QUESTION:
Thank you for your advice I really would like to find a diet that is good for Tony so that he is healthy. The reason the vet told me to put him on kitten food was because when I got him from Petco I got some ferret food and was feeding him it. But he was eating very little and most of the time he would not eat it so a week later after I took him to the vet he said he was undernourished and I should feed him kitten food for a while. So now that he is almost 6 month I would like to put him back on ferret food If you could tell me a good kind to use and a brand I can find at the store I would appreciate it.

ANSWER:
We only sell natural foods for ferrets as there are so many additives in the commercial foods. Don't forget to read the articles on FERRET DIET in the FERRET SCHOOL on my site. Buying a cheaper food is detrimental to the ferret and will only increase the costs of veterinary care, my advice would be to feed a really HIGH MEAT PROTEIN FOOD, one that is ALL NATURAL, even a combination of 2-3 foods is preferable, incase one becomes unavailable you will not have to make a sudden switch which could cause all kinds of intestinal problems!

QUESTION:
I just found your place and was reading about feeding Ferrets Wysong Archetype, it sounds great. I was wondering, is it ok to feed my Ferrets raw chicken livers, and if it is ok, how often is it ok to feed it to them?

ANSWER:
You can give raw chicken liver maybe once a week, about a teaspoonful. The key to health is having a balance in meat and organ meat, if you look at a rabbit, the liver would be small in comparison to the rest of the body, so ferrets would only eat a portion of the whole rabbit.

QUESTION:
I have read thru the previous questions and have not seen a true opinion so I was wondering in your opinion what is the best dry ferret food? I know to look for meat and get the right percentages of protein and fat etc.. But what do you feel is the best over the counter food?

ANSWER:
Food is a matter of whether the ferrets will eat it, or not! I feed and have fed my ferrets WYSONG for years, simply because it is all natural and I can rely on the ingredients being the most reliable. EVO and Eagle Pack are both good companies and have natural ingredients so the choice would be yours to try. I personally feed a mixture to my ferrets as there have been times that one of the foods has not been available and so this way the ferrets do not get a sudden switch of food.

Make sure whatever you decide that the food is added to the original at the side of the dish (not mixed in) as the odor from the new permeates the old and the ferrets may refuse to eat. Slowly add more each day until changeover is made.

QUESTION:
I have one ferret (Cecil) and is currently eating a mixture of Totally Ferret, Innova Evo Cat, and 8 in1. I want to incorporate Eagle Pack Holistic and Archetype 2. My question....is there such thing as feeding too many foods? I want to stop feeding the 8 in 1 because I'm not too crazy about the ingredients and I'm really confused about Totally Ferret! It bothers me that its not a natural food. I also try to feed a frozen fuzzy and some semi-cooked beef....I'm really concerned and need some help with Cecil's diet......I've only had him for 3 weeks and he has stolen my heart, I just want to give him the RIGHT nutrition. I have done a lot of research thus far and just keep getting more confused!

ANSWER:
Feeding a ferret can be very confusing as the pet food companies claim so many 'good' things about their foods. Ferrets were fed cat/kitten foods for many years and then some companies decided to produce ferret foods, to cash in on the ever growing market, without doing the needed research! Personally my ferrets are only fed natural food diets and live on an average of 9 1/2 years, so I do promote the foods on my site, as these are the foods fed to all my ferrets.

Veterinarians are now realizing that the ferret needs a higher meat protein diet than previously thought, so any of the foods you mentioned would be good to feed Cecil. You could change the EVO cat to EVO FERRET, add the WYSONG ARCHETYPAL 2 and EAGLE PACK if you wish, then just keep Cecil on those. Plus a snack of the Wysong Archetype 1 and your frozen treats, that would be a great diet!

QUESTION:
I've had my ferret bandit for 2 years now. I've always tried to keep him as healthy as possible. I read on your site that feeding ferrets cat food is a big no no. That's what I've always given Bandit and now I'm scared. I never knew you weren't supposed to give them cat food. So my question is what's wrong with giving them cat food and what are the problems it can cause?

ANSWER:
There is no problem with feeding Cat Food, your ferret will be fine, unless you are feeding him 'junk cat food', such as is bought at the grocery store. Ferrets are carnivores(meat eaters) so check the ingredients and make sure that it has MEAT PROTEIN as the first ingredient. Ferret food is designed for ferrets, however some of the ferret food on the market is nothing but grain and sugar and will eventually harm the ferret. Please take a look at the ingredients on some of the ferret foods listed on my site, they are ALL NATURAL products and therefore cost more, but it will give you a good comparison to what you are feeding.

QUESTION:
I have a specific question about the diet I am feeding my ferret. I will try to be brief: My female ferret, Hannah, is 2 years old. I started feeding her Wysong Arch #1 about 2 months ago. She will only eat it if I mix in some baby food. I feed her this mixture twice per day: 1tsp of Wysong Arch #1 bits mixed with 1tsp of delmonte organic beef baby food (50% protein and 43% fat with no preservatives, no artificial flavors/colors and no modified starch in the baby food). The remainder of the day Hannah has unlimited access to Zupreem and 8 in 1 kibble.

Hannah just had a check-up the other day and is in very good health. However, my vet is concerned about the diet I'm feeding her. The vet is comfortable with Zupreem and 8 in 1 kibble, but he has never heard of Wysong before and he is not necessarily comfortable with this diet because he doesn't have any statistics on long term use of Wysong in ferrets. He seems to think the diet I'm feeding Hannah might contribute to a weight problem later. She currently weighs 1.9 lbs on a petite frame, but I don't think she looks overweight. Anyway, he expressed some concern about a high protein diet and the indication that at 1.9 lbs on a petite frame might already indicate a propensity for "chubbiness".

