What to feed the ferret at home? The first food option is live food. As you understand, a ferret is a predator. In nature, it feeds on small birds and small rodents. And how to feed the ferret at home on this principle? Of course, the smallest birds, for example, chickens, small rodents (white mice), meal worms, feed cockroaches, etc., should be included in its diet. As you understand, all this food should be still alive. Of course, in the conditions of a megacity such a scheme is not very acceptable, but it is possible, if desired.
Ferret - carnivore
The main thing that every ferret owner should remember is that an animal belongs to the category of carnivores. The main place in their diet is food rich in protein and carbohydrates. Ferrets have the ability to quickly digest food, so even the bones are absorbed in the body in just a few hours.
Under natural conditions, ferrets feed on small rodents, birds and eggs. At home, they willingly eat boiled turkey and chicken. And the bones should not be removed. The structure of the jaw allows the animal to cope with rather large pieces of meat, and bones are necessary for them for the teeth and the normal development of the skeleton. Caution should be exercised with raw meat, but from the pork is better to completely give up. It is rare to give ferrets boiled beef meat with a minimum amount of fat. Pay attention to the fact that when feeding a ferret, you should never mix ready-made feeds with natural food. Such experiments can turn into urolithiasis in a pet.
As an additional source of vitamins, animals should definitely include cottage cheese, liver, vegetable oil and fish oil in their diet. Periodically, you can pamper your ferrets with mice and rats, which are sold in specialized stores.
Experts recommend cooking pets, the so-called "mince meat" on the basis of meat, bones and any cereals. In addition, there are special dry feeds for ferrets, enriched with vitamins and nutrients. Do not confuse these products with dog and cat food.
What can not be fed ferret
Sweets, dairy products and fresh apples should be completely excluded from the diet of the domestic ferret. Such foods are poorly absorbed in the stomach of an animal, and over-feeding with harmful food can lead not only to indigestion, but also to serious diseases.
Practically every ferret eats condensed milk with pleasure. The animal is truly delighted with this delicacy. Only to offer him such a product is impossible. Condensed milk combines sugar and milk, which are contraindicated to ferrets. Ferrets are very fastidious about new products in their diet. New food is better to add to the usual feed in small portions.
What do ferrets eat in nature?
By their nature ferrets - predators. Living in the natural environment, they feed on small birds and rodents, as well as worms and insects.
Ferrets in the wild get their food professionally. However, having domesticated the ferret, people deprived him of the opportunity to display their natural abilities in hunting. Its needs remained the same - due to the peculiarities of their digestive system, most of their diet must be meat. A reasonable question arises: how to organize food ferret at home, so that he received all the necessary substances?
Proper ferret nutrition
Although ferrets are often compared with other domestic cats, and they are really similar in size, ferrets nevertheless have completely different needs.
Approximate daily diet of the ferret should have this ratio:
- 32-35% animal protein
- 15-22% fat
- up to 20% carbohydrates
- 2-3% fiber
Food for ferrets
There are three options (schemes) for ferrets feeding: natural food, live food and dry food.
You can choose only one scheme, since you cannot mix them!
Natural food
A third of their daily allowance should be porridge, preferably the so-called "princely", that is, consisting of several cereals (rice, buckwheat, wheat, oatmeal). The remaining two thirds consist almost entirely of meat ingredients:
- poultry meat
- lean beef or lamb (boiled only),
- sea fish (mackerel, herring, trout, flounder, horse mackerel, cod).
You cannot replace animal protein with vegetable in the ferret diet.
The easiest solution is to stock up minced meat. This is the name of the pre-prepared feed obtained by mixing 1/3 of the cooked cereal and 2/3 of the minced meat. Such stuffing must necessarily contain not only pure meat, but also poultry offal - Hearts, stomachs, liver, lungs and all the rest. Only such a diet will be a full replacement for the natural.
Farshekash can be prepared in advance, divided into small portions and frozen. In the evening, transfer the daily amount of billet from the freezer to the fridge so that it melts and is suitable for eating the ferret.
Too cold food should not be given to the ferret. It is better to warm to room temperature.
On the day, an adult ferret-male eats 300-400 grams of food, females and adolescents eat half as much, small chickens eat three times as much.
Addition to the daily diet of the animal can be chicken or quail eggs. A boiled egg in a boiled form can be given no more than 3 times a week.
