We know that there are hundreds of ferret treat options available on the market and that they are not all created equal. So, we figured out which ferret treats are the absolute best you can buy today. Here are our reviews for the seven best ferret treats that you can buy online.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
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Best Overall |
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Marshall Bandits Peanut Butter Flavor Ferret |
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Best Value |
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N-Bone Bacon Flavor Chew Stick Ferret Treats |
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Premium Choice |
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Wysong Dream Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Treat |
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N-Bone Grain-Free Soft Ferret Treats |
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Marshall Goodbye Odor Ferret Semi-Moist Treats |
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The 7 Best Ferret Treats
1. Marshall Bandits Peanut Butter Flavor Ferret — Best Overall
These treats are semi-moist, so they will hold together well until offered to your ferret, yet they should be easy for them to eat. Made of real chicken and liver, these treats are peanut butter flavored, making them irresistible even for the picky ferrets out there. Because Marshall Bandits Premium Peanut Butter treats are protein-based, they are a healthy enough choice to serve as daily treats or rewards during training sessions. We think they are the best overall ferret treats.
Marshall Bandits treats are low in sugar to help keep your ferret’s blood sugar levels under control, and it comes in a resealable package that does not need refrigeration between uses. However, the seal can start to loosen after regular use. If your ferret will not be eating treats often, you may need to repackage the treats or put them in a second bag to keep them fresh. While the first few ingredients are meat, there is no peanut butter in the formula. Instead, peanut butter flavoring is used, which may not come from natural sources.
2. N-Bone Bacon Flavor Chew Stick Ferret Treats — Best Value
N-Bone’s Bacon-Flavored Chew Sticks are made with real pork and herring and are long-lasting to keep your ferret entertained while satisfying their hunger between meals. These sticks are too large to use as treats when training, but they are the perfect option when your ferret is spending downtime in their cage or hanging out with you on the couch.
These are some of the best ferret treats for the money because they are affordable and indulgent. Taurine is included in this formula to support the proper development of the central nervous system. You will not find any artificial ingredients in these treats. However, the downside to this option is that meat is not the first ingredient on the list, and instead, it is made primarily of wheat.
3. Wysong Dream Chicken Freeze-Dried Raw Treat — Premium Choice
These treats are unique because they are designed for ferrets, cats, and dogs, which makes them the perfect choice for multi-pet households. Wysong Dream Chicken Freeze-Dried Treats are made with raw meat and are packed with both probiotics and prebiotics for healthy digestion. These little treats come in the shape of discs and are mess-free, making them suitable for travel.
Each treat is fortified with an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in the form of real fruits and vegetables. The first ingredients on the list are chicken, chicken organs, and chicken bone, which results in 44% crude protein content. Something to be aware of is that these treats might be a little too solid for young and senior ferrets to easily chew.
4. N-Bone Chicken Flavor Grain-Free Soft Ferret Treats
These grain-free treats are formulated with essential omega fatty acids and are bite-sized just for ferrets. These soft treats are easy to eat for ferrets of all ages. Real chicken is the first ingredient on the list, followed by sweet potatoes and herring oil for added nutrition. The treats are naturally preserved with vitamin C, and no artificial ingredients are used to flavor or color them.
N-Bone Chicken Flavor Grain-Free Soft Ferret Treats are small in size, perfect for ferrets to pick up and scurry away to where they will gobble it down. These treats come in a convenient sealable pouch and will hold up well to environments of all kinds, without having to be stored in the fridge. What is not great about this product is that it does not have an appealing smell to our human noses.
5. Marshall Goodbye Odor Ferret Semi-Moist Treats
Marshall Goodbye Odor Semi-Moist Treats are specially formulated with Yucca schidigera, which is known to deodorize stool and urine so your ferret’s living quarters will stay smelling fresh between cleanings. These treats feature minimal ingredients and nothing artificial. Real chicken and chicken meal are the first ingredients, followed by important amino acids such as threonine, valine, and lysine to enhance the nutrition profile of your ferret’s diet.
These treats are made in the United States and are semi-moist for ease of handling and eating. They are suitable for daily eating, but they should not replace any of your ferret’s regular diet. It is also worth noting that these treats are not infused with flavoring like others on our list, so some ferrets may not like the natural taste of these treats.
6. Kaytee Fiesta Tropical Fruit & Yogurt Small Animal Treats
This product is formulated to be served like granola to encourage foraging, for both entertainment and nourishment at snack time. It features various goodies in it, such as dried banana, mango, and papaya, as well as ground wheat and flaxseed. Yucca schidigera extract is added to help reduce foul feces and urine odors. Also, an array of vitamins and minerals fortify this formula to help enhance your ferret’s overall nutrition intake.
