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What Do Ferrets Eat?

Click on a link below to find out more about what Chinchillas eat:

• What to Feed Your Ferret
• Treats
• Changing Your Gerbil’s Diet
• Drinking Bottle

What to Feed Your Ferret

Ferrets are carnivores so they require lots of protein in their diet, and this means that they will cost a little more to feed than a rabbit or guinea pig. Ferrets digest their food very quickly so need small, frequent meals with a high level of protein and oil.

Use a good quality, heavy, earthenware food bowl to keep the food dry and clean, and prevent the ferret from tipping the food on to the floor of the cage. Their bowls must be cleaned after every use and stale food thrown away.

To find out more about high quality, nutritionally complete Ferret food, click here

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Treats

Treats are so called because that’s just what they should be – a “treat”. If fed correctly they are not detrimental to a ferret and they will love them. However, treats are designed to be an extremely small element of the animal’s diet, and overfeeding may lead to health problems such as obesity, dental problems and heart disease.

Some natural treats you can provide for your ferret are bits of meat, some fruit and vegetables and pieces of cereal. You will need to be careful though as ferrets will have a favourite hiding place where they will hoard food. You will need to find this and remove any food that is stale. Also it will make sure that he doesn’t over-indulge in his favourite Treat!

NEVER GIVE YOUR FERRET ANY DAIRY PRODUCTS OR SWEETS.

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Changing Your Ferret’s Diet

If you wish to change your Ferret’s food, you must introduce it gradually into your ferret’s diet. Mix about one quarter of the new food with three quarters of the old food on the first day and then gradually increase the new food and decrease the old food over a minimum 14 day period. This should make sure that your ferret has no tummy upsets.

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Ensure there is fresh drinking water available at all times. The best way to provide fresh drinking water is to use a gravity-fed water bottle attached to the front of the cage. Use one of the large ballpoint bottles to prevent dripping and ensure a constant supply is available. Water bowls are not suitable as they are easily tipped over and can get contaminated.

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