Feed the ferret with minced meat
How to give a ferret quail egg? It is necessary to stop the choice on quail eggs which can be given to an animal both boiled, and crude on one daily.
As for vegetables, ferrets do not like them very much. Moreover, slices of hard vegetables can lead to choking and ferret blockage of the digestive system, as well as damage the ferret teeth.
Separately worth mentioning delicacies. For ferrets, treat is a piece. a banana, zestslice cucumber or cheese. Occasionally you can pamper your pet cottage cheese or sour cream.
But every day you can not feed ferret delicacies. In the case of these animals, it would be good to introduce the so-called rule of “Saturday sweets”. Candy, of course, not to give, but the principle is clear: delicacy only once a week.
Dry snacks
Ready dry food like feline, only specialized personally for ferrets, can be a way of nutrition, if you prefer to simplify the care of the young one. Nutritional elements necessary for the ferret are contained in this kind of feed in the right balance. But when feeding with dry food, one should not forget about the ferret drinking regime. It is necessary to provide the animal around the clock access to fresh clean water.
If it is difficult to find special feed for the trochee in your city, pay attention to cat food of extra (premium) -class. Examine the packaging for protein content - they should be 33-34%. And although experts do not recommend to feed the ferret cat food, but in rare cases, expensive cat food can be a temporary replacement for the ferret food with enough meat in the composition.
When selecting a dry feed for a ferret, watch carefully for its condition - how it feels, what is its appetite, whether there are any undesirable reactions.
Features of feeding ferrets during periods of growth, molting and pregnancy.
Power during these periods should be enhanced, since energy consumption of the animal increases. Portions are getting bigger, meals are more frequent.
Vitamins for ferrets
If the ferret eats according to the natural scheme, it is possible to purchase it in addition to the main food in the Veta pharma vitamin pastesdesigned specifically for ferrets. But with the option of feeding ferret with dry food, the animal does not require any additional vitamins - they are already present in sufficient quantity in the feed.
During pregnancy, the female ferret may decrease appetite. Find out why this is happening and what to do?
What is undesirable to give ferrets
Although these furry clowns are very greedy for all sorts of goodies, there are foods that they should not eat even occasionally. This, for example, buns, from which the ferret will never refuse, but from them he may experience bloating and diarrhea.
You can not feed the ferret usual cat food. The consumption of cheap feed can lead to the development of a whole bunch of chronic diseases in the ferret. The same goes for dog food. For ferrets, it does not fit.
To the question “Is it possible to feed a ferret with cat food?” The experts unanimously answer: “No! This is bad for your pets. ”
It is highly undesirable to build a ferret diet on the principle of a common table. Food people not always suitable animal. For example, dairy products in the ferret cause intestinal upset, and citrus fruits increase the acidity of the stomach.
Milk ferrets can not be given!
It is also strictly forbidden to give ferrets.:
- the nuts
- ice cream
- chocolate
- soda
- smoked and salted foods.
How to feed a ferret - a complete list of products
- Meat
- horsemeat
- Turkey
- Beef
- Hen
- Mutton
- Rabbit
- Quail
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Quail
- A fish
- All kinds of red
- Mackerel
- Cod
- Trout
- Horse mackerel
- Herring
- Flounder
- Crustaceans and mollusks
- Squids
- Shrimp
- Offal
- Chicken Offal
- A heart
- Kidney
- Liver
- Kashi
- Rice
- Wheat
- Buckwheat
- Pearl barley
- Vegetables
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Cucumber
- Pumpkin
- Bell pepper
- Radish
- Fruits, berries
- Banana
- Avocado
- Persimmon
- Pear
- An Apple
- Watermelon
- Cherry
- Melon
- Cherries
- Gooseberry
- Grapes
- Klubdnika
- Dried fruits
- Raisins
- Dates
- Prunes
- Dried apricots
- Figs
- Greenery
- Parsley
- Dill
- Scalded nettle
- Dairy
- Skim cheese
- Kefir
- Ryazhenka
- Cheese
- Live food
- Mice
- Chickens
- Worms
- Insects
- Dry food
- Frettchen4you
- Bosch Totally Ferret
- James Wellbeloved Ferret Complete
- Acana
- Iams
- and others. feed
When feeding a ferret with products from this list, remember that it is necessary to observe the correct proportion and balance of various products according to the recommendations from our article or from other reliable sources.
