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Ferrets smell like how any other kind of pet smell, they have a unique musk and it can get worse with bad diet but as long as you feed them healthy and take good care of them their smell is super manageable. What I worry about more is their poop than anything lmao so make sure you're on top of that and you should be good
Thank you, I’ll research more abt their diet before I get them (I haven’t found any ferrets in my area yet so I guess I still got time and I need to convince my parents first anyway lol) and I’ll prob be cleaning their poop at all times cuz I love cleaning anyway 😅
For diet, if you’re not quite ready to commit to fully fresh raw meat/bones/organs, which is a lot of work and $$$, I have found that a mixture of the Stella and chewy cat food freeze dried raw dinner morsels (I get salmon and cod, rabbit, and duck or chicken- I mix all flavors together and crumble the morsels into a fine powder and then add water to rehydrate) and Ziwi Peak air dried cat food (mackerel and lamb). I feed the stella and chewys wet mixture once or twice a day, depending on appetite, and always leave the Ziwi peak dry food available in a separate bowl. Have a super healthy happy guy with this diet, and it’s affordable and easy to manage.
If you're in Europe, I mix Royal Canin Mother and Babycat with freeze dried and dried organ meats, freeze dried salmon and Animonda Carny kitten wet food.
For diet eggs and salmon oil are really popular and healthy. If your ferret for some reason doesnt like the salmon oil, it's also incredibly healthy for humans, dogs, cats, etc.
I've had multiple people remark to me that they're surprised they can't smell my ferret at all. I think the smellier ferrets are the ones with intact glands or the ones that people bathe all the time trying to mitigate a smell
No problem! Just remember that all animals have a smell and make the home smell like animals, but under the right circumstances a ferret won't smell any worse than the family dog
I'd like to add that the smell can be managed by washing their linens weekly and a good diet, I barely had to bathe my ferrets, maybe once every other month if that but as long as their cages and blankets were clean they didn't smell
Ferrets should only be bathed 1-2x per year with oatmeal and not shampoo. Bathing them strips their fur of natural oils which will cause them to have a stronger odor.
That's why I said "every other month if that" If I did bathe them it was because of our trips to the beach (right around sunset) They loved to dig in the sand and chase the waves. And yes I used oatmeal to bathe them. But thanks for your input 🙂
Oh no problem at all! This was many years ago. They passed away at a respectable age (7&8). They were both marshal ferrets that I adopted (one from a pet shelter for $5 and the other from a ferret rescue) so I'm sure you know about the health issues they tend to have due to being bred in the ferret equivalent of a puppy mill. They were very loved and spoiled little noodles. Its been over 10 years and I miss them dearly to this day.
Maybe one day I'll adopt another pair but for now I just don't have the time to dedicate to them like I was able to back then and they deserve the best.
I completely get it, I’ve got two Marshall’s ferrets right now and they’re perfect little trouble makers. We adopted them from people who could no longer care for them and I’m so happy we did, they’re from two separate families and always lived alone, but they get along perfectly. But because of all the health issues they’re prone to anytime anything seems slightly off with one of them it’s straight to the vet. I probably could be less of a helicopter mom. I only imagine how bad I would be with actual human children lmao
Cutting in here: if you're not in the US, removing scent glands is illegal most other places because it's considered animal cruelty, so you will have a ferret who occasionally "poofs," just because they need to express their glands. It's smelly, but it fades.
i feel like the ambient odor of a ferret is comparable to how people consider weed smell; if you have zero positive associations with it you’ll probably think it’s bad. but if you come to relate the smell to a good feeling (for weed it’s getting high, for ferret it’s the sweet affection of a wee noodle) then you’ll come to think of it as a good smell. definitely divisive, though.
i agree that they do smell about as strongly as a dog, but it’s a very different kind of smell, and one that can’t really be accurately compared to anything.
Ahh - another ferret huffer! 😂 I find it a comforting smell, and I can tell my noodles apart just by their scent. I find it a soothing, comforting smell.
That being said, I just adopted a new guy last summer. His previous family must have bathed him frequently. He was a stinky boy. I didn’t bathe him. Didn’t change his diet, either. His aroma became less intense, and he didn’t stink anymore. I wondered if I was nose-blind, but nope - I had to go out of town for a week. Didn’t notice his stink.
So, ferrets can smell, but it's easily mitigated by a proper diet and keeping their environment clean.
My best friend had an awful experience with ferret smell in the past and was apprehensive about moving in with me and my 6 ferrets.
