Diet
Ferrets are obligate carnivores. The natural diet of their wild ancestors consisted of whole small prey, i.e., meat, organs, bones, skin, feathers, and fur. Some ferret owners feed a meat-based diet consisting of whole prey like mice and rabbits along with raw meat like chicken, beef, veal, kangaroo and wallaby. This is preferred in Europe and Australia, and becoming increasingly popular in the United States due to concern over high carbohydrate levels in some processed ferret foods.
Alternatively, there are many commercial ferret food products. Some kitten foods can also be used, so long as they provide the high protein and fat content required by the ferret's metabolism; high-quality commercial ferret foods are preferred to kitten foods by many ferret owners because the foods are geared more toward a ferret's metabolism than to a cat's. Most adult cat foods and kitten foods are unsuitable for ferrets however, because of their low protein content and high fiber. Ideally, a ferret food should contain a minimum of 32% meat based protein and 18% fat and a maximum 3% fiber. Low-quality pet foods often contain grain-based proteins, which ferrets cannot properly digest and result in lower nutrition leading to increased food intake and more waste.
Ferrets may have a fondness for sweets like raisins, bananas, peanut butter, and breakfast cereal. The high sugar content of such treats has been linked to ferret insulinoma and other diseases. Veterinarians recommend not feeding these foods to ferrets at all. Like many other carnivores, ferrets gradually lose the ability to digest lactose after they are weaned, and as a result, lactose-free milk is preferred.

Dangers to pet ferrets
Ferret curiosity often exceeds common sense in domestic environments and ferrets are good at getting into drains and holes in walls, doors, cupboards, or in or behind household appliances such as clothes dryers, stoves, ovens, and dishwashers, where they can be injured or killed by electrical wiring, fans, and other household item, or by drowning. Many chew items made of soft rubber, foam, or sponge, which present the risk of intestinal blockage and death if ingested. Serious and sometimes fatal injuries have resulted from ferrets chewing on electrical cords.
Recliners and fold-out sofas are a leading cause of accidental death in ferrets. Ferrets will often climb inside the springs and can be injured or killed once the chair is put into a reclined position. Clothes dryer vents often become escape routes to the outdoors. Unlike dogs and cats, many ferrets display little homing instinct and do not thrive as strays. Wandering ferrets run the risk of being injured or killed by passing vehicles, neighborhood animals, or local wildlife: their curious nature also leads them to place themselves in situations where they will confront and try to play with larger animals that may be dangerous to the ferret.
A ferret's long spine can be injured by rough handling: in addition, the small size and speedy nature makes it easy for a ferret to be stepped on.
Due to speculation on the possible effects of the photoperiod effect on the ferret's adrenal gland, some owners prefer to house their pets outdoors in sheds, and not indoors.
During mosquito and tick season, ferrets are susceptible to the diseases carried by these parasites. Ticks can attach themselves and begin to draw blood. When the tick gets full, it regurgitates some blood and tick saliva back into the ferret, which is how Lyme and other diseases can be transmitted. Ordinarily, the regurgitation happens between five to 24 hours after the tick attaches. Mosquitoes may also carry heart worms and the West Nile virus. Fleas can cause extreme skin irritation and can be intermediate hosts for tapeworms, one of which may kill a ferret because of their small size. Similarly, the venom of a bee, wasp or spider is much more serious for a ferret than for a larger mammal. Ferrets are prey for hawks and large snakes.