Taking care of a ferret is very troublesome. Those who decide to make just such a four-legged friend after reading this article may doubt whether it is worth fooling. But all your efforts will pay off in full positive from communicating with these amazing creatures. Adhering to the recommendations on proper nutrition, and you and your little animal can feel the fullness of the pleasant moments spent with each other.
And what do you feed your pet? Share your experience or ask your questions about the correct feeding of ferrets at home.
What to feed the ferret at home?
The health of your ferret will depend on what kind of food you give him. If the right approach to solving the problem, than to feed the ferret, then you can provide your pet a long and happy life.
With improper nutrition, obesity, poor coat, diabetes and deterioration of general health often occur. So how can you feed a ferret at home?
- 1 The essence of the problem
- 2 Feeding Options
The essence of the problem
The fact is that this issue has not been fully studied. Although ferrets are pets in a large number of families, commercial production goods for them began to be released only about 10 years ago. It should be noted that research on the optimization of nutrition and the choice of component products for food only gaining momentum.
Experts say that there are a large number of questions to which there are no answers yet. There is no official standard and research results for ferrets nutritional needs, since the scientific community has never asked such questions.
In the early 80s, ferrets began to conquer people's hearts, but, as scientists say, there is still no reliable information about the connection of ferret diseases with food deficiency, but they hope that the animal population in the form of pets can push experts to solve this problem.
The scientific community is interested in improving and making nutrition of ferrets. Along with the studies conducted to date, some results have been obtained that answer the question of how to feed a domestic ferret.
Feeding options
For a start it is worth saying that to feed the ferret at home you need at least 7 times a day. Feeding of ferrets is conventionally divided into three types.
The first type of feeding is live food. As a ferret from the family of predators, in its natural habitat it prefers small animals of the order of rodents and birds. Just like a cat!
However, it is unlikely that you bring white mice and caught sparrows to a domestic cat by buying them at pet stores every day. Although this is a natural food that best suits the diet and healthy eating, but it is too expensive.
Yes, and hardly anyone wants to watch their pet tinkering in the blood, eating small animals, while feeding it with feed cockroaches. Of course, in the metropolis such feeding is possible, but unlikely.
An alternative option is dry food, which is so fond of domestic cats. In European countries, the production of dry food for ferrets was established relatively recently, but it is of high quality. However, due to the small assortment, you are not particularly clever.
Along with this, veterinarians advise feeding ferrets only with premium-class dry food, which is suitable for nursing cats and kittens. Not recommended feeding dry food, which is intended for adult cats and dogs. Schooling to feed should be gradual, portions should be small.
Only 1/3 of the cat bowl is given at a time. In the case of feeding the ferret with dry food for kittens, it is necessary to take care of a sufficient amount of water, as in this case dehydration is possible. It is better to pour a good sterilized water or just boiled.
The following type of food is the most troublesome. To make a diet, it is better to consult with a veterinarian.
Some prefer the farcekashs, but this is not at all what the owners themselves eat (it is forbidden to do this). Ferrets should not be given bakery products, fruits with a high amount of fiber, sugary foods and ordinary food, especially smoked, fried or fatty foods.
The composition of farshekashi should be close to what is a rodent or bird in nature, that is, all the "giblets" should be used too.
Poultry meat is the best and fundamental component of the ferret diet.
Pork meat immediately disappears, the ferrets are not. It is rare to give him lean beef or mutton meat, and even less often fish, but only boneless and sea, and not river.
These fish include mackerel, cod, horse mackerel, herring. But do not give the ferrets raw meat and fish. In their natural habitat, ferrets do not consume raw beef or fish meat.
It would be good to include boiled meat, liver, heart, a small amount of raw chicken, boiled turkey meat in the diet. Cottage cheese, eggs and various cereals are added to the minced meat or fish. However, the volume of porridge should not be more than 1/5 of the diet.
It is better to choose buckwheat, wheat, rice and oatmeal from cereals. Food for the ferret must have a sufficient amount of animal protein, so the substitution of vegetable analogues is prohibited.
Feeding the ferret can be organized in three different ways.
First wayas close as possible to natural conditions. At the same time, the ferret needs to give whole carcasses of mice, chickens, cockroaches or meal worms. For a number of reasons, this type of feeding is not suitable for all owners, and not everyone is ready to clean up the uneaten food leftovers and put the ferret's meal in order.
Second wayThis is the ferret feeding you personally prepared food at home.
