and rats, a little less often - small birds and chicks, even frogs and lizards find themselves in his stomach. He does not disdain carrion. Also, the ferret, if possible, will destroy the bird's nest and eat eggs.
Based on the knowledge of what ferrets eat in nature, their diet should be drawn up in captivity. This animal is an absolute predator, its gastrointestinal tract is adapted exclusively to meat. No plant foods are absorbed by them at all. This is fundamentally different from dogs, which, being predators, nevertheless, have partially adapted to the absorption of protein from plant foods. That is why you should never use dog food in the diet of ferrets! In almost all dog foods, meat protein has been largely replaced by vegetable protein. Constant feeding them a ferret will lead to illness, and ultimately to the death of the animal.
The nutritional needs of cats are closer to those of a ferret, but nevertheless they have a number of significant differences. And, despite the fact that sometimes you can hear advice about how to feed the ferret with cat food, this is strongly discouraged, since over time it will lead to serious problems in the digestive tract and liver.
What to feed?
Fortunately, the question of how to feed a ferret at home is solved quite easily - you can simply purchase a special complete feed for ferrets at the pet store. These feeds are developed by professionals and time-tested, fully meet the needs of the animal throughout its life. In addition, the finished feed makes life easier for the ferret owner, especially the beginner, because all that is required is to pour it into the feeder and replenish its supplies on time. Ready-made rations for ferrets are dry and wet (canned). In terms of taste, dry food is inferior to canned food, but it has its own advantages. Firstly, open, it does not deteriorate for a long time even in the heat, while open canned food can not be left in the air for more than a couple of hours, all that the ferret did not eat immediately will have to be thrown away. Secondly, it is much more economical. And thirdly, it forms the right stool and prevents gastrointestinal upset. Each feed package must have a table with recommended daily servings. Do not overfeed your pet, as this, in turn, will lead to health problems. The composition of the ready-made feed already includes all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements, so it is not required to introduce any additives into the diet.
How to feed a ferret if you decide not to purchase ready-made food? Like any predator - meat. The basis of his diet should be poultry (chicken or turkey) and low-fat veal. It is better not to add pork and beef, as they are digested much worse. Meat can be given both raw and boiled. Two to three times a week, you can diversify your pet’s diet with sea fish, such as cod, trout, mackerel or herring, as well as meat offal. Ferrets enjoy eating boiled chicken ventricles, chicken and beef liver, kidneys. You can add light, but only previously boiled.
In nature, the ferret eats its prey almost entirely, so this should be taken into account in home feeding - you should not treat your pet with exceptionally soft meat, bones and cartilage must be included in the feed. Ferrets gladly eat chicken heads and necks. But it is better to refuse chicken paws, as they contain tubular bones, fragments of which can seriously damage the digestive tract.
When using natural products, it is necessary to introduce additional vitamin and mineral nutrition in the ferret’s diet, especially during the period of active growth of young animals, pregnancy, during molting or after an illness. Do not mix ready-made feed with natural products, as this can lead to a serious imbalance in the body and provoke gastrointestinal upset.
The ferret should be fed in small portions, three to four times a day. The ferret should always have access to clean drinking water. They drink very often and in large quantities, and even a small lack of water can have serious consequences for their body. And it should be noted that in the case of feeding a ferret with a dry diet, this need increases even more.
In addition, the owner should remember how to feed a ferret is strongly discouraged. As mentioned above, ferrets should never be given food for dogs and cats, and any food from the human table is strictly contraindicated, especially for various smoked meats, fried, fatty and overly sweet. You can’t feed the ferret with cereals, since excess plant fiber, to which the gastrointestinal tract is not adapted, can cause intestinal obstruction. Do not give your pet chocolate and sweets, since chemically the components that make up their composition can cause real poisoning. Fresh milk can cause diarrhea, but it can be replaced with dairy products - kefir, fermented baked milk or unsweetened yogurt.
But if you really want to pamper your pet, then you can offer him a fresh quail egg, low-fat cottage cheese, a slice of banana, pear or watermelon, a slice of rye bread, previously soaked in kefir. In pet stores you can find a wide variety of meat delicacies for ferrets, usually dried meat pieces, which your pet will happily crunch! Of course, one must observe the measure in everything, including treats, and not overfeed the ferret, as this will spoil him and he will abandon his usual diet in favor of “desserts”.
And remember, proper balanced nutrition is the key to a long and happy life for your pet!