Because healthy ferrets should mainly eat a diet of dry ferret food, they may be unaccustomed to eating moist or semi-moist foods. However, softer foods are often recommended for sick ferrets. Do not wait until your ferret is sick and cannot eat on its own to introduce it to softer foods. It is important for ferrets to take in nutrients when they are sick to avoid additional complications.

A popular choice is baby food. Remember that ferrets need a meat-based diet, and choose a baby food accordingly. Serve the food barely warm using fingers, a spoon, or syringe. If a syringe is used, push the plunger in slowly to avoid choking the animal. The ferret may not be interested the few first times you offer this new food, but eventually the ferret will start to eat the soft food and look forward to it as a treat.

As a general guideline, a sick ferret should be fed 15 to 20 mL of food every 2 to 4 hours, in addition to plenty of water. However, you should check with your veterinarian for specific instructions on feeding your sick pet.