Ferret people?

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Found a ferret forum but it's so out of date and just.. obnoxious to work with.

Anyone on here owned ferrets and have any care sheets?

Also, do they still stink (like STINK STINK badly) if their scent glands are taken out?

 

[shaunaroxanne]

Found a ferret forum but it's so out of date and just.. obnoxious to work with.

Anyone on here owned ferrets and have any care sheets?

Also, do they still stink (like STINK STINK badly) if their scent glands are taken out?

I have never owned one but my best friend did. The novelty of owning him wore off quickly. He was de-scented and yes, he stunk. How bad it was is subjective. I think it was bad, she didn't because she lived with him and was used to it. Everyone else thought he smelled bad. He stole everything shiny you would put down, he chewed cords, peed on things. He got some skin disorder and a lot of his hair fell out. Very cute, but I wouldn't want to own one.

 

[maxttu]

I owned a couple in college. Very cute. Very playful. Very mischievous.

They do have an odor. It's tolerable, but as Shauna stated, to others, they smell.

One of the pluses is that they can be potty trained. This is important because they poop A LOT! Lol

 

[Olimpia]

I had one for a short while until I realized that my allergy to cats translated into an allergy to ferrets as well (apparently a common coincidence). But she stunk, all the time. She was descented and even after a bath smelled pretty pungently (I removed poop immediately, her cage was spotless and still.) After I gave her away and moved the cage outdoors the livingroom smelled like ferret for weeks afterwards, no amount of leaving the windows open and fabreze could get rid of it.

Awesome, adorable, smart, trainable little animals but the odor is a big turn-off to living with one long-term, I think. People walk into your house and KNOW you have a ferret.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I've heard that's only if you bathe them too often because then their oils come back harder to make up for it.

 

[Olimpia]

She got one bath the time she was with me, and smelled terrible when I first got her (from being in a cage with her siblings) and slightly better afterwards but was still a pretty persistent odor. They're just musky, and perhaps you as the owner get used to it but no one else likes it very much.

That said, she was adorable and I still watch the videos I have of her every so often. She was hilarious to watch and played with my dog amazingly well. But alas, I couldn't live with her due to the allergy.

 

[camimom]

I have one now.

HIs name is Otter and he's 5 years old.

He isnt super smelly unless i go more than a few days without cleaning his cage.

I dont give him a bath often, maybe once every 2-3 months.

As long as I keep the cage clean, and i clean his bedding regularly, I cant smell anything. Although if you shut the door to the room thye are in for while it can smell the room up a bit.

I think it just depends on the animal, Ive been around a couple ferrets whose smell was much stronger than mine.

ALso, they are known for being cleptos, but mine doesnt hoard anything.

They are very easy to take care of, you just have to ensure you have a safe place for them to run around, becuase if you dont give them exercise, they will rattle their cage and it gets super annoying.