A balanced domestic ferret diet should include various types of meat (turkey, beef, chicken, duck), offal (beef or chicken heart, liver, kidneys, stomachs), animal and vegetable fat, fish (trout, mackerel, horse mackerel, cod or flounder), cartilage, vitamin and mineral supplements, and a very small amount of vegetables and cereals.
Porridge can be different, it is rice, and buckwheat, and pshenka with oatmeal, and also cottage cheese and eggs are acceptable in the diet. In addition to cottage cheese, you should not give other dairy products, especially milk, because lactose is poorly digested and causes vomiting and diarrhea in ferrets.
Do not give fat, smoked or fried foods, sweets, nuts, chocolate, flour, bakery and confectionery. The ferret is not adapted to the digestion of such food, it provokes obesity, diabetes, allergic reactions, indigestion and intestinal disorders and other health problems.
You can not give fruits and vegetables that contain large amounts of coarse fiber, for example, carrots are too difficult to digest, can cause intestinal obstruction or choke attack in a ferret. The same effect from the nuts, they can choke a ferret, or get intestinal obstruction.
Ferrets should not be given products that have a sticky, sweet and viscous consistency.
Remember that ferrets need highly digestible proteins, which are contained in chicken, turkey, duck, quail, sea fish, eggs, as well as beef and lamb. Protein of plant origin, for example, soy, is much more difficult to digest by the ferret.
Finally third way Ferret feeding is the use of prepared ferret feed. Due to the fact that ferrets are becoming more and more popular, manufacturers of ready-made pet food have included in their line of food and food designed specifically for ferrets.
Using ready-made feeds ensures that your pet receives all the necessary nutrients in the optimum amount.
This option of feeding is especially suitable for beginners who have recently acquired a ferret, and are not yet ready to independently form a fully balanced diet of individual products.
The most important thing is to choose super premium class food from bona fide producers, with a good reputation and a long manufacturing practice.
Economy class feeds contain chemicals, preservatives, dyes and meat of poor quality, often in the form of food residues.
Do not save on the health of your pet, if you have purchased an animal, now take responsibility for it and feed it well.
Care for decorative ferrets
In order for your domestic ferret to be healthy, it needs cleanliness, so the first condition for proper maintenance is regular cleaning of the cage (this is discussed in detail in our material “Ferret for cages”) and all its contents: drinkers, feeders and trays, bedding and Naturally, the general cleaning of the apartment.
It is not advisable to wash the domestic ferret too often, since after bathing the specific “choir” smell tends to increase. If your pet does not respect water procedures too much, it is enough to wash it a couple of times a year.
From time to time, fur can be treated with special napkins or sprays. For bathing, flavored “no tears” shampoos are used especially for ferrets. Wash the animal can be in the shower or in a warm bath, it all depends on the fact that the ferret more like it.
After bathing, wipe the skin with a towel or let your pet dry it.
Once a month it is necessary to cut the claws with a ferret. Be careful not to injure the animal. Until the ferret becomes accustomed to the procedure, it is best to call on someone from the household to help him hold the animal while you trim the claws.
Another monthly procedure is cleaning the ears. For this you can use special droplets for the ears, or just oil. Enter a few drops with a pipette into the ear, massage, then clean the dirt with a cotton swab (do not climb deeply), and wipe dry.
Ferrets molt in autumn and spring, changing winter fur to summer and vice versa. As a rule, the molt lasts a couple of weeks, while the animal can itch badly. To help him, try to gently pull out the old wool or comb it with special brushes.
At this time, it is useful to lure animals with special vitamin supplements. Also, pets need to be given a paste to remove wool, it comes with a label “for cats”, but it is also perfect for the koryans, moreover, they adore it as a delicacy.
During the period of molting, the ferret is very selflessly licking, hair gets into the stomach and no less dangerous blockage can occur than blocking with rubber.
For entertainment, offer ferret various toys. These are all kinds of pipes and tunnels, on which the little animals enthusiastically dart, strong balls that can not be crushed (remember about blockage of the intestine and monitor the integrity of the toys).
Also very popular are cloths and boxes. Be sure to have a cozy house (or several), in which the animal will hide.
And of course, you yourself must devote enough time to practice and play with your pet, especially if the house has only one ferret.
In the summer you can take the ferret for a walk (if the summer is very hot, then it is necessary to follow the recommendations from the material “How to protect the ferret from the heat”), if the animal has been vaccinated and has already grown enough. You can display in winter, but only when there is snow, the more - the better. Because it is a great joy joke - dig holes in the snow!
