Is there anything to make your ferret not stink?

Answer 1

Ferrets smell comes from their skin sebaceous glands which secretes a musk odor. Bathing causes a more pronounced odor because of the oils being stripped from the skin that causes an overproduction of oils to replace them. Most of the smell comes from the litter box and bedding.

Advice from another contributor:

• They will still smell as the odor isn't a sign of an unhealthy or dirty ferret. I own a girl ferret and I don't notice she smells, but everyone who enters my apartment thinks it reeks of ferret, so you do get used to the smell.

Answer 2

Ferrets have a musk odor that comes from skin glands and secretes oils. Unneutered/spayed ferrets produce more oils, which make them stink more, during breeding season to attract a mate. They have an anal sac that can release the smell when frightened or threatened. Most ferret owners in the US have their ferrets anal sac surgically removed. *This process is unnecessary and plays no impact on the general smell of the ferret. It only removes the ability to empty the anal glands.

Answer 3

Ferrets do not smell any more than other pets. The males may smell a bit musky, but if sterilized there will not be much noticeable smell.

Ferrets have scent glands, and can if frightened give off a odor that dissipates quickly. Most US pet ferrets are sold de-scented, but this practice is not done in Europe where it is often illegal.

There are no colors of ferrets that smell less than others, but females tends to smell a bit less than the males.

Unaltered males can smell pretty bad. Neutering them solves this. Descenting a ferret will not change the smell at all, it simply removes the ability to empty their anal glands. Healthy, happy ferrets hardly ever empty their anal glands so this is a completely unnecessary procedure. Keep the cage clean and wash the bedding regularly and you won't even notice you have a ferret in the house.

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I disagree with the answer above, I have owned several ferrets myself and worked with them in a professional capacity. I am not aware of the laws in Europe, but in the US all reputable breeders should have descented and spayed/neutered the ferret before sale. Descented, spayed females do stink the least, but there will always a slight 'skunky' smell to a ferret. It can be lessened quite a bit by regularly bathing your ferret with a special shampoo though.

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Bathing often actually dries out the skin and causes the skin oil glands to overproduce, making the ferret smell more. Baths should only be given 1-2 times a year, there is no need to bathe more often than that.

Yes, ferrets in the US have been fixed/descented before sale but the first poster was correct that it is an unnecessary procedure and has no effect on general ferret odor. It only removes their ability to "poof".

Answer 4

Since ferrets are a member of the mustelid family, the commonly have a bit of a musky odor about them. A well maintained ferrets odor will not be noticable unless you are holding them. Contrary to popular belief "descenting" a ferret, or removing its anal glands, does not make it odorless. Descenting only removes the ability to "poof" like a skunk. It does nothing for the odor of the skin oils.

Factors that play into ferret odor:

-The ferret is un-neutered. An un-neutered male wil secrete more skin oils in an attempt to attract a female. Neutering will solve this and reduce some of the odor.

-The litter is not being scooped often enough. For the most part, it is the poo, not the ferret, that smells. Litter boxes should be scooped at least once daily and washed/disinfected weekly.

-The bedding is dirty. You wouldn't want to sleep in the same bedsheets for months at a time. They would get pretty stinky! The same goes for ferret bedding. All hammmocks, beds, etc. should be washed in a hypoallergenic, unscented detergent weekly. Don't forget to give the cage a scrubdown too!

-The ferret is being bathed to often. Sounds counterintuitive doesn't it? Ferrets are fairly clean animals and can groom themselves. They should not be bathed more than once or twice a year, unless they get really mucky. Bathing too often dries the skin out and causes the skin oil glands to overcompensate.These skin oil glands are the causes of the musky scent.

-The ferret is being fed a low quality diet. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, meaning that they can only digest meat. They cannot digest fruits, vegetables, grains, carbs, sugars, and milk. Feeding these items can make the skin oilier. hence smellier. Of course it is impossible to find a commercial kibble without some vegetables since they need a binder, but try to find something that is high in meat protein. At least 4 of the first 6 ingredients should be meat. Ideally, a kibble should be grain free.

Answer 5

Yes. There are special shampoos you can bath your ferret in to make it 'stink' less.

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Bathing usually makes the ferret smell more because shampoos strip the skin of its oils. The oil glands then go into overdrive and make the ferret stinkier. You should only bathe once or twice a year.

Other tips:

-usually its the poo that smells. Clean the litter box at least once a day.

-Wash bedding weekly

-scrub out the cage and litter boxes weekly

-feed a diet high in meat, low in grains/grain free, and low in fiber.

-Don't bathe often