What is the Best Food for Pet Ferrets? Top Ferret Food Brands Review for 2019
There is no doubt about the fact that cats and dogs are the clear favorites when it comes to household pets. However, the popularity of ferrets as household pets is also rising at a good speed. Unlike dogs or even cats, feeding a ferret is not a simple job. They are extremely picky eaters and will simply refuse to eat anything that is unsatisfactory. Add to that the fact that there are far fewer options when it comes to ferret foods in the market. These animals also require more specialized diet as compared to cats and dogs.
Talk to any ferret owner and you will come to know that most of them have a common question about their diet. There are some owners who buy cat food for their ferrets. It is important for you to know that these animals have special nutrient needs. There just a handful of cat food that can fulfil such nutrient requirements. This article will tell you about some of the best ferret foods and the type of diets that are essential for them.
Top 5 Pet Ferret Food Brands
| ① Wysong Digestive Support Dry Ferret Food **TOP PICK** |  |
| ② Marshall Premium Ferret Food |  |
| ③ ZuPreem Premium Diet Ferret Food |  |
| ④ Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Ferret Food |  |
| ⑤ Mazuri Ferret Food |  |
What Do Ferrets Actually Eat?
It is needless to say that ferrets are not dogs and any rodent. Thus, it will be useless to feed dog food to ferrets. It is also important to remember that feeding them any type of vegetable mix or seed is not a good idea. Even before ferrets were domesticated, they would eat an entire rodent including their bones, internal organs, and fur. They would waste very less of their food.
Ferrets are carnivorous animals and they love to have meat. However, it does not mean that you should feed them live prey. The best alternative is to give them food that is easy to digest and suitable for their health. These animals require a diet that is rich in fat and protein. They do not require a lot of carbs and they certainly do not require any fibers, as it is not very good for their digestion.
If you feed wrong food to your ferrets, they may develop a wide array of health problems. Feeding plenty of high carb and processed foods to your ferrets can cause some serious issues. A bad digestive system caused by a wrong diet may give rise to gastrointestinal diseases, bladder stones, skin disease, and dental disease to name a few. Their teeth are like daggers and are rather good at cutting meat. However, they are not very good at handling foods like biscuits.
How to Feed Your Pet Ferret?
On an average, ferrets are supposed to be fed approximately 2-4 times every day. Each meal should be small in size. However, sometimes it may not be possible for you to feed so many times a day to your ferret. Nonetheless, it would be a good idea to try and stick to your regular feeding habit. Make sure that the meat you serve to your ferrets is consumed within a time span of 1 hour. If this is not done then you should get rid of the meat.
Younger and active ferrets should be fed more frequently than normal. Ideal would be to feed them 5 to 6 times a day. If your ferret is old, then make sure that you allow it constant access to food. They will never overeat and will simply have light snacks whenever they feel like it. Always remember that ferrets love to stash away excess foods. They can even get rather mischievous when it comes to hiding spots for their foods. Thus, it is important that you get rid of leftovers. You may even provide your pet with an area for their cache.
The Best Ferret Foods List
When it comes to proper ferret foods in the market, you will come across just a handful. However, it may still be a tedious task to choose the best for your pet. Here is a list of some of the best ferret foods that will be most suitable for your pet.
① Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support Dry Ferret Food
Looking for a diet that will optimize the wellness of your little furry friend? The Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support Dry Ferret Food should be the best bet for you. It is designed to meet the minimum nutrition standards and requirements of your ferrets. This product is the first dry diet for ferrets that has been formulated with a patent-pending process, which helps them to come up with a starch free formula that is almost similar to the natural diet ferrets are designed to eat and digest.
This ferret food contains 16% fat and 60% protein combined with apple pectin, chicory root, and flaxseeds. It also comes with necessary enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, antioxidants, essential minerals, and fiber. All of this combined helps your ferret digest the food easily and also lead a healthy life.
Pros
- Extremely high meat and protein based diet.
- An absolutely starch-free diet that makes it almost similar to the natural diet ferrets are made to digest easily.
- Contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals, probiotics, antioxidants, and fiber.
