Ferrets love and primarily eat raw meat. In fact, wild ferrets are known for eating whole animals at times, as they consist of the very definition of raw meat. So, when you raise a pet ferret at home, its ideal diet should consist of meat, meat, and more meat. Their high metabolic rate requires a high protein food source. Even packaged foods which are intended solely for ferrets are not always the best. You have to make sure they have the right amount of protein and fat to meet their health needs. We’ve created a ferret food chart below that shows what ferret actually eat and what is best for them.
Ferret Food Chart
Food Name | Protein | Fats | Fiber | Expert’s Opinion |
Chicken | 38g | 19g | 0g | Ideal |
Pork | 23g | 12g | 0g | Ideal |
Lamb | 21g | 18g | 0g | Ideal |
Rabbit | 28g | 3g | 0g | Ideal |
Turkey | 8g | 2.1g | 0g | Ideal |
Beef | 22g | 13g | 0g | Ideal |
Quail | 7g | 4g | 0g | Decent |
Venison | 26g | 2.7g | 0g | Ideal |
Chicken Liver | 2g | 4g | 0g | Ideal |
Beef Lung | 18.3g | 2.8g | 0g | Ideal |
Duck | 41.6g | 36.3g | 0g | Ideal |
White Fish | 38g | 12g | 0g | Decent |
Salmon | 40g | 27g | 0g | Decent |
Lamb Liver | 5.8g | 1.4g | 0g | Ideal |
Goat | 23g | 2.6g | 0g | Ideal |
Boar | 18.3g | 2.8g | 0g | Ideal |
Eggs | 6g | 5g | 0g | Ideal |
Menhaden Fish | 39g | 13.6g | 0g | Decent |
Peas | 8g | 0.6g | 7g | Dangerous |
Potato Starch | 11g | 0.5g | 9g | Dangerous |
Sweet Potatoes | 2.1g | 0.1g | 4g | Dangerous |
Lentils | 1.1g | 0g | 1g | Dangerous |
Ground Flaxseed | 1.3g | 0.5-2g | 2g | Dangerous |
Tapioca | 0.6g | 1.1g | 0g | Dangerous |
Brown Rice | 5g | 1.8g | 3.5g | Dangerous |
Rice Flour | 9g | 2.2g | 3.8 | Dangerous |
Wheat | 13.2g | 0.5g | 6g | Dangerous |
White Rice | 4.3g | 0.4g | 0.6g | Dangerous |
Corn Meal | 11g | 2.7g | 6g | Dangerous |
Oat Meal | 6g | 3.2g | 4g | Dangerous |
Pumpkin Seed | 12g | 12g | 12g | Dangerous |
This chart should give you a pretty good idea of which foods ferret can eat.
Another delicious option that many ferret owners like to feed their pet is “Dook Soup“, which is ideal for helping keep older, under-weight, or sick ferrets healthy. It can work as a meal, supplement, or simply a topping for their normal diet.
Most foods that are dangerous for ferrets have some fiber content. In case you are wondering why Tapioca is dangerous despite not having any fiber content, it is because Tapioca is a higher glycemic food. It can cause blood-glucose spikes in ferrets, which can be lethal.
Here are some other specific questions that people ask about ferret food.
Can Ferrets Eat Cat Food?
When it comes to feeding your ferret cat food, you have to be careful. Usually, most cat foods are fine for the ferrets as they have high meat protein content. But don’t expect them to be healthy or beneficial for your ferret. If you are planning to buy cat food, choose kitten food. Most kitten food is primarily made with suitable protein sources.
There is one exception that you can consider, though. ‘Cat Treats’ are indeed very good for ferrets. They are easy to find and economical as well. Consult the ferret food chart above to check if the ingredients in your cat treats are listed.
Remember that any cat food you are buying should be round and soft. A ferret’s mouth is vulnerable. It is not good to give them hard, triangular, or pointy food as it can hurt them.
Can Ferrets Eat Dog Food?
Dog food is very unsuitable for ferrets because dogs are a lot more omnivorous than the cat. Their food often has an unsuitable amount of grain that is extremely unsuitable for ferrets. Therefore, avoid dog food. The fiber inside dog food cannot be digested by a ferret.
But you don’t have to worry if your ferret steals a kibble from your dog food. It won’t hurt them. You only need to ensure that they aren’t stealing the dog food every day.
If you are interested in buying ferret food, we recommend ‘Supreme Ferret Food’. It is a bit expensive, but the ingredients provide the right balance of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Can Ferrets Drink Milk?
Ferrets love milk and ice-creams, but unfortunately their digestive system isn’t designed to process dairy proteins. For that reason, avoid giving them milk. Sometimes it can be alright to give them milk, but instead of giving them cow’s milk, give kitten milk; it is a little bit better for their health.
The reason why experts don’t recommend giving them milk is once the ferrets taste the milk, they essentially go crazy and try to drink milk in great quantities. So you may be wondering why milk wasn’t listed on the ferret food chart. It is actually fine to let a ferret drink a bit of milk accidentally; small quantities aren’t going to be harmful to them. But giving them too much milk too frequently will definitely affect their health and cause lactose intolerance or diarrhea.
When ferrets are born they consume milk from their mothers. However, once they grow a bit, they become lactose intolerant. If it is necessary to give them milk, give them lactose-reduced cow’s milk. It won’t interfere with their digestion like other types of milk.
Can Ferret Eat Peanut Butter?
Ferrets cannot eat peanut butter. It is not deadly for them but peanut butter creates long term health issues in them. We understand peanut butter has a high-calorie count which is good for a ferret, but the problem is their nutrients are plant-based, not animal based. The plant-based nutrients always interrupt a ferret’s digestive system.
So, no, ferrets should not be fed with peanut butter.
What Do Ferrets Eat In The Wild?
You can control the diet of a pet ferret, but what about wild ferrets?
This question makes sense because wild ferrets don’t have owners. They must live off of what is available. However, they don’t have food sources around them that are high in fiber either. Much of the meat available to them, some of which is listed in our ferret food chart, is great for their diet, but their food intake is primarily a few animals they hunt in their natural environment.
Wild ferrets are naturally trained to have a meat diet. As a result, they feed on prey like mice, rats, snakes, rabbits, etc. The food requirement of wild ferrets vary with seasons also, but according to statistics, a wild ferret consumes almost 100 prairie dogs in a year or 1.7 ounces of meat per day. The variety in their food is the key factor about their good health.
Conclusion
Ferrets can eat eggs, including raw eggs, but it should be kept as a treat rather than a primary meal. Read more about ferrets and eggs here.
It is hard to obtain commercial ferret food. It is expensive and also hardly available in the store. But if you are buying commercial food for your ferret, ensure that it has more meat contains.
In case the packaged commercial food has high carbonates and fiber, avoid it. Any food (whether it is home-cooked or commercial) with high carbonates and fiber can lead to diseases and also reduce reproduction ability in the ferrets.
To learn about general pet ferret care, check out this article.