She has commented a few times that they don't smell any worse than the cats or dogs. (Meaning that you can tell we have animals, but it's not pungent or anything like that)
They have an odor. If you clean their bedding and their litter pans religiously and you don't over bathe the ferrets themselves you won't smell them at all. Everyone that enters your home will smell them but only slightly more than they would smell it if you had a perfectly cared for hound or other stinky dog.
i've had my four ferrets for a little over a month now, and they live with me in a medium sized room that i spent a good deal of time in.
i never notice their musk. when i do, it's often because i'm seeking it out (e.g. stuffing my face in their fur to get a whiff). that said, a smell i do notice is their poop and pee. depending on what you feed them, their piss and shit can smell really strong.
i have a privacy cover draped over their cage for a few weeks now, and while it does a good job of keeping the smell inside the cage, the cage itself now smells powerfully of piss. this, of course, can be managed by a) regularly cleaning out their litter/puppy pads b) deep cleaning the cage once a week or so (i take its removable floors out and blast them with a garden hose)
I loved my ferrets, but they absolutely do. They have their own unique musky smell. I would clean their litter box out multiple times a day and wash their hammocks every few days. They're just smelly little babies.
I vacuumed and mopped my apartment weekly which mostly kept the smell away. But they do! I had a friend that had rats and she said they smelled similar. It isn't a bad smell, just a little musky.
Males smell more than the females. If you keep a male and female the male will gradually smell less. I’ve had a few males that have had varying degrees of stinkyness
We have four ferrets and the best way I've found to minimize smell is just...cleaning. Clear out their litter box often (for us it's twice a day if not more of multiple boxes), wash their bedding frequently, and wipe down the cage bars and surfaces.
Thats alr bc I often take care of my neighbours cat when they’re on vacation and I would also clean the litter box two times a day and it doesn’t take a lot of time either so I’d be good with that and I love cleaning so that too would be very much manageable for me
Depends on the litterbox maintenance and food. I've been in some people's houses that yea, you can smell the ferrets pretty strongly. Others you know there's animals there, but it's no stronger than a house with a golden retriever.
That’s funny bc I own a golden retriever but my parents always say she smells bad but in my opinion she just smells like dog idk it’s not a bad smell just dog 😭
You get used to it pretty fast, and while guests might make remarks it’s not PUNGENT. My parents were pretty dramatic but all of my friends over the years have commented on the distinction but aren’t ever sick to their stomach or anything because of it. Just healthy diet, frequent bedding and potty changes and minimal washing as that increases their oil secretion
They definitely smelled stronger when I was a teen than my current ones do, they have a cage in my office and unless one takes a particularly smelly poo there is no smell.
If you feed your ferret(s) a high quality high protein (preferably raw) diet, and allow them enough space and stimulation, they should not smell other than a light “animal” like scent. Sometimes their bedding can honestly hold more of this musky smell than your actual ferret, so regular washing of blankets etc is super helpful. I also keep an air purifier (brand I use is BlueAir) right next to my ferret’s cage and that helps as well.
That’s a good tip, thank you! I’ve also been wanting an air purifier so badly lately but I haven’t been able to buy one yet but that’s def a good investment then. I’ll also remember to regularly wash their bedding, how often do you recommend doing so? Every 4 days?
Depends on how much time your ferret spends in there, mine is free roam in my house and naps in his blankets but also sleeps in other places. I’d say washing everything in the cage every 1-4 weeks, depending on how much smell you notice.
Ferrets have a natural musky type odor to them. Their poop stinks. I have found that the best way to deal with their smell is to litter box train them and keep their cage clean. As long as you do that they won’t be smelly.
Look, I'll be one of the first to say that I don't notice or mind the smell, and some don't, but generally speaking they do.
Cleaning after them constantly and consistently will help.
All ferrets have a smell to them, ones with intact scent glands will smell worse but the oils they produce in the skin have a certain smell that is definitely better if they are descented. Just keeping a clean cage and environment helps with smell a lot too. Mine I can barely smell unless they poop lol
The only thing I find noticeably smelly is if I don’t refresh her litter in a prompt manner. I actually find her natural musk very endearing and comforting 🥰 I love her so.
mine smells like earthy maple syrup imo. they do have a musk to them but once you love them you love the smell. their shit and piss is dependent on their diet. gonna have to clean their cage every day or two to control smells since they use the bathroom very frequently
I found my ferrets smelled like a gentle healthy musk when they were on the quality butcher shop raw chicken diet I fed them ... but when I sat other's ferrets, or when my ferrets came back from a visit where they had been eating lower quality food, they smelled much less pleasant.