What to feed the ferret at home: what it eats and what they eat?
Content ferrets, or as they are called ferrets, at home has now become very popular. This active animal perfectly cohabit with a man.
Such pets are lively, fun and in many aspects more interesting than the already familiar cats or dogs.
Nevertheless, ferrets are not very common, so many owners do not know how to properly feed their pets so that they have good health.
Choice of diet
For domestic ferrets, you can choose two types of diet. The first one is feeding with dry specialized food, and the second is keeping it on natural, classic food that the animal eats in the wild.
The fact is that the ferret is a predator and is usually used to feeding on rodents. Not every owner will want to go to the pet store several times a week to bring his pet live mice.
For some, it will be too uncomfortable, and for others it is completely unacceptable because of the intolerance of rodents. It is necessary to study these aspects in advance in order to provide the ferret with optimal feeding, allowing it to satisfy both the animal and the owner.
Natural diet for the ferret
A ferret is an animal with an accelerated rhythm of life. Having made the decision to keep your pet on natural food without the use of live rodents, you need to seriously consider the choice of substitutes. The fact is that using different types of meat from the supermarket can harm your pet. Ferrets are more sensitive to the quality of this product than people.
If beef, pork or chicken was fed by various additives with growth stimulants, then for a human body with regular use visible complications from such food will come through the years, but for the ferret everything is much worse. For this reason, in order to maintain the good health of your pet, you must take a responsible approach to the choice of meat food.
It should also be borne in mind that the ferret in the wild eats ordinary small animals whose meat is not distinguished by high fat content. Of the products available on the store shelves, chicken is most closely approximated.
In a full diet for a ferret, you can include:
The basis of the diet for the ferret should be poultry meat. She is given twice a day. It is also sometimes possible to replace it with offal. Excellent for this liver and kidneys. Ferret fish is not a good choice for daily feeding. It is recommended to give it occasionally, to slightly diversify the daily diet.
In this regard, should not use river fish, and give preference to the sea. For ferrets, a great option would be:
It is useful to feed animals boiled chicken eggs, which are cut into small pieces. Quail eggs can be given raw, especially if the animal's digestive system is easy to handle. It is strictly forbidden to drink adult ferret milk. Of dairy products, you can only occasionally feed your pets with cottage cheese and only as a treat.
They are given to animals in the winter and off-season, when the natural level of vitamins in meat is present in less concentration than in the warm summer season. Also, such supplements are simply necessary for ferrets to maintain health during pregnancy and molting.
Veterinarians recommend using small animals for feeding ferrets. For this purpose live mice, rats, hamsters, and also chickens are suitable. Far from every owner wants his beloved pet to kill these animals in his house, therefore only a few resort to this method of feeding.
On industrial farms, where the main goal is to raise quality fur at low cost, a slightly different feeding system is used. But the goal of such content is not to maintain good health for animals for a long life, because the wards are divorced only to get skins.
For this reason, a mixture of minced meat and cereal by-products is used in feeding. In the wild, the ferret consumes plant food in an amount that does not exceed 2% of its daily diet. Feeding such a mixture of pet will be unacceptable. If it is not possible to provide the animal with fresh and high-quality meat, then it is better to give preference to dry food.
Balanced dry food
The ferret, eating dry food, gets all the necessary substances to maintain normal livelihoods. At the same time, its exterior and quality of wool can not be compared with animals, which are contained on a balanced natural diet. But do not immediately abandon the dry food.
Most beginners, as well as experienced ferret owners, cannot provide their wards with full-fledged natural ingredients. If you do not have enough time to calculate the necessary diet and control the exact delivery of a certain type of food, the classic content will not bring such a positive result.
When fed with dry food, the ferret will receive a more balanced combination of nutrients than will be provided by amateur top dressing with fresh food. Therefore, you need to assess in advance their capabilities and make the right choice. For the vast majority of ferret owners, just feeding dry food will be the wisest decision.
The advantages of dry food are:
- good balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals,
- simple use
- easy storage
- no strong odor
- control of the required portion.
In the pet store you can find several dozen varieties of food specifically for ferrets. Many reputable manufacturers offer their options for a dry nutritious diet for these animals.
If for some reason you could not find the right food, you can always do with an analog intended for cats. In this case, it is recommended to give preference to the one that is offered for kittens under the age of one year.
It is in this dry food that the nutrient balance is as close as possible to that of an adult ferret.
Usually the consumption of dry food is 30 grams. 1 kg live weight ferret. With this diet, be sure to follow the constant presence of water in animals.
They love this delicacy, but do not indulge them with this food too often. But of course you can always use special treats from the pet store. Deciding what better to feed the ferret will of course be its owner, but it is worthwhile to realistically assess your capabilities and time so as not to harm your pet.
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What to feed ferrets at home: eat, eat
Let's talk about what conditions your pet needs to create in order to provide proper care and high-quality feeding. Perhaps many wondered what the ferrets eat? How to properly and how to feed this funny animal you can learn from the article.
In order for your house ferret to be in excellent shape, it needs cleanliness. In view of this, the first criterion for proper maintenance is the systematic cleaning of the cage and its entire contents: feeders, trays and drinkers, replacement of bedding and, of course, general cleaning of the apartment.
Fernuts should not be washed extremely often, since after bathing a specific "chori" smell appears, which is peculiar to aggravate. If your pet does not like water treatments too much, it is enough to bathe him a couple of times a year. Sometimes you can treat fur with special napkins or sprays.
For bathing use flavored shampoo "no tears" specifically designed for ferrets. You can wash the animal not only under the shower, but also in a warm bath; it all depends on where your pet is most liked.
After bathing, wipe the skin with a clean towel or allow it to dry.
In addition to all one monthly procedure - cleaning the ears. To do this, you can use special droplets for the ears, or simply oil. A few drops must be injected into the eye with a pipette, massaged, then clean the dirt with a cotton swab and wipe dry.
Ferrets molt in the spring, as well as in the autumn, replacing the winter fur on the summer and in reverse order. As a rule, molting lasts about two weeks, while the animal itches hard.
To help him gently pull out the old wool or comb it with special brushes. At this time, it is desirable to lure the animal with special vitamin complexes.
In addition, pets need to be given a paste to remove wool, it comes with a label “for cats”, but it will also be wonderful for the koryaks, moreover, for some reason they take it for sweetness.
For entertainment, offer a variety of toys to the ferret. These are all kinds of tunnels and pipes, on which the animals run with great enthusiasm, besides provide strong balls so that they cannot gnaw through them.
In addition ferrets adore all sorts of boxes and rags. In addition, the necessary cozy houses that the animal could hide.
And it goes without saying that you have to devote enough time to train and play with your pet, especially if the ferret lives alone in the house.
In the summer season, you can take the ferret for a walk, however, you need to monitor then, so that the animal does not overheat. You can output in winter, but only when there is a snowball, the more - the better.
Because for ferrets it is a great delight to dig minks in the snow! You can not take a walk in especially cold weather and slush, but moderate cold brings them only immense benefits. On the busy avenues do not let off the leash, make sure that your pet does not pick up different crap from the ground.
If you want to take the ferret with you to the country, then be sure to form an aviary on the site. In particular, do not allow the animal to walk freely around the site, because the ferret can get lost.
Care for domestic ferrets
A ferret is a predator, which is mainly saturated with rodents, then with natural (natural) feeding it is necessary to take into account these characteristic features.
So, what do ferrets eat? The best products for ferrets are poultry meat, offal, eggs (boil) and fish (in small quantities). Diet (feed) - twice a day, respectively, if it is natural foods.
In animal food beasts practically does not need, for this reason, add no more than two percent of the substances of plant origin to the intake.
One of the menu for the ferret is "mince". The name speaks for itself - by means of a meat grinder the offal of the bird is turned, any meat, a bit of fish, a bit of welded cereals and vegetables, all the components are cooled and mixed. You can put vitamins and mineral supplements in the finished porridge.
but in our time The rationality of feeding mincemeat is puzzling, since the provided recipes are applied on fur farms, where the good quality of the fur is in the first place, and not the animal's state of health.
The following phrases are increasingly heard from the lips of specialists that it is best to feed ferrets with small chickens and rodents. The closer to nature, the better.
Dry food for ferrets
Natural feeding of the ferret is associated with numerous problems and only experienced trotrivods.
If you have not previously kept a ferret at home, it is best to choose not on natural food, but on dry components from ready-made feed professional class.
This is quite convenient, since the feed already contains all the necessary animal ingredients, you simply provide the animal with a domestic condition: continuous access to water and food.
