In recent years, ferrets gained a popularity boom. And no wonder: These small, spunky creatures are a lot of fun to have around! But as anyone who has cared for ferrets knows, they like to eat things that are just plain weird — gerbil food, cat food, hair ties, and anything else they can find.
So what’s the verdict on green beans? They’re healthy and tasty enough for humans to enjoy, but some ferret owners wonder if their pets can eat them too.
So here is your answer. No, ferrets should not eat green beans.
Why should Ferrets not eat Vegetables?
Ferrets are obligate carnivores. That means they must eat meat (which is protein) instead of plants.
Their digestive system is made for this type of diet, so they can’t digest the fiber that comes with green plants. Too many fibers could lead to intestinal blockages. And while it probably won’t do much harm for your ferret to eat a few green beans here and there, too much of the wrong thing could cause your pet a lot of discomforts.
So what can you fees your ferret instead? Certainly not fruits! Why? Here we go:
Why Should Ferrets not eat Fruits?
Well, first of all, fruits also contain fibers. But additionally, they also have a lot of sugar. Overeating sugar could lead to your pet being diabetic. Ferrets are also prone to insulinomas. That is cancer of the pancreatic cells – which again could cause an uncontrolled production of insulin.
What can you Feed your ferret?
After you learned that sugar and fiber are wrong, what should your furry friend eat instead?
Easy. Meat.
Animal-based protein and fat are what your ferret needs. You could feed a variety of different meats in combination with dry food (kibble)
Dry Food – Kibble
Kibble is a convenient way to provide your furry friend with all the nutrition it needs. Make sure only to buy products that are specifically made for ferrets. Not too long ago, people fed dog and cat kibble to their ferrets.
That’s something you should not do. Dog food and, to an extend, cat food contains more significant amounts of fiber, starch, and other fillers. Those things are bad for your ferret. It can not digest fibers, and sugar (starch) can cause many problems.
read.. are onions bad for ferrets?
Fresh Raw Meat
One of the most natural ways (ferrets are strict meat-eaters) would be to feed them a diet consisting of meat. Our furry friends can eat a variety of meat. Here are some of the things you might want to provide your ferret:
- beef
- chicken
- chicken wings
- turkey
- turkey necks
- pigeons
- game birds
- deer
- rabbit
- eggs
- fish (sometimes)
- …
Make sure the meat is fresh. If you can not use it all at once, freeze the parts you don’t use right away.
What If my Ferret Doesn’t like meat?
Ferrets are imprinted to the foods they like by the age of approximately six months. Many larger pet stores that sell ferrets feed the only kibble to their ferrets.
It’s logistically way harder to provide raw meat to your pet. And dry food is more convenient. So many ferrets eat only kibble during their entire lives, even when they’re grown up.
If you have a ferret that didn’t like meat when it was a baby or younger, the chances are that it won’t like it as an adult either.
But never give up! It is possible to make your ferret eat meat (when there is no other option). You could start by adding small pieces of chicken breast to your ferrets’ kibble.
Maybe mix the kibble and chicken with a little bit of water. Or make a cold soup and let your skeptic furry friend lick it if your finger.
If all of that doesn’t work – well, it may sound harsh – but you could skip 1-2 meals and then offer some raw meat. If they’re hungry enough, they will eat it (I am not a friend of this approach)
You could also try making sort of a pate (meat + kibble) and serve that.
Summary
Can ferrets eat green beans? Nope – they should not eat beans. Or any vegetables. The same applies to fruits. Do not let your furry friend have fruits, either.
Meat is what they should eat. Either raw or in the form of a unique kibble that is made for ferrets.