Cons
- There are mixed reviews of ferrets not liking the food at all.
- To some the smell of the product may not be to your liking.
② Marshall Premium Ferret Food
This ferret food product has a combination of the freshest meat ingredients that are processed in low temperature. It is enriched with all the essential vitamins and fat to allow your ferret to grow with all the energy needed. It is also designed to give a healthy and shiny coat to your furry friend. This product is easy to digest and an ideal solution for ferrets of all age groups.
Pros
- This product is high in poultry protein and provides a complete nutrition to ferrets of all life stages and age groups.
- It is a perfect combination of the freshest meat ingredients that are processed in low temperature.
- The formula of this ferret food is rich in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that provide a shiny and healthy coat to your ferrets.
Cons
- Some ferret owners may not find this food appropriate for ferrets.
- There are fillers and sugar in this product that may be harmful for ferrets.
③ ZuPreem Premium Diet Ferret Food
This ferret food product is one of the easiest to digest food that contains premium protein to enhance the taste of the product. It is designed to provide all the essential nutrition to your ferrets that is important for it to lead a healthy life.
Since ferrets have a unique digestive system that needs a specific ratio of animal fat and protein, the ZuPreem Premium Diet for ferrets will be a good choice for you. It is made with a combination of eggs and real chicken and delivers an ideal proportion of fat and protein in the ratio of 20% fat and 40% protein.
Pros
- It uses premium quality protein and is a highly digestible daily diet.
- Contains 40% protein and 20% fat, which is ideal to help your ferrets lead an active lifestyle.
- Contains natural probiotics and all the essential nutrients required by ferrets.
Cons
- There are reviews of ferrets not liking this food product.
- There are also some who say that it does not provide a shiny coat and make ferrets energetic.
④ Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Ferret Food
This ferret food product comes with wholesome ingredients that are good for your furry friends. Kaytee Forti-Diet provides all the essential nutrients that your small pet animal will need to maintain its health and remain energetic.
Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Ferret Food contains protein from fish meal and poultry, along with grains and eggs. It is also enriched with Omega-3 and DHA for the overall development and health of the ferret eye and brain. The probiotics and prebiotics take care of the overall digestive system.
Pros
- It is natural preserved without any artificial flavors or colors for optimum freshness.
- The ingredients are especially formulated for ferrets.
- It is a complete diet that boosts the natural immune system and growth of ferrets.
Cons
- Contains grains or corn that can easily harm ferrets.
- There are some reviews about ferrets not liking the food.
⑤ Mazuri Ferret Food
This ferret food is a nutrient dense and high energy food product that is suitable for ferrets of all age groups. It is very simple to digest and comes packed with probiotics that boost the natural digestive system of your furry animals. The dried yucca schidigera extract helps to reduce odor from their urine and stool.
Mazuri Ferret Food contains several essential ingredients such as poultry fat preserved with BHA, spray dried animal blood cells, soy protein concentrate, calcium carbonate, ground brown rice, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, copper sulfate, ferrous carbonate, and zinc sulfate, to name a few.
If your ferret is an adult or quite young, there is no restriction to the feeding quantity. However, if the ferret is breeding, make sure it does not get overweight by eating a lot. Adults will normally have 5.5% to 6% of their body weight every day. However, lactating or even growing ferrets will consume around 7% of their body weight.
Pros
- It is very easy to digest and highly-palatable with natural probiotics and antioxidants.
- Contains Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil that is highly beneficial for the ferret coat and skin.
- Moderate level of starch with less than 15% starch, which is best suited for ferrets.
Cons
- The rice and dried brewer’s yeast is not suitable for ferrets with insulinoma.
- For a carnivorous animal food it has too much plant matter.
⑥ Hartz Bonanza Ferret Food
This ferret food is a nice blend of essential ingredients that provides the much needed energy, fiber, and protein to your pet. It has been scientifically formulated to fulfil the nutritional needs of ferrets. It comes with fish, meat, pellets and vegetables that are fortified with vitamin A, which is good for the eyes and skin. It also contains vitamin D3 and E for bone development and overall cell development.
Some of the ingredients found in Hartz Bonanza Ferret Food include ground corn, corn gluten meal, brewer’s rice, whole wheat, vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, oat groats, fish meal, natural chicken flavor, brewer’s dried yeast, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, vitamin B12 supplement, and much more.
When it comes to feeding your ferret with this ferret food, there is no such restrictions as to the specific quantity you should feed your pet each day.
Pros
- High in protein and energy content and low in fiber.
- Filled with vitamins A, E, and D3 for the overall health of the cells, eyes, and bone.
- Made with high quality vegetables and meat.
Cons
- Not sufficient protein and fat necessary for ferrets.
- Nutritional value is not as much as it is needed.
⑦ Marshall Select Chicken Formula Ferret Food
If you wish to give your ferrets the nutrition they require, then Marshall Select Chicken Formula Ferret Food is the best choice for you. This food product is a nice mix of various high-protein ingredients, including chicken, that provide the much needed nutrition to your pet.
This ferret food is made with the help of a slow-cooking process that is good to protect all the nutritional integrity of the food. The taste of this product is just what ferret love and it is also easily digestible that makes it suitable for ferrets of all age groups.
Some of the ingredients used in the making of this food product include chicken by-products, chicken, corn meal, brewer’s dried yeast, dried beet pulp, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, choline chloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin E supplement, and much more.
If your ferret is between 6 to 11 weeks old, then you need to moisten the food to help them digest it. However, for adult ferrets, above the age of 12 weeks, there is no such restrictions as to the way you need to serve the food.
Pros
- Combines various high-protein ingredients with fresh chicken for optimum nutrition for ferrets.
- Easily digestible with optimal nutrition absorption.
- Proprietary slow cooking process that is also unique and protects the nutritional integrity of the food.
Cons
- The fiber content is not as much as it is needed.
- There are reviews of some ferrets not liking it.
⑧ Wysong Epigen 90 Starch Free Dry Ferret Food
This ferret food is designed to optimize the wellness and fulfil the minimum nutrition standards of your furry pet. It is the first dry ferret food that is formulated with a patent-pending process, which basically makes the food starch free. It also makes it quite similar to the natural diet ferrets are made to eat.
The Wysong Epigen 90 Starch Free Dry Ferret Food comes with 18% fat and 62% protein, as well as, apple pectin, superfood chia seeds, and chicory root. There are also prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins.
Some of the essential ingredients in this ferret food include fish oil, meat protein isolate, chicken meal, organic chicken, calcium carbonate, coconut oil, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, ascorbic acid, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, and manganese proteinate, to name a few.
When it comes to feeding it to your pet ferret, make sure that you adjust the quantity to ensure that it does not make the pet overweight. Do not overfeed it as it may lead to digestive problems.
Pros
- Extremely high content of protein and a meat based diet designed to optimize your pet ferret’s wellness.
- Vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals make the coat healthy and shiny.
- Patent-pending extrusion process that makes it starch-free and almost similar to the natural diet ferrets are designed to eat.
Cons
- Can give rise to diarrhea pretty seriously.
- Some ferrets may not like the taste of the food product.
Conclusion & What is the Best Ferret Food
This list of some of the best ferret foods will help you save some time and effort while shopping for such products in the market. The list includes Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support, Marshall Premium Ferret Food, ZuPreem Premium Diet Ferret Food, Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health, Mazuri Ferret Food, Hartz Bonanza Ferret Food, Marshall Select Chicken Formula, and Wysong Epigen 90 Starch Free Dry Ferret Food. However, the best of the lot is Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support Ferret Food (CHECK BEST PRICE HERE).
It contains an ultra-high protein content along with a meat-based diet that includes real organic chicken. It is also made with a patent-pending extrusion process that practically makes it starch free and also makes it as similar as possible to the natural diet ferrets are made to eat and digest.
The Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support Dry Ferret Food is made with a highly nutrient dense recipe along with unprecedented protein level. This may not make it suitable for all types of pets you may have at home.
It is true that ferrets are hardcore carnivorous animals and should only be given fresh meat. However, that does not mean that you can give it any old meat. It is necessary that you give fresh water and food to your ferrets for easy digestion.