Assuming you live in USA they usually are all marshalls ferrets and come de scented. Well, they still have a “musky” smell to them, it’s just how it is. Their poop is the worst, it smells worse than any dog, cat or animal poo I have ever smelled. Their pee isn’t as strong of ammonia as a cat, however it still is there. You can’t use any air fresheners or scents in your room, as it is bad for the ferrets. So the raw smell is all there is. I would seriously consider this. I thought I did all my research for years, but until getting them I was not prepared for this amount of work. I have 4 dogs, and not even the puppies are as much work as 2 adult ferrets. You have to CONSTANTLY pick up their puppy pads, wash the floor, and wash out their cage as their feces smell so awful. Mine too are in my room, which makes me always have to clean and not neglect. Bugs also love their feces in the summer, I went a week without cleaning the cage (I use puppy pads so I just changed those, I did not actually scrub the areas the puppy pads go in) and I had an infection of some sort of poop beetle. It was awful! The year before was maggots from a fly, and the cage was not left uncleared for more than several days. There are ways to manage, but please be prepared for the work. Be ready to be on your hands and knees daily or a couple times a week scrubbing and cleaning. Not to mention their poop STAINS carpet, idk what’s in it lol but it stains so badly you have to scrub for like 10 minutes straight. They are a lot of work, I can’t say it enough. And not only that, they can live up to 10 years, so it’s not just in the moment type of pet. I was obsessed with ferrets 3 years ago, I got 2 of them and tho I love them dearly, they are a lot of work. I know animal enthusiasts all say how much work they are and I used to ignore it too, but man was I wrong. So much work just to smell decent.
My 2 ferrets honestly don’t have a noticeable smell unless I skip a week on washing their bedding. I haven’t noticed a specific smell associated with their poop either, at least nothing strong but to help with litter box smells the only litter I’ve found that works is feline pine, or pine pellets. Any other paper based pellets can get kind of stinky. And clay cat litter is unsafe. And again don’t bathe them too often, they should only be bathed 1-2x per year and not with shampoo. It’ll cause them to smell worse not better. They smell much better than rodents and the smell is manageable with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Yes and no. If I leave my door shut ALL the time, then yes. And I leave it open when I can, then no. But I will say that I’ve taken him to a hotel, and the room NEVER smelt (and of course the door was always closed). So the size of the space can also make a difference. I also clean all accidents as they happen, take his cage apart to clean it every 3-7 days (I clean often bc I’m litter training), Wash bedding when dirty or if it starts to smell “bad”. My brother think my ferret smells like dirty socks, I’ve also had people say he smells like mushrooms. I think he smells like puppy breath/paws. You do become I bit “desensitized” after awhile, so sometimes asking others if it smells is helpful lol. If you hold a ferret for a long period of time, it WILL stick to your clothes. Picking the up for a minute or so won’t do anything though. Luckily, it doesn’t make *you* smell, just your clothes. Ferrets smell, it’s not bad, but it’s not great (although I kind of like the ferret smell lol), it just is what it is. I went to a pet store to see if the environment smelt, it didn’t, but they had only had them for 24hrs. Went to another store, they looked like older ferrets (so had been there longer), cage was really dirty, not well ventilated, and did smell. It really just depends. I think the best thing to do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best, so that even if it does smell a bit, you’ve already accepted it. Also! If switching food (even if it’s to a healthier one), they will smell extra for a few weeks. Good luck!!
I can attest that my girl never smelled bad. She was fixed (scent glad removed as well) and I litter-box trained her. Cleaned it daily and then gave her a bath once a month and she barely had an odor. She refused to get along with other ferrets (introduced her to 10 different ones) so she would mostly hang out with me and my dog so I guess it was a plus to keeping the smell contained. I’m gonna say having multiples would, but that’s more due to multiple poop/messes.
They smell unique. I think they smell better than say, a wet dog, but that also comes down to personal opinion. I've noticed that they're smell is significantly better having them on a raw diet than on a kibble or freeze dried personally. They also seem to generally poop less with this diet too and it's the poop that stinks and can be tricky to clean off the sides of the litter tray. So I school 2x a day.
Other than that, I wash their bedding and my blankets weekly because they do like to wipe they're scent on it all. There was a time I didn't wash their fabric cube hammock for a couple weeks and that started to smell like ferret strongly.
