Live Life Team
Baby ferrets, called kits, are generally weaned from their mother’s milk between six and eight weeks after birth. Once they begin to eat solid foods, it is important that kits receive proper nutrition in order to grow healthy and strong.
Many experienced ferret owners believe a raw food diet is best for kits, as the nutrients the babies receive from all natural, uncooked foods is better than the processed ingredients found in many dry, all-in-one ferret foods. Supplements and special treats can be introduced gradually as well.
A typical kit feeding menu starts with plenty of fresh water, which should be made available at all times. Fresh meat, minced or cut into small chunks, can be offered in the morning, at midday and at teatime. The final meal of the day might consist of raw meat left on the bone, and a bowl of lactose free or goat’s milk. Vitamin supplements, small amounts of cod liver or fish oil, and an egg a week can be added to round out the kit’s diet.
Kits should be fed on a regular schedule to help maintain their metabolism and prevent malnutrition. From the time they first begin on solid food at about six weeks until eight weeks of age, kits need to eat at least four meals a day. Feedings should be cut to three meals a day until 10 weeks, and at 12 weeks kits should eat two times a day, with milk offered only twice a week. A healthy, thriving kit should nearly double its weight about every two weeks.