For example, if you want to have a ferret healthful, then in no case get an economy class feed and moderatebesides - dog food. It is best to buy food that includes poultry meat. Khorevody advise proper feed:
- ferrets - premium food from companies such as Evo, Bosch and Eagle Pak,
- for kittens upscale series Eagle Pak, Purina, Innova, Yams, Hills, Nutro Choice, Eukanuba.
As a treat, you can give the animal a scanty amount of vegetables and fruits, and completely exclude citrus fruits. However, you should not get carried away, you need to stick to the golden mean.
Also in zoological stores can find an abundance of "crunchy" and "chewing" deliberately for ferrets, but they are too high in calories. Therefore, do not give in large quantities, but only treat. Of course, the pet should eat properly.
In principle, with a well-designed menu, ferrets have no need for auxiliary delicacies.
Ferrets are rather difficult animals. Caring for a ferret is comparable to keeping a dog in a house, therefore it is necessary to approach caring for your pet with full responsibility and seriousness.
When gain skill и узнаете обо всех составляющих ухода за фреткой – то, вернее всего, превратитесь в непоколебимого «хоремана», которому будут уже непривлекательны хомячки, морские свинки, обворожительные кошки и черепахи. Все дело в необыкновенном очаровании этих экзотичных зверьков.
Кроме всего прочего, условие по содержанию хорька и наблюдение за его привычками – одно из интереснейших занятий для любителей животных.
What else to feed the ferrets is not recommended?
- First, give them food from the table, especially all kinds of sausage and smoked products, sweet, flour,
- Secondly, certain types of fish - pollock, hake, whiting, pollock, haddock,
- Third, cow's milk,
- Fourth, foods containing onions and garlic.
What to feed a ferret?
The content of the predator in the conditions of the house is a novelty of the era of big cities.
But very often, in connection with the non-detailed study of all aspects of the issue, people are faced with the problem of a properly chosen diet. After all, not all products suitable for you can be given to an animal, most of what people eat animals are strictly forbidden to use.
An unsuitable diet can create a lot of trouble only on the part of the digestive system, but also leave its mark on the state of wool.
To make the menu correctly, you initially need to understand that the ferret is not a rodent, as many might think. These animals belong to the category of predators. That is why if you want to ensure a long, happy life for your pet, this issue must be approached responsibly and create the most suitable, comfortable living conditions.
When buying a ferret, make sure that the animal you have chosen is absolutely healthy, ask the seller for documents that can attest to it. It is best to buy individuals who have reached two months of age, perhaps even older.
This age is the most optimal, as the animal's body is already fully formed.
It is not recommended to start a very small pet, since it is unclear in what conditions the pregnant female was kept and how a newborn puppy was fed, and it directly depends on how long the baby lives.
And if he lived to 2 months, then the dangers of threatening individuals are much less. Also not worth saving! As is well known for the example of things, low price is a guarantor of the same quality, with ferrets about as well. A good animal can only be bought from a responsible breeder with a good reputation, satisfied buyers.
The next important moment, whether they are ready, the maintenance of the representatives of this family is a troublesome process, it can not be compared with the care of a cat, a dog. Initially evaluate whether you can spend enough time with your pet.
After all, the animal must be surrounded by care and warmth. Do not buy a ferret if you are expecting a child or your child of less than six years, as well as in the absence of sufficient material and living conditions.
And for those who have a dog ferret, as a pet, and altogether prohibited.
Now, in detail, as to what to feed the ferret?
At home, the ferret should eat at least seven times a day.
Diet can be schematically divided into three types:
By nature, these animals are predators, in their natural habitat, they prefer small rodents, birds. That is why when choosing this type of feeding you will have to visit more than one pet shop, in search of mice, rodents and birds.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that when eating these delicacies by the khorem, you will have to observe not pleasant pictures. Puddles of blood and offal eaten animals. People with a weak nervous system obviously will not like it.
That is, we can conclude that at home of the metropolis, feeding with live food is a bad choice.
Feed Detail
Choosing the right food, many ferret owners will face the problem of decoding written on the package. In order to clarify the issues of interest and the choice of a suitable option was made without a belt cost, we suggest to get acquainted with the transcripts made by the experts Beerrier, Matulich, Rosenthal, Schilling.
