Ferret lovers might argue with me, but I can tell if you have a ferret upon walking in your front door. Even with the scent glands removed, they smell. Regular baths help a LOT, but they produce oils that keep their fur conditioned, and those oils have a musky odor. If it's really strong there's either a sanitation issue or a grooming problem, but even right after a bath and in a brand new clean cage, they all have a bit of funk.
With all due respect to Chip,
Do *not* give ferrets baths too frequently, it increases the oil production to make up for the dried out skin, making the smel worse.
I hardly ever bathe my ferrets. they're generally fairly clean animals, & they sometimes get to play in water (no soap) or a bucket of snow.
Several people have commented that my ferrets hadrly have any smell to them, even having as few as 6 & up to 12 at one time.
One friend recently came over & kept commenting how mine don't smell. That friend has 2 ferrets that have the typical ferret smell.
A big part, like I mentioned earlier is diet. Pet stores will tell you that you *have* to feed Marshall's ferret food, in order to get the health guarantee. Marshall's is not the absolute worst you can feed, but it's not a good food. The main ingredient is fish, which is part of what causes odor in them.
I have a high quality grain-free, high protein kibble (Fromm Surf & Turf) available to them at all times. They are supplemented with raw & whole prey (mice, chicks).
I had ferrets for a while and my only complaint was that I didn't really mess with trying hard to potty train them so they went wherever on my carpet which left stains. Also dug at the carpet by my sliding door and I couldn't have my inside plant without trouble! I loved them though as far as the ferrets themselves, they are so cute! I didn't find them to be smelly but I also kept their cage very clean. They were more work than I anticipated.
Just like with kittens, who are trained by their mother, baby ferrets are taught to use the litterbox by their mother. The problem with pet store ferrets, is they're pulled from their mother at about 4weeks old, spayed/neutered, then sent off to pet stores. WAY too young to be pulled from their mother. Not only is it unhealthy for them, they lack social skills & training that a mother gives them.
A good reputable breeder will let babies go to new homes at 8-12 weeks old. (8 weeks to homes they know have baby ferret experience, that they trust). A reputable breeder also issues a contract, stating that you cannot have the ferret descented, unless medically necessary, as well as that you have to return the ferret to the breeder if you're ever unable to keep the ferret.
They are a lot of work, & that's why many end up in shelters & rescues. People impulse buy them because they're cute & so much fun, then they realize the amount of work that goes into the & get rid of them.
I have 2 ferrets, Gwin and Zeke. They are just like kittens. If you want a ferret be prepared to have a kitten for the next 7 years.
Ferrets are extremely smart. Once they see a door opens, they try to open it again so they can go explore, which is one reason they dig at carpet.
Ferrets are easy to litter box train, mine never go outside their litter box when in their cage. When they are out they use the cat litter boxes.
They do poop a lot, their litter box needs to be cleaned at least once a day. They also drink a lot of water. In Gwin and Zeke's cage they have blankets on each level to curl up in, they also have a couple of hammoks and a soft igloo thing. Once a week I take everything out, wipe down their cage, and put in clean blankets. I wash their washable toys about once a month.
They can be fed on kitten food or ferret food. They love treats, especially meat.
They do have a unique smell. It doesn't bother me, I don't think it's a bad smell. Some people can't stand it. It really depends on the person. Giving them frequent baths only increases their smell. Cleaning their ears is a good way to lessen their odor. Mine get baths about once every 3 weeks-once every month. They also need their nails trimmed often, which isn't hard if you know how to do it.
They need to come out every day. They are attention seeking creatures who love to come out and play with you or each other. They do chew on me, like a kitten would chew on you, only not as hard. Ferrets won't bite unless they weren't raised right, kind of like a dog or cat.
If you think they are cute and want to get one, go for it. I love having mine. I let them out everyday in their room while I'm doing my homwork after school. They are trouble makers, much like a kitten, but i love them to death. Most don't like to be held or cuddled though, so if you're looking for a cuddly pet I would steer away from them.
IMO, there are no more good ferret foods on the market. Evo used to be the food I fed, but they got bought out by Procter & Gamble, who ruined Iam's, by changing to cheap ingredients.
They need a high protein, animal based food, They do not have a cecum, to digest veggies.
THe
Holistic Ferret Forum
is a great place to learn about them.
Is there a rescue near you that you can sign up to foster? That would give you experience in keeping them, without the commitment, & you can decide of they are an animal that you could commit to.
I had a ferret years ago. Loved him! The scent thing... it will always be there to one extent or another. If you're thinking that a daily cleaning will get rid of the odor, you'll need to rethink that. I cleaned up after mine each day and the odor was still "palatable" (lol).
It didn't really bother me after a while, but if you spend a couple days away, you'll notice the smell again very easily. Kinda like having cats... I can walk into any home with cats and immediately tell that they have cats. I can even smell it from the outside of homes as well. LOL.
Ferrets are lovable and fun, though. If you plan on playing with one, then do NOT get an albino one. Albinism in ferrets REALLY affects their eyesight. I didn't know this when I bought my Chester. I then noticed that when I played with him, he couldn't see much more than 2 feet in front of him... He could see movement and shadows, but if I tossed a ball, he'd leap after it until it went beyond that 2 feet and stop and "wonder" where it went... CUTE, but not really conducive to real playtime. He also - because of his sight issue, would follow EXTREMELY close on my heels... almost to the point where I was worried that I'd step on him and simply pick him up to keep from squishing him.
If you decide to get one, I think if you and your family can get over the smell issue, you'll have lots of fun and grow to love the little guy. They're amazing and if I could get one again and not have odor issues, I would.
The majority of the ferrets that have vision & hearing problems are not necessarily due to albinism. The ones with the white blaze on the head as well as the ones with the white hood are usually the ones affected. It's called Waardenburg syndrome. The commercial breeders know that this is an issue, yet they continue to produce them, because the public likes the look of them.
Yes, *on a quality diet* & keeping the litter box clean & the bedding clean (I scoop the litterbox once a day & change out the bedding once a week, sometimes every two weeks) & I can tell you, all six of my ferrets smell less than having one cat in the house.
Anyone who is not used to pets, is going to smell any animals in a house they walk into. It doesn't matter if it's a dog, cat, or ferret, but it easily can be very mild, as opposed to the general belief that ferrets have a strong odor.
I've had several people stand right next to my three level Ferret Nation cage, that has three litterboxes & the six ferrets & be amazed at how little they smell.
Trimming their nails can be pretty easy, even by yourself.
I put the ferret on their back, in my lap, & put some Ferretone on their belly, & while they're busy licking it off, I trim their nails.
