Food Comparison Chart

Ferrets are carnivores in the wild, they are made to eat meat. They cannot digest vegetable matter very well and can get sick from it. Their short digestive tracts pass food within 4 hours, often between 2 and 3 hours. So nutrients must be absorbed within that time. Vegetable matter takes a long time to digest - time that a ferret doesn't have. So, above all else, feed your ferret a food high in meat, preferably from a known source.

It is recomended that food be given to ferrets at all times so that they will eat when they are inclined. Growing kits and pregnant or nursing females will eat a lot more than your average ferret, so provide them with more than usual.

Nutritional Requirements

Protein: 32-38%; avg. 35%

Fat: 18-25%; avg 20%

Fiber: Less than 3%, avg 2%

Carbs: Simple preferred, no sweets in the food

Starch: Well-cooked, extruded

Moisture: Less than 12%; avg. 10%

Generally Accepted Good Ingredients for Ferret Foods:

Fish (herring), fish meal

Brewer's Yeast, a good vitamin B supplement

Beef products are questionable because of digestibility and allergic reactions.

Always the first ingredient:

Meat in some form (whole, meal, by-product...)

Always in the first three:

Never in the first three:

By-products consist of such things as necks, feet, bones, blood, intestines, ligaments, and almost all the other parts not generally consumed by humans.

"Pet food provides a place for slaughterhouse waste and grains considered 'unfit for human consumption' to be turned into profit. This waste includes cow tongues, esophagi, and possibly diseased and cancerous meat. The 'whole grains' used have had the starch removed and the oil extracted -- usually by chemical processing -- for vegetable oil, or they are the hulls and other remnants from the milling process. Some of the truly whole grains used may have been deemed unfit for human consumption because of mold, contaminants, or poor storage practices." (An API Report)

Whole flesh is best, more of a natural diet. But they have more water, and there will be less actual meat after the water is taken out during processing. Meat meals are rendered, and unless the manufacturer makes it's own meal, the meals could consist of unfit tissue. Yum. By-products can be perfectly nutritious, but because the term covers anything, it can vary from bag to bag. It's at best uncertain, generally non-nutritive, and problematic at worst. There COULD be a link between slaughterhouse wastes and cancer and other diseases.

You will have to compromise, there is no one perfect food. It is advisable to mix foods anyways, in case the brand becomes unavailable, or you go on vacation, new good brands come out, your ferret develops an allergy, etc. Ferrets become finicky after a while, but if they know that different kinds of kibble are "food", they won't encounter a problem switching.

Whole ground rice the best grain

White rice is more digestible to cats and dogs, and is less likely to cause allergies than corn or wheat. Up to 20% of other grains can escape digestion. It's used in many ferret foods already. So it's likely the best to use with ferrets...

Avoid corn, wheat, and soy as much as possible. Soy has a lot of protein, and can greatly skew the amount available in the crude amounts in the analysis, especially if there are other vegetable proteins.

No generic meat or fat sources

"Poultry" and "Animal" labels could be misleading. The exact origins of such products is unknown. Many fats are collected from restaurants' grease traps and placed in steel drums. They can then spoil until they are picked up by rendering companies and mixed with preservatives.

Chicken fat (and other specific fats) probably aren't treated in such a manner and may not require the chemical preservatives (BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin).

"Animal" digest is a broth made from anything that once lived. Chicken digest will be quite nutritious and appetizing to ferrets. Many "natural flavors" are made from digests.

No chemical preservatives - BHT, BHA, Ethoxyquin

Although not proven toxic, they haven't really proven safe, either.

"While the law requires studies of direct toxicity of these additives and preservatives, most of these additives have not been tested for their effect on each other once ingested. Three commonly used preservatives, BHA, BHT, and EQ, have a proven synergistic effect that may lead to the development of certain types of cancer."

Natural preservatives include Vitamins C (asorbic acid) and E (tocopherol); HOWEVER, they are NOT as effective and so their shelf life - about 6 months - is shorter than food preserved with chemicals.

