FerretWhat can a ferret eat?
16 foods checked against vets’ sources: what’s fine, what only now and then, and what never.
Every day
Meat-based ferret kibble (35–40% protein, low in carbs and fiber): weigh out the day's portion and leave it out, so it can eat whenever it wants. Treats only meat or egg, like a bit of cooked chicken or hard-boiled egg. No sugar, fruit, vegetables or dairy.
No food matches: if it isn’t on the list, ask your vet before giving it.
Never
Bacon, sausages and cured meatsNo
They contain too much salt.
Source: PDSA: Ferrets as pets
BonesNo
They can block the gut, which can be fatal.
Source: Royal Veterinary College: Ferret care and advice (2022)
Bread, pasta, rice and cerealNo
They're starches that ferrets can't digest well.
Source: RSPCA: What To Feed Your Ferret
ChocolateNo
It's toxic (theobromine), especially dark chocolate and cocoa: never.
Dog and cat foodNo
Not suitable: it has less protein and fat than ferrets need.
Source: PDSA: Ferrets as pets
Fruit (banana, apple…)No
It's sugary: ferrets often get insulinoma (a pancreatic tumour), and sugar makes it worse.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Ferret
Grapes, raisins and sultanasNo
They're toxic to ferrets in any amount, even cooked in baked goods: they can cause kidney failure.
Honey, sweets and sugarNo
Sugar makes the pancreas release insulin and can worsen insulinoma, a common disease in ferrets.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Ferret
Milk and dairyNo
Ferrets have trouble digesting them.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Ferret
Raw meatNo
The PDSA and RVC advise against it: it can block the gut and carry Salmonella and Campylobacter, which are dangerous for people too.
Source: PDSA: Ferrets as pets
Vegetables (carrot, peas…)No
Ferrets are carnivores: they don't digest plant fibre and starch well, and a diet high in plant protein can cause bladder stones.
Source: RSPCA: What To Feed Your Ferret
Xylitol (sugar-free gum, some peanut butters)No
This sweetener makes a ferret's blood sugar crash: weakness, seizures, collapse.
Only now and then, a little
EggsA little
A bit of boiled egg makes a good treat; a whole egg in its shell, now and then, is also a game.
How much: A small piece as a treat; a whole egg only now and then.
Source: PDSA: Ferrets as pets
Meat treats for cats or ferretsA little
Fine as a treat if they're meat-based: for example freeze-dried meat or organ meat.
How much: Small pieces, as a treat: all treats together at most 5% of what it eats in a day.
Source: RSPCA: What To Feed Your Ferret
Plain cooked meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb)A little
A good treat, cooked and plain.
How much: Small pieces, as a treat: all treats together at most 5% of what it eats in a day.
Source: PDSA: Ferrets as pets
Fine
Ferret kibbleYes
Ferrets are strict carnivores: kibble made for them has everything they need and also helps their teeth.
How much: Always available, since ferrets eat little and often, but weigh out the daily portion (they gain weight easily).
Source: PDSA: Ferrets as pets
When to call the vet Emergency: who to call
What other pets can eat
Rabbit Guinea pig Hamster Pet rat Canary Budgies Cockatiel Lovebirds Tortoise Red-eared slider Leopard gecko Bearded dragon Goldfish Betta fish Dogs and cats: can my pet eat it?
Sources
- PDSA: Ferrets as pets (checked on October 14, 2026)
- RSPCA: What To Feed Your Ferret (checked on October 14, 2026)
- Royal Veterinary College: Ferret care and advice (2022) (checked on October 14, 2026)
- RSPCA: Ferret poisoning: common ferret poisons (checked on October 14, 2026)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Providing a Home for a Ferret (checked on October 14, 2026)