Feeding Your Pet Ferret-What You Must Know

If you are thinking about getting a pet and would like something that's a little different from what everyone else has, you might want to think about a ferret. They are becoming more popular as family pets everyday and their playful antics will quickly win your heart. They are now one of the most popular pets in the world. In many areas they are no longer referred to as exotic, proving how popular they have become.

Ferrets do require a fairly specialized diet which you should know about before considering getting one. Ferrets only eat food which must be high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fiber. Before ferrets became so popular owners had to feed them cat food due to the fact there was no food made just for them. Nowadays many pet stores both on and off line carry ferret food. Its very important that a baby ferret has a good diet. Their early diet will likely determine if your pet ferret will live a long happy life and give its owner much joy and be a great companion for many years to come.

There are some guidelines you should use when putting a diet together for your ferret. They are basically meat eaters, requiring a diet high in meat protein. This should be 34% to 36% of their diet along with 20% to 30% fats. You should also make sure they get essential minerals like taurine and amino acids. Brewers yeast and rice flour are two additions that could be good for their diet. Ferrets are picky eaters and demand you feed them the best food you can. They will almost starve themselves rather than eat food they don't like. One good result of this is that they will be healthier which means they will require less medicine and trips to the vet. Ferrets do eat less food than other pets so you can afford the best quality food.

Even though your ferret will be awake only 4 hours a day you will need to feed them twice during that time as their metabolism is so high they burn calories at a very high rate. Ferret food comes in both wet and dry types. Although wet food is probably preferred by your pet as it easier for them to eat it does have drawbacks. The main one is that wet food freshness is lost a short time after it has been opened.

Dry food pellets do have many advantages as they are easier to store and manage while feeding your ferret. Another benefit of dry food is that it helps clean their teeth. Even if it sits out all day the nutrition value won't be lost.

Ferret's must have water available at all times especially if they are being fed dry food. Most of them like their water in a dish but a water bottle is probably preferable to make sure they always have clean water.

Even though ferrets like snacks you should avoid allowing them to have them. Like humans many health problems can be traced back to snacking. Some of the ones that affect ferrets are obesity, blockage of the intestines and diarrhea just to mention a few. One more consideration to avoiding snacks is that it can interrupt the ferrets diet schedule. If you must feed them a snack probably the best one would be a boiled egg.

A ferret is a great pet and by providing it with the best food you can find you will be making sure you have one of the most interesting four footed friends you can find. Along with that best food don't forget the clean water and your pet ferret will be healthy and happy making you the best friend they can have. Remember to consider their dietary needs when thinking about a ferret as your next pet.