Comments on: How to Feed Your Ferret

on 4/27/2007 BTW...with the ferret introduction. If there is any "screaming" or blood...you should obviously separate them. If there is TOO much biting...you can put a bit of bitter apple on the bitten one to make the other one not bite it.

on 4/27/2007 It is really NOT neccessary to bathe your ferret twice a month!!! You REALLY shouldn't bathe your ferret more than ONCE a month. It is not uncommon to bathe them once a season either. You can actually make their odor WORSE by washing too much since by washing away some of their oil, they will actually secrete MORE oil. In between time you can just use a baby wipe.

on 4/27/2007 THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE PLACE FOR A FERRET EMERGENCY!!! A ferret that does not eat or more importantly drink, CAN be very dangerous and potentially FATAL! Due to their small size, they can quickly dehydrate (faster than then can starve.) Anyone else who has an ill ferret, save your time typing a message here and go find a vet! There are emergency vet clinics around however some may or may not see ferrets. This should REALLY be checked out BEFORE you even get a ferret or while your ferret is STILL healthy! Consult your ferret knowledgeable vet for acceptable locations.

on 4/27/2007 First of all, I'd hope you take your new ferret to see your vet BEFORE you introduce them to make sure they will not make your current one sick. Bringing in a new ferret is the EASIEST way for your first ferret to get ECE. After a clean bill of health, you could first let the new one browse around the room alone a little while and THEN let your first one out. They will usually sniff each other first. You may see a little tussling and wrestling. Biting each other is not unusual. By doing this they will figure out their pecking order. Currently I have a new 5 lb 6 month old and my 6 year old 2.5 lb is in charge. Size didn't mean a thing here.

on 4/27/2007 Ferretgirl19: If you are not sure if your ferret is an appropriate size, consult your ferret knowledgeable vet to make sure she isn't underweight. Otherwise...make sure you add VARIETY! Try some Zupreem, Mazuri, Totally Ferret or some other high quality ferret foods mixed in.This way if their favorite food is discontinued or hard to find, you will have more versatility. Also as a treat I've found it beneficial to feed a bit of Chicken and Broth baby food (or some other meat based food WITH OUT vegetables) or ground up kibble and warm water as a gruel. It will be much easier to hand feed them if they become ill or have just had surgery.

on 4/27/2007 Meat can be a good supplement however it would probably be best if it were cooked. Chicken seems to be the best. Also eggs either boiled or scrambled. Do NOT add any seasonings perhaps for a little olive oil. I'd avoid feeding fish all together. The biggest drawback to feeding any fresh cooked meat would be the ferret's normal habit of stashing food for later. You could end up with a "mystery stink" since there's no telling where the scrap of meat was hid. It may attract bugs or vermin as well. One must be aware of the fiber level in many cat/kitten foods. Often they contain too much for a ferret.

on 2/18/2007 I'm sorry for all the questions but heres another for you I am getting a new ferret next weekend and I only have one cage which is a Multi level super pet its def. BIG enough for 2 ferrets but im just curious on how to introduce them i mean will they try to hurt each other and im short on funds after getting the nearly 150$ ferret and i cant afford another cage so i was just wondering what i should do for the first couple of nights? thnx :)

on 2/18/2007 Hi I have a year and half beautiful sable female ferret and i need to know what kind of meat to feed her and if it should b raw or cooked and also i have tried to feed her sorts of fish such as salmon and minas but she refuses all meat im just really stuck on what to do im feeding her IAMS kitten but her weight bothers me i dont know if shes just small in frame or if she needs more vitamins and nutrients any light u could shine would b great!! e-mail me at hayesbabygirl18@aol.com :)

on 1/24/2007 Hello jderita, I'm not sure what's wrong with your ferret, how old he is, but you should have a "ferret experienced" vet take a look at him as soon as possible. In the meantime it's very important to get him to drink a lot of water and get him to eat otherwise he will get weaker and eat-drink even less. You could try to get him to drink some pedyalyte to get him hydrated again. As for the food there are many "duck-soup" recepied out there, but you can try stage 2 baby chicken food. A gerber maybe. He should like it. If he doesn't even taste it try putting just a LITTLE bit on his nose for him to lick it off and that should get him started on the flavor. If not you can try with a dropper and put a drop on the side of his mouth. Let me know how you do with this. I hope he gets better. Good luck. jpicos@hotmail.com

on 1/4/2007 i have a question. My ferret is very sick. I don't know what to do. I am pregnant and changing the cage and all makes me sick, so I was leaving it up to my boyfriend (whose pet the ferret really is). I kicked my boyfriend out, and he left me the ferret. I went up to check on him today, and he is very sick. He won't eat, and I have to take a dropper full of water to make him drink. The food my ex-boyfriend has been feeding him is pellets, and from reading what you all have worte, I'm starting to think thats wrong. What can I give him to make him start eating? I read meat above, but raw or cooked meat, and what kind. I'm very scared and my vet dosen't open untill tomorrow. Can some one PLEASE help me???

on 8/8/2006 Do not feed you ferret licorice, it can kill him. The licorice can cause a blockage that only surgery can fix and it has too much sugar. Gravity feeders may also be fun for the ferret, but you will have to clean up their cage more often, because of the ferret digging the food out. Do not use a dog shampoo or a shampoo with aloe vera. Aloe is poisonous if swallowed by a ferret and has proven to kill some ferrets.

on 6/30/2006 Do not feed you ferret licorice, it can kill him. The licorice can cause a blockage that only surgery can fix and it has too much sugar. Gravity feeders may also be fun for the ferret, but you will have to clean up their cage more often, because of the ferret digging the food out. Bathing a ferret will dry out its skin and make him produce more oil, thus making him more smelly. Do not use dog shampoo or a shampoo containing aloe vera. Aloe is poisonous if swallowed by a ferret and has be known to kill some ferrets.

on 11/22/2005 You should bathe a ferret about twice a month unless they have fleas, ticks, etc. Use Cat Shampoo or Baby Shampoo for ferret bathing.

on 11/22/2005 I had a ferret rescue for many years. I've bred ferrets. I used to host seminars at exotic pet expos on ferret ownership. Here's what I have to say:

There is no such thing as a wild ferret. Never forget that. ALL Ferrets that you see in the pet store are domesticated animals (an animal created by human beings). This species was developed by breeding several wild animals together (possibly Steppe Polecats, almost definitely European Polecats) to take advantage of the best personality traits of each species.

All ferrets are (listen closely here) obligate carnivores! That means they are incapable of digesting roughage. They do NOT possess a cecum. They cannot process fiber in their diet. Ferrets need meat, pure meat, and nothing else. In the wild, they eat protein. They may occasionally snack on sweets, but that's assuming they're eating a VERY high quality diet of fresh, pure meat.

You need to buy the best quality foods for your ferret. Foods by companies like Innova or Wellness or the Purina One Kitten food are appropriate diets for a ferret (never give them that 8 in 1 stuff, it's horrible). Think this way: If it sounds like something you might eat, it's probably okay for your ferret.

on 11/22/2005 Ferrets are obligate carnivores which mean they only gain nutrition from eating meat protein. Nuts, veggies and fruits provide NO nutritional value and can be harmful in some instances (nuts and some veggies can cause intestinal blockages).