Wysong is rated better than any other ferret food that I have ever read about and I'm really glad that Hannah is eating it. I'm just writing to ask you if you still endorse Wysong, if there are any dangers, and if you would be concerned about the way I am feeding Hannah the mixture of Wysong and baby food. I am trying to avoid anything that might contribute to insulinoma or any other health problems.

Please let me know if you think I should alter her diet. She has started to look forward to her Wysong/Baby food. breakfasts and dinners and is eating less kibble. Her bowel movements have been very healthy and she has been extremely alert and active since I began this routine with her. I just have the vet's nagging words in the back of my mind now, and I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing for Hannah. Thanks for any guidance

ANSWER:
Thank you for being concerned about your ferret's health! Why don't you print out the article by Dr. Susan Brown (she is an expert in the ferret world) in my FERRET SCHOOL section: RETHINKING THE FERRET DIET and give it to your vet. Veterinarians, study little about animal husbandry and diet and let's face it, they study a lot about the medical side of MANY different animals.

For what it is worth I have been feeding my ferrets WYSONG CAT/KITTEN food for years and once, Archetype for cats and dogs came out, started feeding that as a healthy snack also. Since the ferret ARCHETYPES have been on the market all of my ferrets eat it. You may want to introduce the ARCHETYPE 2 into Hannah,s diet, she will be better off for it.

There is no danger in the WYSONG foods as far as Hannah developing insulinoma, it is as close to the 'natural diet in the wild' that a ferret would consume. Insulinoma is aggravated by all the sugars and carbohydrates that people are feeding their ferrets. Even some ferret foods contain too much junk in them and the ferrets eat more to get the proteins and nutrients they need.

I cook whole chickens for my ferrets and they get 4-5 teaspoons twice a day, plus Archetype 1 as a healthy snack and a combination of Wysong kibbles. None of my ferrets are fat and they have been on these diets for over 14 years, plus their average life span is 9 1/2 years, some making it to 12 years old.

You could also go to Dr. Wysong's health site and read the benefits of feeding a healthy diet: www.wysong.net

QUESTION:
In one of the last issues I recall reading about certain ferret foods which are dangerous to them, because there is a greater risk of choking. I make sure there aren't any pieces of dried fruit, yet both of my ferrets have choked on their food on two separate occasions. It scares me and I don't know what I could do to stop the choking. Do you have any suggestions?

ANSWER:
You might want to take a look at the shape of the food and make sure it is not getting stuck in the roof of their mouths. It might be best to get a smaller sized kibble.

QUESTION:
My ferret (Mari) is nearly 3 years old but a very picky eater. I use Marshall food and just bought her some Kaytee. I haven't tried this yet but because she is picky she kicks the food out of her bowl if she is mad at me or doesn't Like the flavor! I want to ensure she is eating the best food on the market and I saw your advertisement for the Wysong Ferret food and I will definitely pick some up. But I do give her some baby food that is chicken and rice or turkey barley. Is this ok? Sometimes I give her treats (store bought) and/or cereal (only a couple of pieces) and she loves it! But I don't want her to get sick or hurt by this. I've read some sites that say raisins and dried fruit is ok in moderation and that's what I do. But what is the real deal?.

ANSWER:
When you give new food do it gradually by placing a small amount in the same bowl but at the side of the original food, DO NOT MIX, as the flavors will combine and if Mari does not like the new food she will not eat and will get sick!

As far as fruits and veggies go, ferrets are carnivores(meateaters), they are not able to utilize sugars and fibers, plus research is indicating that sugar may play a part in causing insulinoma (tumors on the pancreas) which presents as hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), a very common disease in ferrets.

If you give her BABYFOOD, it needs to be CHICKEN or TURKEY with broth, not with rice or barley as these are carbohydrates which turn into sugars

QUESTION:
I need to know what ferrets cannot eat. I found a cucumber yesterday that she was nawing on and it seems like all she wants to do is sleep. I dont know if this is normal or if it made shes like 7 weeks old.

ANSWER:
Ferrets are carnivores (meat eaters). She should be fed only a high quality MEAT PROTEIN FERRET DIET. Ferrets do not digest fruits and vegetables, so please do not give them to her.

If you want to give her a healthy snack then buy some GERBER'S MEAT BABYFOOD (blue label) and give her a teaspoonful of that a day along with ferret kibble. You can have her lick it from your finger or put in a shallow bowl, warm it first and add a little water.

PLEASE go to FERRET SCHOOL: and read about the DANGERS TO FERRETS before your ferret gets into any more trouble.

QUESTION:
What are some people food that a ferret can and can not eat.

ANSWER:
A ferret is a carnivore (meat eater) and therefore should only eat meat. In the wild the ferret would eat rabbits, mice, birds etc.. the 'whole thing', fur, feathers and everything else.

You need to feed your ferret a high meat protein diet, so check the food you are purchasing for him to make sure it has real meat in it. You can give him bits of meat as a snack, however he may not eat it, so try giving him Gerber's baby food, CHICKEN or TURKEY, you can give him this each day as a healthy snack about 2-3 teaspoonfuls.

It is good to get him used to this as a snack, because if he should get sick, this is easy to feed him and he will already be used to eating it. Do not give him more as you will want him to eat his ferret food which has all the vitamins and other nutrients that he needs.

Do NOT give him any sweets, fruits or vegetables as his system is not designed for these foods and he cannot digest them, hope this helps.