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12K views 24 replies 8 participants last post by  mebri123 
#1 ·
Ok,no I don't have a ferret.I used to.But it died years ago now..
Seeing these ferret pics though,makes me want a ferret again someday (more than one actually :D hehe).

I can't remember much on my ferret (sadly)...but when I asked mom last year if I could have another [saw a few at a pet store,no I don't usually buy from pet stores] she said no,they have a "odor" no matter how many times you clean their cage. So I was wondering,what bedding do you use to get rid of that ferret-y odor?
 
#2 ·
Personally, I agree with your mom. They are never odor free. I personally like the musky smell, but it is sort of love it or hate it. If you really don't like the smell, then I wouldn't get a ferret.
Our Toffee's bedding is made from fleece and/or flannel for the winter, and a sturdy cotton twill for the summer. Changing the bedding out often and especially during shedding helps alot. Also, many people give baths frequently, but that actually makes the odor worse as it promotes formation of more oils and therefore stronger odors.
Changing the food from not having fish in it improves the poo smell, but don't get me wrong, it still smells. You just need to be on top of scooping litter and bedding changes.
 
#3 ·
Would spaying or neutering make much of a difference :confused:

I can't remember ever being overwhelmed by the smell of ferret,I wasnt offended by it at the pet store...so I don't see where its a BAD smell.Maybe mom just don't want me to have more pets while living at home? :lol:
 
#7 ·
I just got Gunny a while ago and though they do have an odor if you clean their bedding and litter boxes you won't notice it to much
 
#8 ·
Yeah, you just have to be diligent with cleaning their bedding and their litter box(maybe twice a day...it's quick though once they're litter trained). For the bedding(blankets and cat beds and sleep sacks -- no rodent bedding!), washing it once a week and tossing some vanilla extract in the wash will really help with any odor. Ferrets don't really have any real large radiating odor to me, actually...I think its just that they poop a lot. Their metabolisms are so quick.
 
#9 ·
Agreed Fez! I can't believe how often Gunny goes to the bathroom. I clean the litter box once, maybe twice a day and change it once a week but am going to have to start changing it twice a week if she keeps eating like she does. Hey Fez do any of your ferrets have a itch that doesn't seem to go away or do they scratch a lot when they wake up? Gunny does and the vet said it was nothing but it still bothers me
 
#10 ·
I have two rabbits, how are they compared to rabbits? I find Yesterdays News is great in the rabbit litterbox.Not something that can be used with ferrets :confused:

I must add,thank you Turkeyman! I made the mistake of using a rodent bedding when I had my very first (& only) ferret! So thanks for mentioning that to me ;)
 
#11 ·
christine: Ferrets will itch all the time, it's completely normal :). They can have fleas or other parasites though...but if you don't notice them becoming lethargic, having weird stools, and runny noses/eyes/bottoms I think you're good. Ferrets are known to get up for NO reason at all and just scratch. Scratch attacks, they call em...perfectly normal :).

candyraver - Hahaha I did that back when I initially got mine as well. Then I realized they're not rodents and are actually really clean animals. If you don't want them to poop somewhere, put some nice plushy blankets or soft carpeting and they'll poop in a less furnished area. That's how I litter trained my ferrets =].

Ferrets are a looot different from rabbits, in fact they would probably eat or attack the rabbits if they had the chance ;[. They're probably in between the responsibility needed to take care of a cat and a dog...never had a dog so I can't say, but I know cats are easy :D.

Lastly, Yesterday's News is what I and a lot of other ferret owners use, it's just perfect =]. Only for the litter box though. You don't want to use cat litter because it's too dusty -- it'll clog their respiratory systems and possibly shorten their lifespan in the long run.


I've used both of those...the second one is specifically for ferrets and I just changed my litter box today with it :D.
 
#12 ·
I'm sorry, last thing hahaha...here is my idea of a perfectly setup cage. My cage isn't as easily viewable(cause there's lots of bedding everywhere) but I thought this would be a good example to show the strategy of "ferrets wont poop on their bedding:"



Notice the location of the litter boxes and how every other place is covered with some sort of blanket or bedding.
Okay, phew I'm done :)
 
#13 ·
I use the cat litter from Yesterday's News. I used to use the ferret stuff but it is much more expensive. I am glad that they are just scratch attacks. I haven't noticed any fleas or anything unusual
 
#14 ·
:D I known ferrets werent rodents (they are mustelids -forgive the spelling,I believe?)

Yesterday's News is a god send :lol:

I'm still considering getting ferrets.I'm a clean person so my cages are cleaned pretty religiously =P

I'm purchasing sugar gliders first though. ;)
Already pending.Looking forward to those cutesies.

But I completely adore ferrets,so I think they are still a big possibly on my list!
 
#16 ·
Mine isn't that nice but for one ferret she seems to like it. I know that we should have two or more but she has been alone for 4-6 years (we don't know her age) and we can't afford a second ferret nor do I think she would enjoy it. She gets along great with our cat and they play just like she would with another ferret. It is so cute because the cat is so gentle
 
#18 · (Edited)
Ohh I'm sorry, I should have specified ;(. That actually isn't my cage. My current cage is kind of "blocked" by all the hanging hammocks and sleep cubes so it'd be really hard to see inside hahaha. That's another person's cage who I thought set it up really well :D. Sorry for the confusion. Mine is kind of similiar but the cage is a little smaller and I don't have such a crazy taste in bedding fabric :).

For the most part, my ferrets do nothing but sleep in their cage because I check on them quite often to see if they're awake and ready to roam.

Oh btw christine, that's just fine. Ferrets are actually animals which can do just fine alone. Their wild cousin, the European polecat, is a solitary animal that only comes out to meet others for mating. A few people say otherwise...but they get along with cats, especially(as your pics have shown) very well. Humans too, so they don't get lonely =].
 
#19 ·
i think you get used to the "odor" i never really noticed an odor when i got tinker though. i don't know if the age they were descented matters or not, tinker is a marshall ferret, and they do their descenting at around 7 weeks. but if you keep up on the litter, and the bedding, and wash their "bed" often i really don't notice a smell.
 
#20 ·
What is the difference between a "Marshall's" ferret and a normal? Or is there? I don't know like nothing bout them.Are there many breeds or varities of ferrets?
 
#22 ·
Marshall is the most popular breeder of ferrets in America. They're based in NY -- and almost everywhere you find ferrets...the petstore probably got them from Marshall. They just mass produce ferrets.

Now, Marshall breederies aren't angels either -- they're also known to sell ferrets for animal experimentation =[. The distinctive mark of a Marshall's ferret is two little tattooed marks on their ear. One signifies desexing, and one descenting.

There is another up and coming breeder out there called Path Valley. I heard Petco is sooon going to switch from Marshall's ferrets to Path Valley ferrets...but we'll see how that goes.

There aren't really individual breeds of ferrets...just different colors. All are the same in body type...though some colors can carry with them defective genes. There's one "sub-breed" of ferrets called angora ferrets...but they're just ferrets with scruffy hair.



Okay I'm done :)
 
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