- The first step on such a difficult path, the search for information about animal proteins (proteins). The whole list should be chicken or another form of animal protein. If the feed is of high quality, several types of meat must be presented. Grain is often found in the composition, but for ferrets it has no nutritional value, you should be especially careful with it, since it is the grain that is heavily digested by the pet's organism.
- Pay attention to the percentages indicated on the package. In principle, the rules according to which this information must necessarily be present, but most manufacturers prescribe this information. You should stop your choice on a product containing 32-40% protein and 18-22% fat. These indicators are characteristic of dry feed, canned food.
- The next thing you should pay attention to is the content of fibers and ash. More than three percent of the fiber causes an upset stomach, and ash less than seven percent will negate the risk of urolithiasis.
Also, special emphasis should be placed on nutrition that contains taurine, which helps to maintain clarity and purity of the eyes, and good heart work.
Water as a necessary factor in maintaining pet's health
During the day, ferrets drink water more than twenty times. It is because of this that they manage to reduce the risk of overheating and dehydration. Since, unlike people, these animals do not sweat through the skin.
These cute creatures also love to turn over bowls of water, so when choosing tableware for an animal it is worth staying on heavy plates and ball drinkers. Well suited dishes made of ceramic, glass, metal.
But in the cage it is recommended to install a pair of automatic drinkers.
Active representatives of the species love to play with jets of water in order to give them such an opportunity to take a saucer and place it directly under the water source located in the cage, just place it so that the water does not spall.
Remember. All the dishes with which to eat and drink the animal should be washed every day, as well as change the water!
Health ferrets directly depends on what will be its daily menu. That is why, in order to ensure the normal functioning of your pet, take strict control of his diet. You can not carelessly relate to the conditions of nutrition, remember about the cleanliness of the dishes and maintain it.
Food ferrets at home
In the life of every living creature proper nutrition is extremely important. Improper diet can cause illness and the development of various diseases, while with the right approach, food helps in the rehabilitation and cures the animal.
Before you start feeding your ferret at home, you need to figure out which products you need to give your pet more often, which less often, and which ones should be kept away from the animal.
Ferrets nature
Of course, many keep these cute creatures at home, but it must be borne in mind that a ferret is not a hamster, not a cat, and not a dog. Quite often, the owners fill the diet of the ferret at home with food that is consumed by cats and dogs. Their food is absolutely not suitable ferrets, such food can lead to dire consequences.
Pay attention to the body of your pet, because he is not at all like the same dog and cat. It is quite difficult to keep up with these animals, the ferrets are extremely energetic and mobile. Their character plays a crucial role in the metabolism and affects the work of all body systems.
Ferrets are fundamentally different from those animals that we used to observe at home. Accordingly, the feed should be chosen such that will support your animal and prolong its life.
Pay your attention to the teeth of this creature, and you will understand - this is not just a cute fluffy lump. Before you is a predator, the contents of the mouth of which is designed to tear off the meat and chew it, and there should be a lot of meat in the diet of these animals.
Under natural conditions, their food are birds and rodents. Another ferret eats some insects. At home, the life of these animals becomes more measured, and already the owner decides what they will eat.
There are several options for how to feed a ferret. You can choose one of them for your pet, taking into account your material capabilities and moral and ethical considerations.
What should not be given?
It is necessary to limit the pet's access to fried foods, all kinds of fat, smoked foods, sweets. Also banned all that is baked from flour and sold in pastry shops.
The body of the ferret is absolutely not configured to receive such a meal.
As a result of this type of nutrition, an animal can earn obesity, allergies, diabetes, problems with the gastrointestinal tract and many other health problems.
Vegetables and fruits with coarse fiber may cause choking in an animal or provoke intestinal obstruction. It would seem that a carrot, harmless to many animals, can cause similar reactions. The same symptoms from the nuts, which the animal can still choke. We also exclude products with a sticky and viscous consistency.
How often to feed?
If you observe the ferrets, you can make sure that they are quite mobile - they just cannot sit still. Given the energy costs during the day, it is easy to explain their frequent meals. This is not gluttony, just affects the metabolic rate.
Do not focus on how to eat cats and dogs. Two or three times for the ferret will be small. At home, the ferret eats around the clock.
Try to take this moment into account and give your pet unlimited access to food. He needs constant availability of food nearby. Ferrets eat a little bit, but there may be about ten receptions a day.
Try to monitor the cleanliness of the plates from which your ferret drinks and eats. It is advisable that they are filled with fresh water and food.
