As a ferret lover, you may have questions about what diet your ferret needs to maintain a healthy life. Find the answers in Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have a question we haven’t addressed, go to Contact Us to send an E-mail message.

Q: Could you provide me with some general ferret nutritional information?
A: You can go to several locations under the ferret section on this website. Click on the ZuPreem Article Library and select the article titled “What’s the best diet for your ferret and why.”

Download the Product Information Sheet to learn about ZuPreem® Premium Ferret Diet (626kb) and why it provides all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your ferret needs for a healthy life. Or, call 1-800-345-4767 and talk to a Customer Care Representative to request more information.

Q: Is feeding the same diet to my ferret every day a good idea? What if he stops eating it?
A: Some ferret owners frequently switch from one brand of food to another. When you switch from food to food, you can never be certain your ferret is getting consistent nutrition. Choose a premium high-quality diet such as ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet that provides all the nutrients your ferret needs and then stick with it. ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet has a great taste ferrets love and there is usually no problem getting your ferret to eat it. If, however, he rejects this diet after a while, look for signs of illness and visit your veterinarian for a checkup. As soon as possible, transition your ferret back to the diet.

Q: Is the ZuPreem ferret diet complete or should I feed supplements?
A: ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet provides complete nutrition. In fact, supplementing with vitamins or minerals may actually upset the carefully formulated balance of vitamins, minerals and amino acids in the diet, and could end up harming your ferret.

Q: What is the benefit of feeding ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet rather than a kitten food?
A: For many years there was no commercial diet made especially for ferrets. So, ferret owners had to make do with kitten, cat or mink food or a homemade diet. With the introduction of commercial diets formulated especially for ferrets, ferret owners noticed their ferrets were living longer and experiencing fewer health problems. Actually, cats and ferrets have very different nutritional needs. Here’s why:

• Ferrets have an intestinal tract that is about half as long as a comparable size cat’s. Food passes through a ferret’s intestinal tract in about 3 hours as compared to 5-6 hours for cats.
• Because of this short digestion time, the ingredients in a ferret’s food must be highly concentrated and digestible (85-90%) so the nutrients are readily available for absorption.
• What are the components of a highly digestible diet? First, the diet should be high in protein. ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet has 40% protein, one of the highest of any competitive ferret diet. Protein sources should be high quality real chicken and real egg as in ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet.
• A good ferret diet also should be low in fiber (no more than 3% fiber is recommended). Extra fiber decreases the amount of the other nutrients than can be absorbed. ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet contains no more than 2% fiber.
• Most kitten or cat diets do not contain enough protein and have too much fiber to be a good balanced diet for ferrets.

For more information, click on the ZuPreem Article Library and select the article titled “What’s the best diet for your ferret and why.” Download the Product Information Sheet to learn about ZuPreem® Premium Ferret Diet (626kb). Or call 1-800-345-4767 and talk to a Customer Care Representative to request more information.

Q: Does the ZuPreem ferret diet have corn in it?
A: ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet does not contain corn or any ingredients made from corn.

Q: What are the proper amounts of protein and fat in a good ferret diet, and how does that compare to the ZuPreem ferret diet?
A: Meat or egg protein should make up at least 35% of the ingredients in a ferret’s diet. ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet has 40% protein, one of the highest of any commercial ferret food. Your ferret needs 15%-20% fat from animal sources (not vegetable). ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet guarantees 20% animal fat to fuel your ferret’s high-energy needs and to help him maintain healthy skin and a shiny coat. Most grocery store cat food has 8%-10% fat, not nearly enough for a ferret.

Q: Does the ZuPreem diet have by-products?
A: ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet does not contain by-products.

Q: My ferret is real picky about his food. How do I know he will eat the ZuPreem diet?
A: ZuPreem understands that many ferrets are very finicky about their food and that’s why we have formulated the diet to have the taste ferrets love. Most ferrets enjoy ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet, but in case your ferret doesn’t like the diet, ZuPreem offers 100% Money-Back Guarantee on all our diets. Just return the unused portion of the product in the original package, along with a copy of the store receipt to P.O. Box 2094, Mission, KS 66202 for a complete refund.

Q: How should I choose a good ferret diet?
A: Read the first six ingredients on any commercial ferret food bag. Three of these ingredients should be animal protein from chicken and egg sources and one should be animal fat. A carbohydrate source is necessary to “hold” the nugget together in extruded nugget manufacturing process, so you will find either wheat, soy, rice or corn products listed. However, make sure none of these carbohydrates is first in the list of ingredients. If it is, it probably has too much carbohydrate for a ferret to digest or receive any nutritional value from. The first six ingredients in ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet are: Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Ground Wheat, Wheat Flour, Chicken, and Egg Product. Remember the three most important considerations in the ferret diet you choose: High in energy (fat); high in protein (animal sources); and low in fiber (plant-based ingredients).

Q: I’ve heard that my ferret’s diet should have plenty of Omega Fatty Acids in it. Does your diet have this?
A: Yes, ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet has Omega Fatty Acids and they contribute to your ferret’s healthy skin and shiny coat.

Q: My ferret really likes fruit, especially raisins. I’m not sure how many I should give him each day.
A: Make certain you limit the amount of treats to no more than 20% of your ferret’s total diet. In addition, ferrets with insulin problems such as insulinomas, should not be fed high sugar snacks. Offer your ferret a diet high in protein and fat several times a day and this will help stabilize his blood sugar levels. Consult with your veterinarian if you think your ferret is sick.

Q: Does your ferret diet have fishmeal in it?
A: ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet contains no fish or fishmeal. Fishmeal has an offensive odor and often contains mineral levels that are too high. Any ferret diet that lists fish in the first three ingredients will most likely produce a foul smelling stool, as well as a strong body odor in the ferret itself. You can reduce the odor of your ferret’s stools, and his own body odor by feeding ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet with no fishmeal in it.

Q: Does Premium Ferret Diet have any artificial preservatives?
A: ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet contains no artificial preservatives and is naturally preserved with Vitamins E and C to maintain freshness for one year from the date of manufacture.

Q: How do I tell if the ZuPreem diet I have is fresh?
A: Printed on the side of your bag of ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet, you will see “Best Before” then the date. This will tell you the intended shelf-life of your product. Also, check the bag instructions on the best way to store the diet to maintain freshness.

Q: I am a new ferret owner and would like to talk to others who may have more experience than I do. Since I’m just getting started, I need all the help I can get.
A: Go to the Ferret Club Locator on this site to find a ferret club near you. You’ll find many experienced ferret owners in clubs and they can help get you started. A ZuPreem Customer Care representative at 1-800-345-4767 may be able to help you if you can’t find one in your area.

Q: Can I buy direct from ZuPreem?
A: ZuPreem does not sell direct, but you can find the closest retailer in your area by going to the Retailer Locator here on ZuPreem.com. If there is not a retailer near you, or they do not stock ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet, a list of e-commerce sites that sell products for ferrets will come up on your screen. This will give you an opportunity to purchase ZuPreem Premium Ferret Diet directly from a variety of Internet sites. Please call ZuPreem Customer Care at 1-800-345-4767 if you need additional help.