# 6 week old ferret kits weaning?



## Polecats-and-Pooches (Jun 29, 2015)

Hiya, recently I bought two 6 week old hobs, both doing well however they will only eat raw meat, but I would like their staple food to be James well beloved ferret pellets and give them meat every other day or so as it is deeming difficult to have them on a pure raw diet as I cannot get organs etc for them which they are meant to have the whole animal really for all the nutrients etc but I can only get good cuts of meat which isn't what is best from what I have been told as they need most of the animal, I have given them mashed pellets etc and even blended mashed pellets and raw chicken together as a sort of slop but they are even fussy with that and only want pure meat, will they grow out of this or are they just so hooked onto raw food they won't change? I not then how do I get them onto pellets?


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## PawsOnMe (Nov 1, 2012)

At 6 weeks just keep them on raw for a while if you can. With mine at about 9 weeks I began only giving a small bowl of raw in the morning and dry (made soft at first) during the day and then another small bowl of raw at bedtime and slowly stopped the morning raw and then slowly the bedtime raw. Now they just have dry with the odd raw egg and meaty treat.


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## Polecats-and-Pooches (Jun 29, 2015)

PawsOnMe said:


> At 6 weeks just keep them on raw for a while if you can. With mine at about 9 weeks I began only giving a small bowl of raw in the morning and dry (made soft at first) during the day and then another small bowl of raw at bedtime and slowly stopped the morning raw and then slowly the bedtime raw. Now they just have dry with the odd raw egg and meaty treat.


Ok then, they are now 7 weeks (wow time flys by!!) and one of them I have been able to get an interest in the pellets if I crumble them smaller he will eat them out of my hand, but the other shows no interest what so ever in te pellets and will only eat the raw meat, they won't go near the pellets if they are mashed or softened which I find strange?


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## PawsOnMe (Nov 1, 2012)

Polecats-and-Pooches said:


> Ok then, they are now 7 weeks (wow time flys by!!) and one of them I have been able to get an interest in the pellets if I crumble them smaller he will eat them out of my hand, but the other shows no interest what so ever in te pellets and will only eat the raw meat, they won't go near the pellets if they are mashed or softened which I find strange?


Raw meat is more palatable for them and given the choice between the two they'll prefer the meat. I had a bit of trouble switching my youngest two onto kibble. It took a few changes of the kibble before I found one they all liked and enjoyed and I did like I said above and didn't put as much meat down and changed them over slowly and it worked. They can be fussy little eaters sometimes haha.


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## Polecats-and-Pooches (Jun 29, 2015)

PawsOnMe said:


> Raw meat is more palatable for them and given the choice between the two they'll prefer the meat. I had a bit of trouble switching my youngest two onto kibble. It took a few changes of the kibble before I found one they all liked and enjoyed and I did like I said above and didn't put as much meat down and changed them over slowly and it worked. They can be fussy little eaters sometimes haha.


Yeah ahaha, I only know a couple of brands but James well beloved is the best I can find right now, I crumbled the pellets with some minced beef and they tried pick round but still got some of the pellets which at least they are eating little of the pellets instead of none so I guess thy are getting there, thank you for your help!


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