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 nice appearance. The newly minted owner of the domestic ferret or furo, of course, in one of the first lines should find out exactly what this animal eats.

In the wild, the ferret mainly feeds on what it caught. Speech in this case is about other smaller rodents, such as mice, chicks, frogs and even fish. The animal eats eggs with pleasure, and, if necessary, uses carrion. The ferret eats food entirely, that is, along with bones, skin, and all internal organs.

Game ferrets need to eat every day. Some owners, in order to recreate a virtually identical natural ration, buy in pet stores mice, rats, chickens, large insects, and give them a furo to eat them naturally. However, this method of feeding is not always possible for many reasons, so you should have an alternative. If a ferret likes a certain type of meat, you can always give it to him, but add any other products to provide the animal with all the necessary vitamins.

Sometimes as a treat it is allowed to pamper the animal with boiled pork, veal or lamb. Since furo eats raw meat, from time to time he will have to drink special preparations in order to avoid the appearance of worms. In addition, ferrets will definitely need offal, which are not as nourishing as meat, so they are 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 quantities.

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

Cheese of firm grades, banana and pear, cut into cubes, or oatmeal cookies will be suitable as a rare delicacy.

Dry ready-made food, of course, better to take premium. And the risk and feed the ferret dog product, of course, should not be. Cat food can be used as an exception, but only the highest class. The use of dry food greatly simplifies the process of feeding for the owner, but not always like pets. Choosing a finished product, it is important to pre-examine its composition. The amount of fat and protein 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 wide. It is strictly forbidden salinity, smoked meats, as well as those fruits that are poorly absorbed by animals, that is, citruses and apples. It is not recommended to give the animal some species of fish, such as haddock, pollock, blue whiting and hake. Prohibited bakery products, as usual bread, and pastries. Finally, in the forbidden leaf are nuts, onions with garlic, spices and spices.

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

Food should always be in bowls, then the pet will use it from 7 to 10 times a day, depending on the needs. The volume of one serving for the male is 250 grams, while for the female it varies from 160 to 200 grams. If the latter also feeds a little ferret, then the amount of feed should be increased to 350 grams. A table is easily found on the Internet, 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 of feeding furo is to make minced meat - mixtures of animal products and cereals. It is quite advantageous to make it yourself in a large volume and freeze for future use. Cooking looks like this:

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

To independently make nutritious multi-food, which 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 with the entrails of fish. From seafood worth taking trout, cod or mackerel.

In addition, 60 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, 20 grams of fish or poultry fat, as well as 50 grams of by-products and the necessary dose of dietary supplements are required. As for cereals, varieties such as oatmeal, millet, buckwheat or rice in the amount of 150 grams will do. In this recipe, you should follow these steps:

1. fish and meat will have to boil for about half an hour, not gutting and not peeling;
2. After that, croup is added to the existing broth, the fire is reduced to small, the cooking process lasts about a third of an hour;
3. at the end, other products are added to mince meat; everything is ground with a blender until a homogeneous substance is obtained.

To make another recipe suitable for adult pets, you will need the following ingredients:

• 400 grams of chicken or turkey raw 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. meat to be partially boiled and removed from the bones, leaving the skin and cartilage;
2. separately rice cooks for 30 minutes;
3. sliced ​​fish is combined with all other ingredients and processed using a meat grinder to obtain a homogeneous mass.

Caring for furo means taking care of his health and not forgetting the addition of healthy supplements.. Even without buying vitamins at the pharmacy, the mince will turn out to be supplemented with olive oil or fish oil, and the animal will receive the necessary elements.However, the dosage of additives should be minimal, since some of them in large quantities ferret simply does not digest.

In addition to feeding, it is equally important to study the topic of watering. The liquid is poured into a special bowl, which is freely available for the animal. Water should always be kept in the nail file, especially if the ferret is fed with dry feed that swells in the stomach. Drink should be poured at room temperature and filtered, without the content of chemical elements.

Proper nutrition is easily determined by the condition of the animal. If the animal is active, eats often and with an appetite, it does not stink from his mouth, and the stool is normal, it means that its diet is selected in the best way.

When choosing ready-made food in a store, it is important to look for who it is intended for. It is allowed to purchase only products for ferrets, otherwise the animal may experience significant health problems. It is more reasonable to give preference to brands that are heard, are proven and have a large number of positive reviews.

The ideal composition of the finished product does not contain any chemistry or its minimum amount. Of course, the shelf life of the feed should be normal. Store purchases at home should be in compliance 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 be necessary to find a replacement for them, or, on the contrary, something will please, then the use of the product should be increased.

All the time to feed the furo only dry food experts do not advise. If the choice is made in favor of farcekashi, then it will have to be cooked according to certain rules. All components must be fresh, natural and of high quality. The mixture with the addition of fish is allowed to be consumed no more than once a month. There are reasons for this limitation:

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

In principle, some experts recommend that the animal offer raw fish that has only undergone a freezing procedure, which will significantly reduce the likelihood of infection. As an alternative, the use of fish oil will be much more beneficial. Farshekashu better alternate with other natural products. By-products are allowed to offer the ferret twice a week. Pork is rarely used and only boiled.

Worth mentioning that Some experts advise once a week to arrange for a pet a full day of unloading, but only if he reacts normally to it. In the spring and autumn ferrets molt, so the diet during this period should change - the 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 ready-made composition, sold in veterinary pharmacies and consisting of eight essential elements.

The furo vitamins are A, E, and D, fish oil and even yeast. Fish oil, by the way, is allowed only for pets older than a month. As a rule, vitamins are added to food for a month, after a monthly pause is arranged, and then the fortification continues again. In specialized stores, you can also purchase supplements that contain biotin, which has a beneficial effect on the state of ferrets. The frequency of its use is better to check with experts.

How to feed a ferret, you can see in the next video.