Liver, bone and blood meals

Liver might be nutritious, but it's used to filter toxins from the bloodstream, and could contain residues. Avoid it in large quantities.

Bone and blood meals aren't meat. They may add vitamins and minerals, but probably are best in smaller amounts, not a large percentage like I've seen in some less popular brands of ferret food. Don't avoid them, they are good for your pet (I think). They will also make your garden grow better, too.

Ferret food should have a protein content of 32-38%, fat content of 18-22% and fiber content no higher than 3%. It should not have corn in the first three ingredients and meat is better than meat by-products. Fish should be avoided. These foods have been rated according to these guidelines. One star assigned for each element.

Last revised:3/13/01

Food Ingredients
Name	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth	Crude Protein Not less than	Crude Fat Not less than	Crude Fiber	Moisture Not more than
8 In 1 Ultimate Ferret Diet	Chicken	Chicken Meal	Ground Rice	Chicken Fat	Chicken Digest	Raisin Juice	>38%	19%	3%	10%
8 In 1Ultra Blend	Chicken Meal	Ground Yellow Corn	Brewers Rice	Corn Gluten Meal	Animal Fat	Corn Oil	>35%	15%	3%	10%
Bil-Jac Kitten Food	Chicken bi-products (Meat)	Chicken	Corn	Dried Beet Pulp	Chicken bi-product Meal	Liver	>33%	19%	3.50%	10%
Dad's Kitten Food	Corn Gluten Meal	Poultry by-product meal	Ground Wheat	Wheat Germ Meal	Poultry Fat	Ground Yellow Corn	>35%	10%	3%	12%
Eukanuba Cat Chicken & Rice	Chicken	Chicken Liver	Chicken By-Product Meal	Rice Flour	Chicken By-Product	Fish Meal	>34%	21%	2.50%	10%
Friskies Kitten Formula	Ground Yellow corn	Poultry by-product meal	Digest of Chicken by-prod.	Corn Gluten Meal	Soybean Meal	Fish meal	>35%	9%	4%	10%
Hartz Ferret Diet	Meat and Bone Meal	Brewer's Rice	Ground Corn	Poultry by-prod and meal	Fish	Wheat Muddlings	>30%	12%	4%	12%
Iams Kitten Food	Chicken	Chicken by Product Meal	Ground Corn Grits	Ground Grain Sorghum	Corn Meal	Chicken Fat	>34%	22%	3%	10%
Innova Feline	Turkey	Chicken Meal	Chicken	Whole Steamed Potatoes	Whole eggs	Ground Barley	>36%	20%	2.50%	10%
KayTee Fiesta	Poultry Meal	Ground Corn	Fish Meal	Animal Fat	Dried Beet Pulp	Soy Flour	>30%	16%	5%	12%
KayTee Forti Diet	Poultry Meal	Fish Meal	Animal Fat	Soy Flour	Kibbled Corn	Dried Beet Pulp	>35%	18%	4%	12%
L/M Vita-Vittles	Kibbbled Corn	Fish Meal	Poultry Meal	Soy Flour	Spray Dried Animal Blood	Beet pulp	>32%	10%	4%	10%
Marshall's Premium Diet	Chicken By-Product	Herring Meal	Corn	Cod Fish	Animal Liver	Dried Beet Pulp	>38%	18%	4%	10%
Mazuri By PMI	Poultry Meal	Poultry By-Product Meal	Animal Fat	Ground Corn	Soybean Meal	Corn Gluten Meal	>38%	20.50%	4%	12%
Merrick Pro Super Premium	Beef Liver	Brewer's Rice	Rice	Poultry By-Product Meal	Wheat	Corn Gluten Meal	>30%	13%	1.5%	10%
Nutriphase	Poultry Meal	Fish Meal	Soy Flour	Animal Fat	Dried Beet Pulp	Egg Product	>32%	18%	4%	12%
Nutro Max Kitten Food	Chicken Meal	Corn Gluten Meal	Wheat Flour	Ground Rice	Poultry Fat	Ground Whole Wheat	>34%	20%	3%	10%
One Earth Naturals Adult Cat	Chicken Meal	Lamb Meal	Brown Rice	Chicken Fat	Chicken Digest	Fish Oil	>34%	18%	3%	10%
Path Valley Farms Chicken & Rice	Chicken	Chicken Meal	Whole Grain Brown Rice	Corn Gluten Meal	Chicken Fat	Oatmeal	>34%	22%	3%	10%
Professional Kitten Chicken & Rice	Chicken	Chicken by Product Meal	Rice Flour	Corn Gluten Meal	Chicken Fat	Oatmeal	>34%	22%	3%	10%
Purina Kitten Chow	Poultry by-product meal	Ground Yellow Corn	Soy bean Meal	Corn Gluten meal	Ground Wheat	Ground Brewer's Yeast	>34%	10%	4%	12%
Royal Canin Feline Nutrition Growth 34	Chicken	Rice Flour	Chicken Meal	Corn Flour	Chicken Fat	Poultry Meal	>34%	20%	2.5%	10%
Science Diet Feline Growth	Poultry By-Product	Ground Corn	Animal Fat	Corn Gluten Meal	Chicken Liver Digest	Dried Egg Product	>33%	23%	3%	10%
Sheppard & Greene Maxi-Life	Chicken Meal	Ground Rice	Corn Gluten Meal	Chicken Fat	Ground Corn	Dry Whole Egg	>28%	14%	4%	10%
Sheppard & Greene Nutri-Life	Chicken Meal	Ground Rice	Corn Gluten Meal	Chicken Fat	Ground Corn	Dry Whole Egg	>35%	20%	3%	10%
Totally Ferret Adult Formula	Chicken By-Product Meal	Rice Flour	Egg Product	Chicken Fat	Wheat Flour	Poultry Fat	>33%	18.50%	1.50%	10%
Totally Ferret Original Formula	Chicken By-Product Meal	Rice Flour	Egg Product	Chicken Fat	Poultry Fat	Wheat Flour	>36%	22%	1.50%	10%
ZuPreem	Chicken Meal	Animal Fat	Ground Wheat	Wheat Flour	Chicken by-product Meal	Chicken	>40%	20%	2%	10%

