I bought a male ferret and i cannot afford to descent him is there any other solution so he doesnt have such a strong sent
2006-06-16 11:21:00 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Are you sure he's not descented. Where did you get him? It's not easy to find an unaltered ferret, and especially in a pet store.
Ferrets have a musky odor even when they are descented. Did you know what you were getting into when you bought the animal?
Ferrets use the scent glands when they are excited or scared or threatened, sort of like a skunk. They POOF!
Descented ferrets have a usual odor about them, I noticed mine smelling especially around the head area(some of mine smell like corn chips when they are sleeping, weird, huh?). The more you bathe them the worse the smell gets, so cut back on that. Keep their litter boxes scooped out twice daily at least and get them out and scrub them down at least once a week. Wash all their bedding at least weekly. I use old t-shirts all over every surface area of the cage and change it as needed, because ferrets scoot their butt after pooping and will leave little "skid" marks on the bedding. I change their hammocks at least weekly. Make sure you have proper ventilation in the room.
Another thing to check for is the label on your food. Does it contain fish by-products, like fish meal? Some foods will make them more stinky than others, but depending on your ferret, it's preferences and its age, that might be a tough thing to change. Switching foods is not always easy.
Fact of life is, there is always going to be SOME smell involved when you own ferrets. Most of us ferret owners just think that what they give to us with their antics and war dances and dooks far outweigh the little odor we put up with. I'm sure we don't always smell like roses to them.
One way to check if your ferret has been descented is to look in his ear. Does he have two blue dots in one??? He will if he is a petstore ferret that was "produced" by Marshall Farms. One dot means he's been fixed and two dots mean that he's also been descented.
Sorry to get longwinded here, but if you cannot afford to get him descented(if he needed to be) how will you afford vet care for him when he gets older. Ferrets are prone to diseases like insulinoma, adrenal disease, lymphoma and such. These diseases are treatable, but vets are not cheap, especially when it comes to "exotic" pets.
Maybe you should've done your home work before buying a "cool" ferret.
Where are you located? Contact me if you need any more help and Good Luck!
2006-06-16 14:01:35 · answer #1 · answered by Huh? 6 · 7⤊ 1⤋
Unless you bought him from a breeder, he's already neutered and descented. Males are naturally more pungent than females. Make sure you're not over bathing him....only once a month is needed. Any more and you risk making him smellier because his body will work overtime to replace the natural oils that were stripped away by bathing. Make sure you launder his bedding once a week, keep the litter box clean. That's about all you can do.
P.S. Ferrets don't urinate on themselves; they are clean by nature. They just have a strong smell!
2006-06-19 20:46:03 · answer #2 · answered by sgtlambsonswife 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all male ferrets have strong scents. most of them actually come descented to begin with.
You should spay or neuter your ferret to minimize odors, and also change the bedding frequently. Bathing a ferret with kitten shampoo, ferret shampoo, or diluted baby shampoo can also help. But too many baths will only force the animal's scent and oil glands to work overtime.
that's the best advice i've seen so far.
2006-06-16 11:26:31 · answer #3 · answered by Kismet 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am amazed that you can still buy a ferret that is NOT descented!!! Was he neutered????? If he was neutered, he probably was descented also. Even when descented, they still smell!!!!!!! Males are worse anyway!!!! Bathing with a ferret shampoo that smells better, or spritzing him with cologne is the only way to "help" it. There is no cure for the smell!!!!!
2006-06-16 11:42:06 · answer #4 · answered by ARE YOUR NEWFS GELLIN'? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know how often you bathe him, but the more you bathe a ferret, the more they smell because they have to "re-moisturize" their fur with that musky scent. If you don't bathe him, he may not smell so strong. either that or you can breed him. I'm not a professional ferret owner, I've just had a lot of experience with them so I hope that helps.
2006-06-16 11:33:21 · answer #5 · answered by Shannon L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Please don't take this the wrong way, but you should not own a pet you cannot budget to take care of properly. What happens when he does get sick? Will you be able to afford a vet bill that might be a few hundred dollars?
My advice is to sell/adopt him out. There is no way the smell is going to improve without the de-scenting procedure.
2006-06-22 08:04:24 · answer #6 · answered by Funchy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try mixing vodka, water and vinegar in equal proportion and wipe your ferret's fur with the liquid using a moist sponge.
2006-06-16 12:46:55 · answer #7 · answered by Jay T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No girl.. they just stink. Try to keep him as clean as possible and keep the cage and litter clean.. otherwise, it's just part of their charm.
The only thing I found to help was keeping all the windows open.
2006-06-16 11:26:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hang an air freshener around his neck. I suggest the new car smell.
2006-06-16 11:27:24 · answer #9 · answered by Hello,It'sMe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you are not ready for the responsibility of pet ownership.
Pets are cute, pets are fun, and pets cost money to properly care for them.
2006-06-16 11:30:25 · answer #10 · answered by Buddha13 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