Do ferrets eat rabbit pets??

Question

The reason why i say that is becaues i have one and i read that ferrets are carnivors and in the wild they eat rabbit!!Dont lie to me people this has my rabbit life at steak!!!!!Soo that means they eat meat in the wild!!My mother said that it is in there blood to do that!!!!

Answer 1

Ferrets are predators, it is the reason why they have been banned in California. They get loose and wreak havoc on the endangered naitive burrowers, then take over their burrows. They eat meat, not veggies, and if you have yours caged with your bunny, then one or the other is going to wind up hurt or dead. I've learned the hard way by letting my Mom pet sit my 5 guinea pigs and 1 ferret for a week while I went on vacation, and she thought it would be smart to put the ferret in with the guinea pigs while she cleaned his cage. Needless to say I returned home to one less guinea pig and a nice vet bill for the wounds the others put on the ferret.

Answer 2

Well, it can be done. A ferret isn't a wild animal, any more that cats or dogs are. You would need to cage them separately, of course. And it helps a lot of the ferret in question is young when introduced. I would start very gradually, letting them get used to each others smell, and watching their reactions to see how you progress. A full size rabbit is pretty big compared to a ferret, but watch out if it is a dwarf, because it will look more like prey to the ferret. And I think I would supervise playtime together always, even when you think they will be fine, you never know when the ferret might get too excited and there could be a nasty accident.

Answer 3

Rabbit food would be a big no. Rabbit food is mostly hay which is not suitable for ferrets. Since rabbits are herbivores and ferrets are carnivores, their diets cannot be interchanged. Dog food does not have enough protein for ferrets and some brands do have grains which are not really good for ferrets. Cat or kitten food can be used, but you do need to make sure it is suitable for a ferret. There should be some websites with info on what is needed and even some brands that would be suitable (make sure the brand list is up to date as companies do change the formula). It would be a good idea to get a ferret specific food, but make sure it is good for them. Not all foods made for any species are actually good for them.

Answer 4

Honestly, I have owned two of my three ferrets for 6 years and could not picture them killing anything ever. They are extremely tame because I have handled them every single day since I bought them (they lick my hands when I pick them up and they never bite me). What it's really going to depend on is the temperament of the particular ferret that you own. Your ferret would not kill the rabbit for food (hopefully it's well-fed), however, it may instinctively be aggressive. I would never allow the two animals to be alone together and if you are going to allow them to play together make sure there is constant supervision. Introduce them slowly and try to gauge your ferret's reaction. I don't think a rabbit would consider a ferret to be a great pal anyway...my ferrets play very roughly with each other, nipping and jumping on each other much like puppies. I can't imagine that a rabbit would enjoy that kind of treatment, lol.

Answer 5

The ferrets you can buy at the pet store are DOMESTICATED animals. They cannot (or rather, it is EXTREMELY unlikely for them to) survive in the wild. While they are related to wild ferrets, it really isn't that closely. Domesticated ferrets will eat ferret food and ferret treats and dry cat food... My ferret doesn't go near the canned cat food. If you are worried about getting a ferret with your rabbit, don't put your ferret near your rabbit. Keep them separated. Or, just don't get a ferret. Be happy with your rabbit.

Answer 6

Ferrets are carnivores and will attack animals such as rabbits. You can't trust them around small animals or birds. They do usually get along with cats and dogs though. And the domestic ferret is not found in the wild, we aren't sure where they came from exactly. But in the United Kingdom they do use them to flush rabbits out of burrows where they are caught in nets. The ferrets usually don't catch and kill the rabbits, just scare them out to the hunters.

Answer 7

I own 2 ferrets and a rabbit and it is best to keep them apart...By nature ferrets are carnivorous and rabbits are a main source of their diet...so it's better to be safe then sorry...And once a ferret gets a taste for blood it can be disastrous...

Answer 8

Possibly. It is in a dogs "blood" to eat cats too (coyotes often live off farm cat), but that doesn't mean they can't get along. The kill of a ferret is ussually a very quick one, where the ferret bites the bunny at the base of the skull severing its brain stem with its teeth.

Answer 9

A ferret will eat your rabbit.

Answer 10

Individual ferrets have different levels of prey drive and can be trained not to bite hard, but rabbits may be scared of them if they play together, because carnivores play like they're hunting, and play bites and attacks can stress rodents.