Ratings based on the Ideal
Name	Protein (32-38)	Fat content (18-22)	Fiber content (3 or below)	No corn in first3 ingred.	Meat instead of meat by-products	No fish	Total stars (Out of 6)
8 In 1 Ultimate Ferret Diet	*	*	*	*	*	*	6
8 In 1Ultra Blend	*		*			*	3
Bil-Jac Kitten Food	*	*			*	*	4
Dad's Kitten Food	*		*			*	3
Eukanuba Cat Chicken & Rice	*	*	*	*	*		5
Friskies Kitten Formula	*					*	2
Hartz Ferret Diet					?		.5
Iams Kitten Food	*	*	*		*	*	5
Innova Feline	*	*	*	*	*	*	6
KayTee Fiesta							0
KayTee Forti Diet	*	*		*			3
L/M Vita-Vittles	*						1
Marshall's Premium Diet	*	*					2
Mazuri By PMI	*	*		*		*	4
Merrick Pro Super Premium			*	*	1/2 *	*	3.5
Nutriphase	*	*		*			3
Nutro Max Kitten Food	*	*	*			*	4
One Earth Naturals Adult Cat	*	*	*	*			4
Path Valley Farms Chicken & Rice	*	*	*	*	*	*	6
Professional Kitten Chicken & Rice	*	*	*	*	*	*	6
Purina Kitten Chow	*					*	2
Royal Canin Feline Nutrition Growth 34	*	*	*	*	*	*	6
Science Diet Feline Growth	*		*			*	3
Sheppard & Greene Maxi-Life	*					*	2
Sheppard & Greene Nutri-Life	*	*	*			*	4
Totally Ferret Adult Formula	*	*	*	*		*	5
Totally Ferret Original Formula	*	*	*	*		*	5
ZuPreem		*	*	*	1/2 *	*	4.5

Some food chart links from other sites.