Hi,
I currently have 3 ferrets and I feed them the Marshall's kibble and I really wanted to change their diet to something much more healthier for them. The only thing is that when I got my first ferret Daisy, I bought the 8 in 1 Ultra-Blend and since at the pet store I got her from they only fed her Marshall's, she refused to eat it. And I got my males from the same pet store so I know that is all they've known as well and my oldest male is super picky with his treats so I think he will be just as hard to switch as well. My male Bear is very young though and I feel if I can get my older ones to transition then Bear will just follow by example. I was thinking to change them to BLUE Wilderness Cat kibble. My friend uses this for her cat and she loves it and is a very active happy animal. My question is IF I can get them to try it and eat it and hopefully [fingers crossed] like it, can I completely cut out Marshall's [well, basically any other main source of food] and have Blue Wilderness Cat kibble become their main diet? I've heard of people mixing but I have not met anyone who uses a cat kibble as their main source of food. 

Also, I am interesting in finding out what kinds of foods I may have in my household that I'd be able to give to my ferrets that is not only tastey to them but healthy. My oldest male Duke is so picky the only treats he will eat are Marshall's Bandits Premium Ferret Treats Original Chicken Flavor and Ferret Chew Treats Chicken or Duck Flavor. And my female Daisy will eat both of those and Ferret Bites Natural & Artificial flavored Peanut Butter crunch treat. My newest addition Bear will eat the Ferret Bites Natural & Artificial flavored Peanut Butter crunch treat & Ferret Bites Wild Harvest Grilled Chicken Flavor. He tried a Ferret Chew Duck Flavored and didn't care for it. I am learning that these treats are not so healthy for my ferrets. Granted I hardly give them treats, maybe once or twice a week usually after nails trimming or a bath. I'd still like to find something healthy so I could possibly spoil them more than a couple times a week and not feel bad. Even though my ferrets are on a kibble diet could I feed them something like a chicken slice [raw or cooked?] as a snack [if they are willing to try it]? 

They have not ever really been interested in eating anything other than the Marshall's kibble or certain "Ferret" treats. What can I do to make them want to try new things to eat?

[Cynthia, Daisy, Duke, & Bear]

Some tricks to help your ferrets try new kibble: 
-pre portion out the food into baggies and refrigerate them. This helps the flavors mingle.
-crush the old food into a powder and use it to coat the new food.

Blue Wilderness is a decent kibble, but I highly recommend mixing at least 2 foods for several reasons:
-It gives your ferret a variety of tastes and textures, instead of the same boring flavors all the time
-I feel that it makes them a bit less picky, since they are used to a variety.
-If one food is ever unavailable/recalled/formula changes, you have another food to fall back on.

Some other foods to consider are Wysong (digestive support), Wellness Core cat, Natures Variety Instinct cat, and Orijen cat. I actually tend to recommend cat foods more than ferret foods because quality ferret foods are next to impossible to find.

As far as treats go, I really only use Natures Variety Instinct raw boost bites. They are freeze dried meat treats. Other similar brands include Grandma Lucys, PureBites, and Wysong Dream treats. 
I avoid most commercial ferret treats because most (read: almost all) contain unhealthy ingredients such as grains and sugars.
If I remember correctly, the "Peanut Butter Crunch treats" have raisins in the mix, which are actually toxic to ferrets.

Basically, what to look for in treats is a limited ingredient list, and meat-based ingredients. Raw/cooked chicken is an excellent treat! salmon oil/ Ferretone and raw eggs are also favorites as well.

To get them to try new treats, just keep offering them! They may not recognize them as food, and don't know that they are edible. Basically like someone handing us a brick....here eat this! You can put a little bit in their mouth to get them to try it. Repeat as necessary!

Ferrets: Wesley, Percy, Owen    -rip Bandit-
Bettas- Kitty, Pip, and Logan
Sun Conure- Kita
Gerbils- Piper and Tailer

Thank you for the advice. I never would have thought to crush the old food and sprinkle it onto the new food to help them at least try the new food. And I will def look into the other foods you had mentioned as mixers for new the food [not sure if I am going to use Blue Wilderness, it is just a food that I can find easily in my area]. 
Finding quality ferret foods has been near to impossible for me where I live and it is such a hassle to order online because I live in a locked entry apartment and every time I have ordered something online I have had to call out of work to be home to get the package because they can never get in to leave it for me. It's just easier to drive to the city for it. 

I will have to try the treats you mentioned as well. I did do some research about bad things for ferrets to eat and I noticed raisins were toxic and thought that was very odd that they'd put them in there for them. Luckily my ferrets had no interest in the raisins and only ate the brown kibble treats. But now that I know raw or cooked chicken would be a great treat for them I think I may stay clear from the commercial ferret treats and stick to that if they will eat it, lol. The raw eggs I think would be great as well. But do they have to be raw? Or could I scramble them with no extras like seasoning or butter? Or is raw best?

Also, when I bought my first ferret I was going to purchase Ferretone but the pet store employee told me that Ferretone was actually bad for them. That it was only good to use if your ferret was sick and needed help gaining weight. So I didn't purchase it. Would this just be something that I use sparingly? 

Thank you for your help, I truly appreciate it. I am excited for my next trip out of town to buy my fur babies everything they need for a healthier, happy life.

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[Cynthia, Daisy, Duke, & Bear]

Hi there.
Ferretone is very useful when doing things like clipping nails and inspecting/cleaning ears.  A few drops on the belly keeps ferrets distracted while you do the grooming.  A few drops here and there for a treat is ok, but I do't recommend it every day.  You msy get the same results with more benefit by using salmon oil if your ferrets like it.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

Awesome, good to know. Looks like I will be picking some up next time I go to the city. Would I be able to find the salmon oil at a pet store? Or is that something I'd find at a place like Walmart? 

I guess the lady I spoke to at the pet store didn't know to much about what she was talking about, lol.

My fur babies are very good when it comes to clipping their nails, but as for their ear cleanings... I hope this helps, lol :)

[Cynthia, Daisy, Duke, & Bear]

Would I be able to find the salmon oil at a pet store?

My local pet store carries the salmon oil in the dog area and cat area.
Check out both department to see which one is a better deal.


I have also seen salmon oil in wal-mart - pet department

A lot of pet store associates don't know all they should about ferrets.  I was given a lot of misinformation when I got my first, and I'm sure some of it was intended to sell more ferret products that you don't need, like Bi-odor and Ferret Sheen deodorizer spray. 

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

Sounds to me like the sales associate may have been confused between FerreTone and FerretVite. FerretVite is touted as a high-calorie supplement and some recommend it for weight gain. I however do not since the calories come from sugar. (Ie: unhealthy calories)

We have a sticky that explains the differences in ferret supplements

Ferrets: Wesley, Percy, Owen    -rip Bandit-
Bettas- Kitty, Pip, and Logan
Sun Conure- Kita
Gerbils- Piper and Tailer