Ferret weaning

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have a ferret that I brought on saturday. He was born on may 7th so he should be weaned. I have tried giving him kibble but he doesn't even mouth it. He was fed cat food (which I have him on now), corned beef and minced beef. I have tried to give him soft kibble but he only eats a little bit. Iam worried that he will not get enough nutrients from cat food. I have heard of a ferret vitamin called ferroetone. Iam worried please help.

ANSWER: Hi Coral,

Ferret kits (babies) have a little trouble with hard food at first, especially early. I would suggest wetting down the kibble that you want to feed him (James Wellbeloved is a good brand available over there). Make sure to change the food out every few hours to avoid letting the food go bad.

I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions.

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, thanx, that helped, he is chewing the kibble now. I have another question.
How can I get him to use a water bottle?
With my other ferret that I had before, she was always given a bottle whereas he was given a bowl.
Iam stuck because Iam forever changing his water because he burys it. Is there some sort of trick to get him to use it?

Answer
Hello again, Coral,

What I did when my ferrets were not so excited about using their water bottles is I put a little Ferretone on the end of the spout that they lick. That should encourage him. Also, I put a little water on my finger and let them lick it and then I shook the ball in the water bottle to make the water come down to let them know that is where the water was coming from. I noticed in your other question that you said something about cat litter and I just wanted to say that you shouldn't be using cat litter of any kind for ferrets because they like to dig in their litter and if that litter gets in their eyes and their noses, that can clump and clog their airways or eyes. That is VERY not good. It can also cause respiratory infections. You should use a pelleted litter, maybe recycled newspaper or something like that. These are safe and dust free. Also, shredded newspaper is a good alternative.

I hope this helps and if you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews