Black-Footed Ferrets have a high metabolic rate and need to eat large quantities of food relative to their body size. In general, one Black-Footed Ferret will consume one prairie dog every 3 – 4 days. Over the course of a year, one ferret family will need to eat over 250 prairie dogs to survive. They also supplement their diet with mice, rats, ground squirrels, rabbits, birds, and occasionally, reptiles and insects.