Ferrets smell bad

[twiggy34409]

Alright, I know I ask a lot of stupid questions but I just got my ferret about a week ago and I don't know a darn thing about them. My ferret Freeta is staying in my bedroom, it's the only place for her to stay. She is stinking the place up and regardless how much I bathe her or clean her cage it still stinks. What should I do about the stench is there anything I can do? My husband and I don't want to smell like her...HELP!!

[Jessika]

Are they descented?? Chances are likely they are, but even then, ferretts are pretty much always going to smell no matter how frequently you bathe them or anything

[CathyBogart]

First, refrain from over-bathing her. If you bather her all the time it will dry out her skin, cause it to produce more oils, and she will smell worse!

Ferrets have a slightly musky odor, there's no escaping that. Other than keeping the cage spotless I don't have much advice, but I'm sure other ferret owners on here will. I don't know what a good bathing schedule is, but my friend who had a pair (the only two I've ever gotten to know since they're illegal here) bathed his about every two months and the smell wasn't terribly strong.

I guess I'm wierd, I like ferret smell.

[Corinna]

I don't know much about ferrets but don't they dust bathe like chinchillas?

[buttercup132]

I don't know much about ferrets but don't they dust bathe like chinchillas?

lol no

[lv4dogs]

I guess I'm wierd, I like ferret smell.

I'm weird too then. lol


Ferrets do have a musky order but with less bathing, decent food & litter & a clean cage you can keep the smell at bay.

Try to avoid any foods with a lot of fish, like Marshalls foods, but also avoid foods with corn & grains. Fish tends to make their feces smell more sometimes (depends on the individual ferret though)
Ferrets are 100% carnivores. They have no cecum which is what digests non-meat foods. They can NOT have veggies or the like.
Their intestines are only the size of a straw so if they eat a piece of food that is not meat & bigger than that it can cause a blockage which requires immediate surgery or death. Same goes for toys. They love to chew rubber toys & if they swallow a piece it may cause a blockage as well.
Feed them some hairball meds once a week and daily when they are shedding as hairballs will also cause blockages.

Their intestinal tract is short so they can not eat a large amount of food at a time which is why they eat every few hours. Always keep kibble available for them, they eat (and poop) frequently.

They can also become imprinted on one food so it is best to always feed them a mix of at least 3 different foods. Just in case one food isn't available or is recalled you have another food available that they will eat.

They sleep most of the day, 18-20 hours but when they are awake they are awake. lol Such silly critters they are!

Also try to avoid foods & treats that contain a lot sugars. Too much sugar can cause some major health problems down the road including Insulinoma's and more.

Use a dry, hardwood pellets (not shavings) for the litter box or newspaper pellets (I think the wood ones are better for smell).

Wash the ferrets bedding every 5-7 days.

Do not bath them unless needed. Mine only get baths about 1-2 times a year. Like mentioned, bathing them too frequently will strip their coats of the needed oils, causing them to work overtime to replace the oils, causing them to smell worse.

Here is a good food comparison chart, remember the more meat the better.
http://www.ohioferret.org/INFO/nutri.asp

I feed mine a mix, the below are foods I feed. I may not always have all of them in the mix but always have at least 3 of them in the mix:
Innova Evo canine
Innova feline
zupreem
TFS natural (the ferret stores food)
Chicken soup for the kitten lovers soul

Sometimes I add other food but not as often as the above foods, like:
8in1 ULTIMATE (NOT ultra blend)
Proffessional kitten food

If I can be of any more help feel free to PM me or whatever.
Good luck! They are a handful but worth it.

[Queen of Poop]

I suggest you go out and the book Ferrets for Dummies immediately. It will go a long way to explaining all things ferret.

Quit bathing your ferret immediately!!! You are only making the smell worse. Give it time, you will get used to the smell.

Ensure you are keeping the litter box clean, as nothing in this world smells worse than ferret poop.

Good luck with your ferret. If you have any questions going forward please ask those of us who have ferret experience. Once you get to know your ferret you will surely fall in love as we have and you won't mind the smell at all.

[Jessika]

Try to avoid any foods with a lot of fish, like Marshalls foods, but also avoid foods with corn & grains.

Kind of funny, but the breeder our PetCo gets our ferretts from (I'm not sure if its the same nation-wide or not) ONLY guarantees their ferretts if they're fed Marshalls, so that's what we have to feed ours. And that stuff smells SO bad.

[CathyBogart]

Thanks for all the good info Lv4dogs, I love learning about ferrets since I don't get to see them very often.

[Uabassoon]

Kind of funny, but the breeder our PetCo gets our ferretts from (I'm not sure if its the same nation-wide or not) ONLY guarantees their ferretts if they're fed Marshalls, so that's what we have to feed ours. And that stuff smells SO bad.

That's because PetCo gets their ferrets from Marshall Farms.

[twiggy34409]

Thank you so much for all of your help all of you. I am so glad that you told me not to bathe her that much this could be my problem. You all are awesome and I am glad that I have somewhere to go to talk to people with so much experience. Thanks again!

[lv4dogs]

That's because PetCo gets their ferrets from Marshall Farms.

Yup, Marshalls has that policy, I think it's only up to a year of age though.

[HollandLoppy89]

I have a ferret. He is actually pretty normal smelling. He is descented and we have a spray you can squirt on him and also a bi-odor for his food or water. Make sure you clean your ferret's cage every day and that his ears are clean! If his ears are dirty, that usually causes a horrible smell. You can buy ear swabs for ferrets at almost all pet stores. If you do not clean his ears, as well as creating a stench, it may catch mites.