Help, please - what do ferrets eat?

marybelle

Just about half an hour ago, a ferret appeared from under our shed. It is very friendly and we have put it in an empty rabbit hutch for now until, hopefully, its owner turns up. I would like to feed it, but have absolutely no idea what they eat, being more accustomed to cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

missmontana

Google is your friend... Hope this helps a bit!!

Here are 5 things you need to know about feeding ferrets. If you stick to these guidelines, you won't go far wrong:

Ferrets are "obligate carnivores". Carnivores? Means they eat meat. Not bird seed, rabbit food, bread nor milk. MEAT!

However, ferrets can be kept very healthy on a dry food diet. Provided it is high quality, they will do very well. I have kept ferrets for the past 15 years, and have raised them all on dry cat food. Most have lived to a ripe old age.

If you do go the dry food route, the food must have around 31-32% protein, no more than 3% fibre (very important) and minimum 18% fat.

If you go the "fresh" food route, then you need to make sure that your ferrets are confined until they have finished the meal. They are unrepentant hoarders of food and can get very sick if they return later and eat a rotting piece of old food. Besides, who wants rotting day-old chicks stashed under the sofa?

Do NOT give your ferrets cow's milk to drink. Ferrets are lactose-intolerant and will get bad diarrhea if you insist on giving them milk. Water is what they need, and must be accessible 24/7.

Paradigm

Meat!!

Chicken wings are ok or tinned kitten food providing it's high in protein... not adult cat food, too much fibre & not enough protein! Liver, steak but not pork.

No milk!

Ideally a specialised ferret food but unless you're intending keeping it then not worth the outlay

Claire_Bear

Don't suppose you live in Pontefract do you? There's a thread on this board about someone's pet ferret that's gone missing in Pontefract.

If possible I would ring up any vets in your local area and report the ferret as being found, if it's owners are looking for it they will likely have phoned vets surgeries to keep an eye and an ear out for any turning up. It would also be nice to put a few posters up in your area on lampposts and maybe in local shop windows stating you've found a ferret but not to give too many details as if the owner calls you they'll be able to describe it themself so you know it's the real owner Well done anyway for looking after the little thing

Paradigm

This thread has just brought back happy memories... one of the most rewarding pets I've ever had

I'd love more but my OH doesn't like them I think she's put off by having to share the sofa with four of them when we 1st met

marybelle

Thank you all for the speedy responses - phoned my friend who tells me that it is a polecat as it is a creamy colour, but I imagine the food would be the same. I am in the process of cooking some mince for it. Don't think it will be the missing one from Pontefract as I live in the North of Scotland .

I have advertised it on our local Gumtree and hope someone sees it. Sadly, it may be like many of the cats and kittens we rescue - just dumped. If that is the case, my friend knows someone who keeps ferrets and is knowledgeable so it should be ok. I'm now worrying in case it is a female with babies - next question, how do you tell the boys from the girls!

:A

marybelle

I will phone the local vets tomorrow and will put notices in the shop windows. I know if I lost any of my pets, I would be devastated.

Paradigm

marybelle wrote: »

I'm now worrying in case it is a female with babies - next question, how do you tell the boys from the girls!

:A

If you look at it's tummy & can see what looks like a "belly button" it's a hob (male)... unless it's been castrated it will generally have testicles.

Silveralice

No need to assume it's been dumped - unlike dogs and cats, they don't have much of a homing instinct and tend to wander off if they escape. Males are much bigger than females - females have visible girly bits under the tail, males (as someone said) have willies visible on their bellies; usually females weigh less than 1 kg and males more, roughly speaking. It's unlikely to have wandered from miles away, so if you are in a smallish community hopefully someone will hear on the grapevine that you found it! Good luck.

YorkiePud_3

The best you can do is get to the pet shop tomorrow and get a bag of ferret kibble! It has everything in it that a ferret needs for nutrients, goodness etc! They have a very different digestive system to other animals and if they have anything in too big pieces or anything processed it can cause a fatal blockage!

Also, if you have put this one in a cage, get some locks on it pronto! They are fabulous escape artists!!

Mince is absolutely perfect to give it for now ... catfood and dogfood being a no no!! But I would strongly advise getting some ferret kibble. I buy Burgess Supafood (in a yellow bag) and it costs about £3 but lasts a month.

If you intend on keeping it, then you need to get it checked over because if it's a female and you don't intend on breeding you need to get her spayed ASAP!!! ... no/1 cos it cuts down the pong! They have a natural musky smell but it can be worse if they aren't spayed, but no/2 because if they are female and not bred, they can get something called aplastic anaemia which can be fatal.

You do realise you've probably saved this ferret's life, don't you? *S* ... they can go without food for periods of time but they can't go longer than 2 or 3 days without water because they dehydrate incredibly fast.

Also, they can get heatstroke easily so they are better in a cool room rather than near a window or where it's very sunny. Even on a 15 degrees c day they could get fatal heatstroke!

I came by my little girl in March this year the same way .. found her outside. I was totally averse to em, (think Richard Whiteley!) but the adults very rarely bite. The tiddlers will play nip games but you can get them to stop with time and patience (it's just like teaching a puppy not to mouth things) .. but oh my .. they are an absolute joy!!

I couldn't be without my Marigold ... !! She skips about the place playing, rolls over and over, jumps up and down with all four feet leaving the floor at once and makes lovely little noises (called dooking!!) ... you know that advert on telly for one of the banks .. where a fisherman sends a bird into the water to catch his fish for him? It's a similar sound to what that bird makes! So don't worry when you first hear it!!

I hope you manage to find the owner, but if not and you like smiling every day, there's a lot worse things you could do than keep it yourself!

Paradigm .. you should have made your other half sit on the floor .. ha ha!!!

Paradigm

YorkiePud wrote: »

Paradigm .. you should have made your other half sit on the floor .. ha ha!!!

She had no choice, they were there before her

I used to bring them inside for "playtime" when I got home from work & it just so happened that she finished work & called round at the same time as they were getting tired, ready for a snooze.

She was regularly greeted by a heap of ferrets asleep on the sofa!

If she was lucky she would be early enough to witness the "mayhem" in full swing... I've got to say she wasn't that impressed as they raided her handbag & ran off with the contents