Do ferrets have no cure to stinking?

Question

I've read and looked up everything there is to know about ferrets, and it seems that their stink problem can be resolved. Is that true?

Answer 1

Its called being a good owner. That's the cure. :) Ferrets, just like cats and dogs, have a certain 'body odor'. Anyone who has pets has a distinctive odor to their home. If people don't want their house smelling like animals, then they should not own them. It sort of all comes with the territory.

Also...unlike humans who get to sit on toilets and flush their waste away, ferrets poop and pee in litter pans. A ferrets litter pan should be scooped twice a day. If you use a clay litter you will have to completely switch out the litter every 2-3 days. If you use something a little better like Yesterdays News or Feline Pine you can make it stretch a little further.

Bedding is another huge issue for ferret owners. Their odor absorbs into everything. Just like dog odor absorbs into rugs and furniture. The bedding you use for your ferrets cage (old t-shirts and sweatshirts) has to be switched out for fresh every few days. The room you keep them in also has to be kept routinely clean and fresh. For example...my ferrets 'live' in my bedroom. I have to change and wash my sheets and comforters often. I try to freshen my carpets and curtains regularly.

I always tell future or new ferret owners not to kid themselves. Ferrets are a lot of work. You have to be a very clean and organized person to own them otherwise it just doesn't work out.

Answer 2

Ferrets will always smell like ferrets. Heck, to most animals people stink to high heaven too.
If you live in the US any ferret you may buy at a petstore will most likely already be descented and fixed. Other countries have different rules, in the UK for instance, it is illegal to descent ferrets.
Keeping a ferret and it's surroundings clean by changing the bedding at least weekly (I use old t-shirts, they're washable), scooping the litter twice daily and scrubbing the box at least weekly, will help in keeping the odors down.
Reading labels on ferret food is another way to reduce the odor. Ferret foods who have fish as one of the sources of protein listed very high up on the ingredients list will make your ferret smell worse as well. Opt for foods that provide high levels of protein, but from chicken, fowl, lamb.
Lastly, there is a chemical available that you can add to their drinking water. It's made by Marshall's and it's called Bi-Odor.
Personally I do not believe in making another living being ingest chemicals just so they do not offend my nose. It's just wrong in my book.
Ferrets can be bathed, only not too often. I bathe mine 3-4 times a year or if they've gotten into something nasty.
The more often you bathe them the stinkier they get as bathing strips their coats of necessary oils. Without those oils their skin gets itchy(or itchier, as ferrets are already the itchiest little buggers I've ever seen). This sends their oil glands into overdrive to replace those essential oils, resulting in a smellier ferret even sooner.
You can invest in some wipes available in pet stores to wipe down the ferret between baths but I have not found one that works really well yet.
Hope all this helped. Good luck.

Answer 3

The odor can never be removed completely. Even with glands removed they still have a strong musky scent. The odor bothers some people more than others. The smell does get into clothes and hands. When I handle my ferrets I change clothes after, and of course wash hands.

Some of the smell comes from the feces. Better food will make it smell less. However they are strictly carnivores and defecate frequently. If they cage is not cleaned daily it is going to smell very bad. There is really no way to fix the waste smell besides cleaning frequently.

Answer 4

Ferrets have a certain smell to them just like any other animal. My family used to have two ferrets and unless you don't take care of them they don't smell that bad. I know if you get them spayed and neutered it definitely helps with their odor. Just make sure you take care of them and keep up with their cage. They are so much fun and I would definitely get another if I had the chance.

Answer 5

Yes. Ferrets have skunk-like glands that can be removed by a veterinarian. It won't completely eliminate the smell, but it will reduce it to a reasonable volume.

Answer 6

yes. ferrets are related to the skunk, so they have stink glands. if you get those glands removed, the ferret will smell as stinky as any other animal would.

Answer 7

Somewhat- they always have a slightly 'ferrety' odor about them, even if descented, immaculate cage, and bathed every few weeks. No ferret is odor free, no matter how you try.

Answer 8

They have a gland that can be removed,but they also are like dogs in the sense that they like to cover their own scent with what ever they can roll on so those might be something you can look into.

Answer 9

Most ferrets are descented. That helps, but they will ALWAYS smell. ALWAYS. No matter how many baths or sprays you use.