Got a couple ferrets, they are a laugh!

[Quacking-Terror]

We decided to take the plunge and get a couple ferrets, and definitely do not regret it! One is a 3 year old male we named Misfit, the other is a 6 month old female named Latte. He's a big cuddler, licks a lot, and is just generally chill. She is easy to spook, chases the cat, and had to be smacked down by Misfit so she'd know her place in the house! She was pretty raunchy smelling when we got her, so she got a quick bath, after that, not so bad. She didn't like it though and tried to tell him off. She's almost 1.5 times his size, but he got the upper hand!

We let them free roam in the living room, but nowhere else, there's just too much stuff. Watching them play was insane, it was so funny!

[jrivera9289]

Alright. Before I got my bps I was considering getting a ferret. I just moved into an apartment and couldn't bring my dogs so they are staying with my parents until the lease is up and I can find a place that allows them. I still love the thought of a ferret because they are so playful and silly, but what got me was their body odor. It's not the most pleasant and I notice only my clothes and hands smelled after touching them. Any ideas on eliminating the odor? Descenting doesn't rid of it completely...

[I-KandyReptiles]

Ferrets are hilarious. My dads gf adopted two from the humane society after hers passed away.

Her first used to try and sneak after you and when you'd turn around shed jump back.

They take em for walks (more like drags ahaha) in the summer

[dillan2020]

Ferrets are awesome pets i had 2 for almost 10 years. mine were little cleptos they would steal anything laying around and drag it under the bed.

[angllady2]

I loved my fuzzy, and I still miss him so bad. He was returned to the pet store because he was born deaf. The people who got him didn't want him anymore because he wasn't perfect.

Their loss was my gain. He was so cute, affectionate, hilarious and smart! We have a lot of cats, and it didn't take him long to decide he was a cat, and not a ferret. All the destructive habits ferrets are supposed to hive, he did not. He never chewed stuff up, never touched electrical cords, he did like to hide small stuff but he never hid it very well. He didn't smell much, what little odor he had I used a doggy after bath spray on him every few days, just a light mist. And he got a bath about once a month, otherwise I just wiped him off with those doggy bath wipe things. My ferret book said that one mistake a lot of people make, is bathing them too much. It said the oils in their skin are what produce the smell, and bathing them often just makes the skin produce more oil. I do know females do not smell anything like the males do. Kind of like with cats.

He was so cute and funny to watch, he just bounced and waddled and rolled, you could not keep a straight face when you watched him, completely impossible. They make the most hilarious noises as well, and I would laugh until I cried when he wrestled with the cats.

If you do get one, I highly recommend getting the Ferrets for Dummies book as well. It has all the information you need to keep your fuzzy happy and healthy and your sanity relatively intact.

Gale

[Quacking-Terror]

I've got a ferret spray that I use on them once every few days. Keeping their cage clean helps with the odor too. I only bathe them with shampoo once a month or so, but if they get ridiculous and play in their litter box or use one of the shelves in their cage as a bathroom, I'll wash them with warm water (which doesn't affect the oil on their skin like shampoo does). They are goofy little animals. We have harnesses for them, and I can't wait until it warms up outside so they can go out.

[PitOnTheProwl]

They are fun.
Ours is named Stinky and he can live up to it.
Keeping their cage cleaned daily will really cut back on odor.
We are on borrowed time with ours and will miss him when he is gone.
The people we got him from didn't take care of him at all.
Long story short is he is about 5 years old and started loosing hair.
I am kind of scared because my vet says that is a sign of cancer.
So he is just getting spoiled during the rest of his time.

[satomi325]

I'm so glad I'm no longer the only one to talk about ferrets in this forum. Haha.

Congrats on the new weasels! I've got a few myself and foster rescues time to time. My boyfriend has a few of his own as well.

Descenting has nothing to do with their body odor. It just prevents them from 'poofing' like a skunk when they're too afraid or excited. A poof only lasts a few seconds though. It won't stick around like a skunk spray. (Think fart)

Bathing is unnecessary unless they get dirty or bringing home a new addition. They're self groomers. Mine haven't had a bath in over a year. As you said, bathing washes away their oils and actually makes them smell more. Even monthly bathing is too much in my opinion.

There is no difference in odor between fixed males and females. However, an intact male will smell like a rotting carcass......

Babies from petstores smell horrible. But thats because they're stuck in that little box.

Diet has a huge impact on odor. 90% of petstore ferrets come from a commercial breeder called Marshal Farms. They're all started on Marshal kibble, which is one of the worst brands of food on the market along with Kaytee Fiesta Ferret. Most people never switch food since it negates the warranty on the animal. This brand food smells awful. It has high levels of fish and carbohydrates. Its garbage and you can see it with the ferrets who feed on this brand. (High body odor, massive hard black poops - stuff that can't be digested)

Finding a brand with high protein, no fish, and low carbs will help. Zupreem Premium, Totally Ferret, 8-1 Ultimate, Evo Cat/Ferret are some examples of quality brand food. And its recommended to feed a mix so your ferrets don't imprint, which is common.

I feed mainly whole prey because it's the healthiest diet they can get. Feeding kibble is the number one inducer of Insulinoma and is not good for their dental health. It also does not have the plant material found in kibble, which a ferret cannot digest as an obligate carnivore, which is why kibble with high carbs and low protein have massive stinky poops. More protein, less poop since the ferret is able to absorb everything. With that said, a ferret fed on prey has almost non existent poop. Maybe a piece of hair from the prey might come out and that's it. It makes their odor cut down A LOT compared to kibble fed ferrets. It also improves their body condition (shiny soft silky fur, better muscle tone, more energy, good for keeping teeth clean).
If you've met and compared a kibble fed and prey fed ferret, there is no mistaking one for the other.

I honestly think ferrets don't smell bad. Their litter and bedding smell more. So as long as you keep up with maintenance, it doesn't smell.


That's horrible Gale. I'm glad you got that little guy. A deaf ferret functions just as well as any other ferret. Most of the time, people can't even tell they have a deaf ferret.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[satomi325]

Long story short is he is about 5 years old and started loosing hair.
I am kind of scared because my vet says that is a sign of cancer.
So he is just getting spoiled during the rest of his time.

Loosing hair on the tail and rump means Adrenal disease. Especially if it spreads to other areas of the body. Hair loss just on the tail could mean rat tail, which is harmless. Its just a build up of oils blocking the pores and prevents hair growth.

If it is indeed Adrenal, I highly recommend you get your ferret a Deslorelin Implant. Its a little implant(rice grain size) that slowly pumps drugs into the ferret. It slows down tumor growth and stops all clinical signs. Meaning your ferret won't feel sickly or loose more hair as Adrenal progresses. They tend to regrow their hair about 2 months into treatment.

An Adrenal ferret with an implant can live years before dying. And can be from old age rather than cancer. You just need to get a new one annually.

But whatever you do, don't get the Adrenal surgery. It does nothing. Its a big burden for a little body and cancer almost always comes back. Not to mention really expensive.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[OsirisRa32]

Do males smell worse or just smell stronger than females?