Ferret only eating if hand fed

[arialxxyah]

I got my ferrets to raw a few months ago and they were fine on it. After a few months I realized that they were slowly more reluctant to eat unless I hand fed it to them (they wouldn’t touch the food bowl).

It’s not that they aren’t hungry; or that they don’t like the food; they just WONT touch it unless I feed it to them. When I do feed them they eat until there’s no tomorrow.

The issue is; currently it’s fine since were all staying at home but soon I will have to start going out again and the currently system wouldn’t be practical anymore.

I’ve tried just not feeding them for the day but they just not eat the entire day. Sometimes they will go to the bowl to get a nibble but nothing substantial. I've done the thing where I feed them and then lead them to the bowl; but they would just nibble for a second and then leave.

Can anyone help me? Is this just a bad habit? Should I just leave them alone and wait until their hungry enough to get it themselves?

[abbeytheferret6]

Is it raw?
Anyway don't know if it will work--- but when feeding soupies, people will switch over to a spoon which is held then after a few bites they lay spoon in a saucer. Of course this may have to be repeated a few times as they do seem to enjoy being finger fed.

Don't know if this will work with kibbles if that is what you are doing.

Then of course they know where the food is, and they will probably start feeding themselves after realizing you are not around so much once this quarantine stuff is over---my thoughts anyway.

[arialxxyah]

May 20, 2020 7:08:45 GMT -5 abbeytheferret6 said:

Is it raw?
Anyway don't know if it will work--- but when feeding soupies, people will switch over to a spoon which is held then after a few bites they lay spoon in a saucer. Of course this may have to be repeated a few times as they do seem to enjoy being finger fed.

Don't know if this will work with kibbles if that is what you are doing.

Then of course they know where the food is, and they will probably start feeding themselves after realizing you are not around so much once this quarantine stuff is over---my thoughts anyway.

it is raw; I will try the spoon. method 

[arialxxyah]

May 20, 2020 7:08:45 GMT -5 abbeytheferret6 said:

Is it raw?
Anyway don't know if it will work--- but when feeding soupies, people will switch over to a spoon which is held then after a few bites they lay spoon in a saucer. Of course this may have to be repeated a few times as they do seem to enjoy being finger fed.

Don't know if this will work with kibbles if that is what you are doing.

Then of course they know where the food is, and they will probably start feeding themselves after realizing you are not around so much once this quarantine stuff is over---my thoughts anyway.

didn't work

[abbeytheferret6]

Lol.  They are very stubborn