What do ferrets eat?

Today, many animal lovers choose exotic pets - raccoons, iguanas or, for example, ferrets. The latter are especially loved for their activity, curiosity and good looks. The newly-made owner of a pet ferret or furo, of course, should find out in one of the first turns what exactly this animal eats.

In the wild, the ferret mainly feeds on what it catches. In this case, we are talking about other smaller rodents, for example, mice, chicks, frogs and even fish. The animal eats eggs with pleasure, and, if necessary, consumes carrion. The ferret eats food whole, that is, together with bones, skin and all internal organs.

Ferrets need to eat game every day. Some owners buy mice, rats, chickens, large insects from pet stores to recreate an almost identical diet to the natural one, and give the furo to eat them in their natural form. However, this method of feeding is not always possible for numerous reasons, so an alternative should be available. If the ferret likes a certain type of meat, then you can always give it to him, but add some other foods to provide the animal with all the necessary vitamins.

Sometimes, as a delicacy, it is allowed to pamper the animal with boiled pork, veal or lamb. Since furo eats meat raw, from time to time he will have to drink special preparations to avoid the appearance of worms.Ferrets also need offal, which is not as filling as meat, and is therefore usually served in large quantities.

A properly defined diet consists of two-thirds of animal protein and one-third of fat. Fiber and carbohydrates should be present, but in small amounts.

Furo cereals are served in the form of boiled cereals... In small quantities, you can feed your pet with boiled eggs, preferably quail, boiled vegetables, fats, fish and sour milk. From by-products, it is recommended to use hearts, kidneys or liver, even in its raw form.

Hard cheese, banana and pear cut into cubes, or oatmeal cookies are suitable as a rare delicacy.

Dry ready-made food is definitely better to take premium class. Moreover, of course, you should not take risks and feed the ferret with a dog product. Cat food can be used as an exception, but only of the highest class. The use of dry food greatly simplifies the feeding process for the owner, but pets do not always like it. When choosing a finished product, it is important to first study its composition. The amount of fats and proteins should be at least 30%, but fiber, on the contrary, should not exceed 4%. It is also important to have all the necessary furo vitamins and minerals.

The list of foods prohibited for ferrets is quite extensive. Salinity, smoked meats, as well as those fruits that are poorly absorbed by animals, that is, citruses and apples, are strictly prohibited. It is not recommended to give the animal some types of fish, for example, haddock, pollock, blue whiting and hake. Bakery products are prohibited, both regular bread and pastries... Finally, the forbidden leaf contains nuts, onions with garlic, spices and herbs.

In fact, there are several points of view regarding how often you should feed your ferret at home. Some experts argue that feeding should be carried out several times a day, by analogy with feeding a cat or dog. Others believe that by keeping ferrets at home, they still need to be given the opportunity to eat like in the wild - that is, according to their internal biological clock.

Food should always be in bowls, then the pet will eat it 7 to 10 times a day, depending on the need... The volume of one serving for the male is 250 grams, and for the female it varies from 160 to 200 grams. If the latter also feeds the little ferret, then the amount of feed should be increased to 350 grams. On the Internet, you can easily find a table in which the sizes of the optimal portions are indicated depending on the age, sex and dimensions of the animal.

One of the most popular ways to feed furo is to make minced meat, a mixture of animal products and cereals. It is quite profitable to make it yourself in a large volume and freeze it for future use. The preparation of the dish looks like this:

1. for the basic recipe, several kilograms of chicken necks and a kilogram of chicken ventricles are purchased;
2. in water without salt and sugar, either buckwheat or oatmeal is boiled;
3. by-products are crushed using a blender, and then mixed with porridge.

To make a nutritious multifeed yourself that is suitable for adults, you will need to use 500 grams of chicken and 150 grams of veal, as well as 150 grams of ground fish with the guts. Seafood is worth taking trout, cod or mackerel.