Kaytee Fiesta Tropical Fruit & Yogurt Treats are made for small animals of all kinds, so if you have guinea pigs or rats too, they can enjoy the formula along with your ferret. The formula is coated in fruit-flavored yogurt to have an irresistible flavor that any small animal like your ferret would love. The biggest downside to this product is that it does not include meat protein, which is what ferrets need as the main source of their diet, so the treats should be offered sparingly.
7. Brown’s Tropical Carnival Chicken Ferret Treats
Like many options on our reviews list, these treats are made of chicken, which happens to be a favorite of most ferrets. These soft treats are bite-sized and are so meat-centric, they likely will not last long once offered. Fortified with essential vitamins and ingredients, these treats are designed to help ensure a shiny and healthy coat.
Your ferret certainly will not go hungry when these snacks are offered between meals. However, while some ferrets enjoy these snacks, others have shown a dislike for the flavor, texture, or both, which means that they might be sitting in your cupboard for months to come.
Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Ferret Treats
Choosing the perfect treats for your ferret may require trial and error, but there are things you can do to make the process of finding a great treat more enjoyable and less stressful overall.
Read the Entire Ingredients List
It is important to know exactly what is inside any treats that you consider offering your ferret. Not all treats have only healthy ingredients in them. Unfortunately, many on the market contain worrisome ingredients, such as artificial flavors and colors and BHT, which is used as a preservative but is considered a carcinogen. If you see anything artificial on the ingredients list, it is best to skip that treat option and look for another that includes natural ingredients.
Any ingredients that you do not readily recognize should be researched before deciding whether it is fine to be in your ferret’s food. If you are in doubt, make a quick call to your veterinarian, as they should have no problem letting you know whether a specific ingredient is okay for your beloved ferret to eat.
Remember What Ferrets Should Eat
It can be tough to remember that our ferrets are carnivores when shopping for fun treats to spoil them with. After all, the treats will not be their main source of food. So, what does it hurt if the treats are not made with meat? It depends on how often you feed treats to your ferret. If you feed them treats multiple times a day, it is important to make sure that the treats are made up predominately of meat to ensure that they do not lack in nutrition as time goes on.
However, if you only feed your ferret treats a few times a week, the treats can include things like fruits, veggies, and even yogurt because they will be such a small part of their diet overall. But even treats made with fruits and veggies should include meat as one of the first ingredients on the list. If in doubt, focus on treats featuring only proteins.
Pay Attention to Texture
It is important to make sure you understand the texture of any ferret treat that you consider buying before you order it; otherwise, you may end up with a cupboard full of treats that your ferret will not touch. Ferrets enjoy foraging and snacking on crunchy things, similar to how they would munch on the bones of animals in the wild.
If the treats you get them are too mushy, they may not be interested in eating them at all. Their treats can be soft, but they should be solid enough that your ferret has something to sink their teeth into. The crunchier the better; your ferret will enjoy the crunch, and the crunch will help keep your ferret’s teeth clean.
Consider Storage Requirements
Depending on what they are made of, how they are processed, and what they are packaged in, the ferret treats you choose to invest in may need to be refrigerated between uses. Read the storage instructions before purchasing to ensure that you will want to and be able to safely store them once you start using them. Also, you should be aware that resealable packaging may not stay closed tightly after use. If you choose treats with this type of packaging, consider picking up a plastic container with an airtight lid that you can keep the treats in after you open them. This should help keep the treats fresh for longer so you do not end up wasting any.
Get Expert Advice
To ensure that you are making the right treat decision for your ferret, consider getting expert advice from your veterinarian. Let your veterinarian know what the treats are for, whether training or just for fun. Inform them if you are also trying to achieve specific results by feeding your ferret treats, like making their fur softer and shinier. Also, tell them what your ferret is eating at mealtime.
Using this information, your veterinarian can make specific recommendations about things like brands, ingredients, and packaging to help ensure that your ferret gets nothing but the best. The advice you get will give you the peace of mind that you need to feel confident about the treat-buying decisions you make for your ferret.
Conclusion
Our list of ferret treat reviews should provide you with plenty of different options to choose from that are fair in price, nutritional by nature, and convenient for human family members to administer. Our first choice on our ferret treats reviews list, Marshall Bandits Premium Peanut Butter Flavor Ferret Treats, are low in sugar, are made of real meat and liver, and are soft and easy to eat. Our second choice, N-Bone Bacon Flavor Chew Sticks are made with real pork and herring, include no artificial ingredients, and are long-lasting to entertain bored ferrets.
Whatever treats you choose for your ferret, we hope that they satisfy both the nutrition and curiosity needs of your ferret overall. Which treats on our reviews list do you think your ferret would like the best? We would love to learn about your thoughts in our comments section below!
Featured Image Credit: Lili Exe, Shutterstock