Comparative digestibility of nutrients and energy in ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), mink (Neovison vison) and cats (Felis catus)

Digestibility was evaluated in three strict carnivore species, the ferret (Mustela putorius furo), the mink (Neovison vison) and the cat (Felis catus) in a Latin square design experiment using a homemade ferret diet, a commercial wet mink diet and a grocery store canned cat diet. Six animals per species were used, but only two cats concluded the experiment. Ferrets and mink were housed in metabolism cages whereas cats were kept in their home environment. The experiment was performed with 3-days adaptation periods followed by 4-days periods of recording of feed intake and quantitative collection of faeces. Generally, the cats digested the major nutrients better than did ferrets and mink. Ferrets and mink were mostly close in digestibility, but the mink digested fat and energy in the cat diet and protein and energy in the mink diet more poorly than the ferret. The ferret diet had the highest average digestibility whereas the cat diet had the poorest.