In addition, you will need 60 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, 20 grams of fish or poultry oil, as well as 50 grams of offal and the required dose of dietary supplements. As for cereals, varieties such as oatmeal, millet, buckwheat or rice in the amount of 150 grams are suitable. In this recipe, you should adhere to the following actions:

1. fish and meat will have to be boiled for about half an hour, without gutting or peeling;
2. then cereal is added to the existing broth, the fire is reduced to low, the cooking process lasts about a third of an hour;
3. at the end, the rest of the products are added to the minced meat, everything is ground with a blender until a homogeneous substance is obtained.

To prepare a different recipe suitable for adult pets, you will need the following ingredients:

• 400 grams of unprocessed chicken or turkey meat;
• 150 grams of veal;
• 150 grams of fish;
• 100 grams of hearts or liver;
• 60 grams of cottage cheese;
• 20 grams of bird fat;
• vitamins;
• rice.

The cooking process is as follows:

1. the meat must be partially boiled and removed from the bones, leaving the skin and cartilage;
2. rice is cooked separately for 30 minutes;
3. the fish cut into pieces is combined with all other ingredients and processed with a meat grinder to obtain a homogeneous mass.

Taking care of furo means taking care of its health and not forgetting about adding healthy additives.... Even without purchasing vitamins at the pharmacy, it will be possible to supplement the minced meat with olive oil or fish oil, and the animal will receive the necessary elements. True, the dosage of additives should be minimal, since some of them in large quantities will simply not be digested by the ferret.

Aside from feeding, it is equally important to learn about drinking. The liquid is poured into a special bowl, which is freely available for the animal. Water should be kept in the file at all times, especially if the ferret is fed dry food that swells in the stomach. Drinks should be poured at room temperature and filtered, without chemical elements.

Correctness of nutrition is easy to determine by the condition of the animal. If the animal is active, eats often and with appetite, it does not stink from its mouth, and the stool is normal, it means that its diet is selected in the best way.

When choosing ready-made food in the store, it is important to look at who it is intended for. Only products for ferrets are allowed to be purchased, otherwise the animal may have significant health problems. It is wiser to give preference to brands that are heard, are proven and have a lot of positive reviews.

The ideal composition of the finished product does not contain any or minimal amount of chemistry. Of course, the shelf life of the feed should be normal. Store purchases at home in accordance with all the requirements indicated on the packaging. Despite all the requirements, the final diet of the ferret should still be individual. The animal may not like any products, then it will need to find a replacement for them, or, on the contrary, it will like something, then the use of the product should be increased.

Experts advise against feeding furo only with dry food all the time. If the choice is made in favor of minced meat, then it will have to be prepared according to certain rules.All components must be fresh, natural and of high quality. A mixture with the addition of fish is allowed to be consumed no more than once a month. There are reasons for this limitation, such as:

• this product inhibits the development of the animal;
• a large number of worms will lead to certain problems.

In principle, some experts recommend offering the animal raw fish that has just passed the freezing procedure, which will significantly reduce the likelihood of infection. Alternatively, fish oil is much more beneficial. It is better to alternate minced meat with other natural products. Offal is allowed to be offered to the ferret twice a week. Pork is rarely used and only boiled.

It is worth mentioning that some experts advise once a week to arrange a completely fasting day for the pet, but only if it reacts normally to it. In the spring and autumn, ferrets molt, so the diet should change during this period - males will need larger portions. In addition, both males and females need to add a vitamin complex to their food. It is better to take a ready-made composition sold in veterinary pharmacies and consisting of eight necessary elements.

Suitable vitamins for furo are A, E, and D, fish oil and even yeast. Fish oil, by the way, is only allowed for pets over a month old. As a rule, vitamins are added to food for a month, after a monthly pause, and then fortification continues again. You can also buy supplements in specialized stores that contain biotin, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of ferrets. It is better to check the frequency of its use with specialists.

How to feed your ferret correctly can be seen in the next video.