If you have a ferret as a pet or plan on getting one, then one of the major aspects to consider is their diet and feeding habits. Ferrets eat in small proportions and have a high metabolic rate. But it is necessary to keep a watch on what they eat.
Commercially available food specially formulated for ferrets is safe. But what if you want your ferret to enjoy and eat everything that you like? Just like TUNA.
Liked and loved by many, Tuna is the fish that is the people’s choice and grabbing the eyeballs. But is it equally preferred by and safe for ferrets? Read more to find out.
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Ferret Diet
Ferrets are explorative, social and interactive pets, and are great to have as pets. For their dietary and feeding habits, ferrets eat around 8-10 small meals in a day. They possess a high rate of metabolism and are strict carnivores. Just like any carnivore, high protein is a must in their diet. An ideal ferret diet consists of 20% fat, 36% animal protein, low carbohydrates, and less than 3% fat.
Commercially available ferret food has balanced nutrient levels. These pellets have traces of chicken or lamb protein, which helps in keeping their daily protein levels in check. Grain and corn, which serve as fillers in ferret food, are best avoided. Ferrets have a sensitive digestive system. Hence, they must avoid specific and hard to digest food.
As much as we love variety, introducing variety in your ferret’s food is also important. But we must consider the pros and cons of any new food before we incorporate it into our pet’s diet. One such food item that has grabbed attention as ferret food is ‘TUNA’.
Benefits of Tuna
Tuna is a popular saltwater fish and is liked by many, specifically sushi fans. Apart from its popularity, it offers multiple health benefits. Tuna consists of Omega-3 Fatty Acids which help in reducing cholesterol and helps in maintaining heart health.
Apart from being heart-friendly, it also aids in weight loss and lowers blood pressure. Additionally, it enhances immunity, strengthens bones and provides energy. With a range of benefits to offer, it is definitely a popular choice amongst many people, especially in Asian countries and Australia.
Tuna is purchased raw and can be cooked as per liking or is available as canned food. Canned tuna is delicious and offers the convenience of being ready to serve. It is also available with multiple seasonings making it a flavorful and interesting choice for subs, sandwiches, and sushi. With the convenience of eating and the range of benefits it offers, it is a fish that is a people’s favorite.
Can Ferrets Eat Tuna?
Tuna works wonders for humans but what about ferrets? With all the benefits and taste it offers, is it really ok to feed our ferrets tuna?
Ferrets can eat tuna. But it is good only if you want to introduce variety in your ferret’s meal. Ferrets require a high amount of protein. Majority of their protein is sourced from chicken or lamb meat.
Tuna has a high protein content but is not the only source of protein for ferrets. We have known certain varieties of ferrets to react to tuna weirdly. Hence as a ferret owner, you must be careful about the quantity you feed. Tuna can be given as a treat once in a while. Do not place the whole can, but one or two pieces can be given occasionally.
It is likely that sometimes you want your pet to taste everything that you eat since they are just like a family member and we love them so much. It may be beneficial for you but may serve no purpose for your pet or rather cause side effects to your pets.
Ferrets being carnivores should feed on meat but tuna has no nutritional benefits for them. Hence, the answer to whether ferrets can really eat tuna is controversial. Although it does not provide them with any major benefits, it is good to be given as occasional treats to introduce variety and a change of taste.
Do Ferrets Like Tuna?
Ferrets are explorative creatures. They would want to eat everything that is offered to them just out of curiosity but later reject it. Ferrets often fall in trouble because of ingesting things at random.
Ferret diet mainly consists of high levels of protein sourced from chicken or lamb. Beef, turkey, etc are other options in meat that you can consider as a ferret owner. There is no harm in introducing new items in their diet. It is up to them whether they like or dislike it.
Ferrets rarely prefer eating fish. This may also depend on species to species. Certain breeds of ferret may like eating fish while others may not enjoy. It is normal if your ferret behaves picky or moody about its food. But it is necessary to incorporate variety so that your ferret does not get bored with its food.
Can Ferrets Eat Canned Tuna?
As much as canned tuna is tasty since it contains seasonings and flavors, it is not advisable to feed ferrets with canned tuna. Tuna, in any form, does not have any major nutritional benefits apart from being a good variety in ferret diet. Most canned tuna has seasonings and salts in them for preservation, which is not safe for ferrets.
There are some ferret owners who feed canned tuna to their ferrets but in moderations. That too as treats, once or twice a month in order to introduce variety in their diet or give them a change of taste apart from their usual pellet food or chicken meat.
Apart from tuna, there are various options to consider such as nuts, other forms of meat, or fruits, etc. They are habituated to eating chicken or lamb meat hence fish is not what ferrets prefer. Their protein requirements are such that they require specific sources to fulfill their nutrient intake.
There are options apart from canned tuna that you can yourself, make at home. Rather that is fresh and better, which is safe for your ferret. Ferrets have sensitive digestion and not every food item suits them. They enjoy trying and tasting new things. Fresh and raw food items are more suitable than canned, processed food. The salts and seasonings they contain are also not safe and fresh for your ferret.
Now if you really want to give your ferret canned tuna, check with the ingredients before purchasing. It is advisable that you educate yourself about the list of ingredients that are safe and unsafe for ferrets. Even if you plan to give them canned cat food, check the nutritional content as cat food may have several variants. Choose a good brand with the highest quality ingredients, be it in case of tuna or any canned food.
Relying on canned food is definitely not safe, but canned tuna can serve as occasional treats for your furry friends. Else, commercially available ferret-foods or meat are always the best. You can induce different varieties of meat in their diet. They are not only safe but also satisfy your ferret’s nutritional requirements.
Is Tuna Safe for Ferrets?
It is always a good idea to keep introducing varieties in your ferret’s diet. Knowing their explorative instincts, it keeps their experimentative habit alive as they are used to nibbling onto food items. Introducing Tuna into their meals is a great idea, but tuna can serve as a treat rather than an entire meal or a replacement.
You can give them one or two pieces once or twice a month as ferrets rarely prefer having fish and rely on either commercially available ferret food or chicken or lamb meat. Since tuna is preferred and liked by most humans, it is not necessary that your ferret needs to eat and enjoy everything that you like.
Tuna may not go down well with certain ferret species. Some species may end up having smelly fur or they may suffer from diarrhea or start passing smelly feces. How displeasing is that? Hence, giving them tuna in moderation is advisable. As they say, too much of anything is not good.
Now the question arises, which tuna is safe for ferrets, raw or cooked?
Any raw food is better than its cooked counterparts. Fresh and raw tuna is far more easier to digest and also has all the nutrients intact. These nutrients are usually lost when tuna is cooked. Hence, raw tuna is healthier and better than the cooked form. At least, the nutrients are available in complete proportions and not lost in the cooking process.
Apart from tuna, there are other options like raw meat, eggs and special foods that fulfill your ferret’s nutritional content. Alternatives to tuna can also be whole, small chickens, ducks, lamb chops, lamb necks, beef chunks, buffalo chunks, etc.
Conclusion: Can Ferrets Really Eat Tuna?
The answer to that question would be a yes but in limits. Undoubtedly, tuna is tasty and liked by many. Canned tuna especially, consists of flavors, spices, and salts that are used for preservation and taste. It also offers the convenience of being ‘ready to serve’ food.
There is no harm in offering your ferret canned tuna but in moderations. The spices and flavors in canned tuna are not very suitable for a ferret as they have sensitive digestion. A ferret owner has to be very careful before choosing the right type and amount of tuna to be served. Ferrets being explorative, have tendencies of ingesting food they are not supposed to. This messes with their digestive tract, causing smelly poop and diarrhea, allergies, etc.
Tuna is best served as a treat occasionally. Ferrets have a strict diet, majorly consisting of protein and possess a high metabolism. With such a diet regimen, a ferret owner has to be careful before introducing any new food to their ferret.
If you are looking forward to feeding tuna to your fur-friend, experiment with minimal quantities at first. See how they react to it and then increase the amount accordingly. They will like it for the flavor and taste if it is canned, but canned tuna is not always safe. It may contain preservatives that can affect your ferret’s digestion.
Raw and fresh tuna is always a better option than cooked and canned versions.
As a ferret lover and owner, you will understand how adorable and explorative ferrets can get. You would want them to try varieties of food items with you but then again, they are better kept as treats. You would not want to see your ferret getting sick and clumsy because of all the food experiments.
There are specialized ferret pellets and formulations available commercially to fulfill your ferret’s dietary requirements. Moreover, these are safe and do not contain ingredients that can mess with your pet’s digestion.
All in all, Tuna is tasty and healthy, but better served in limits to your furry ferret.