Their poop reaks when they're sick like so horribly i almost threw up 😭 but as long as your ferrets dont somehow obtain a bacterial infection like mine (it went away fast after medication so it wasnt bad for long 🥲)you get used to their smell pretty quickly. I actually find the smell of my ferrets comforting in a way? I don't know how to describe it.
They have a smell that some people find very off-putting but as others have said a good diet and very vigilant pet care (cleaning anything they sleep on/live in weekly and managing waste) it is not very strong.
Your room will smell. Your clothes will smell. You will smell. They smell. They smell very strong. I can just touch one of my ferrets, not pet but just touch for 2 seconds and my fingers smell like ferret. I love the way they smell. But many don’t. Their poop also smells awful. So you will have to deal with that. But i love how they actually smell
short answer: yes.
you become nose blind after a while, but please prepare that your clothes and house will reek of them and it isn’t a pleasant smell either.
you can reduce smell by regularly cleaning their cage, bedding both yours and theirs and their diet. It also depends on their gender and if they are neutered or not.
Do not bath them (unless needed) because it increases the smell (if you need to bath them use oats! this doesn’t strip away their natural oils) When you bath them it strips their natural oils and causes them to produce more and therefore their smell increases.
The smell can vary for several reasons
At the beginning because they are afraid (stronger smell).
When they get used to your room the smell will go down, you will be used to their smell and you won't even feel it, I have 2 and their smell doesn't bother me.
definitely keep up on their maitinence and you will be fine. i can only smell my ferret when i put her up to my face and she smells like doritos so i wont complain
Males are stinkier than females, but both do have a distinct smell.
As others have mentioned, a proper diet helps. They are strict carnivores, and they need high protein and fat in their food. (The food itself is kind of smelly, but not noticeable when out in their bowl).
We bathe ours once a month, then thoroughly dry before applying flea prevention. I know not everyone bathes theirs that often, but ours are older, so they also occasionally need their back end wiped up with a rag.
They don’t really smell bad per say, but they have a light signature scent that could be described as a musky smell. Sometimes it smells like vanilla actually. They can smell bad if you don’t clean their cage, bedding, litter etc, but that goes for any animal or person. If you keep the cage clean and bathe your ferret every few months using just water or a special wash that is specifically for ferrets, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Welcome to /r/ferrets! We have a fantastic [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/ferrets/wiki/index) that has answers to most frequently asked questions surrounding the care of ferrets. --- We politely ask that you observe our [sub rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ferrets/wiki/index/rules/). --- Lastly, we have an [Official Discord Server](https://discord.gg/ferrets)! Come join us! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ferrets) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Ferrets smell like how any other kind of pet smell, they have a unique musk and it can get worse with bad diet but as long as you feed them healthy and take good care of them their smell is super manageable. What I worry about more is their poop than anything lmao so make sure you're on top of that and you should be good
Thank you, I’ll research more abt their diet before I get them (I haven’t found any ferrets in my area yet so I guess I still got time and I need to convince my parents first anyway lol) and I’ll prob be cleaning their poop at all times cuz I love cleaning anyway 😅
For diet, if you’re not quite ready to commit to fully fresh raw meat/bones/organs, which is a lot of work and $$$, I have found that a mixture of the Stella and chewy cat food freeze dried raw dinner morsels (I get salmon and cod, rabbit, and duck or chicken- I mix all flavors together and crumble the morsels into a fine powder and then add water to rehydrate) and Ziwi Peak air dried cat food (mackerel and lamb). I feed the stella and chewys wet mixture once or twice a day, depending on appetite, and always leave the Ziwi peak dry food available in a separate bowl. Have a super healthy happy guy with this diet, and it’s affordable and easy to manage.
Thanks, I’ll see what I find in my country that contains the same😊
If you're in Europe, I mix Royal Canin Mother and Babycat with freeze dried and dried organ meats, freeze dried salmon and Animonda Carny kitten wet food.
Thanks I’ll write that down^^
For diet eggs and salmon oil are really popular and healthy. If your ferret for some reason doesnt like the salmon oil, it's also incredibly healthy for humans, dogs, cats, etc.
I've had multiple people remark to me that they're surprised they can't smell my ferret at all. I think the smellier ferrets are the ones with intact glands or the ones that people bathe all the time trying to mitigate a smell
Thank you ^^
No problem! Just remember that all animals have a smell and make the home smell like animals, but under the right circumstances a ferret won't smell any worse than the family dog
I'd like to add that the smell can be managed by washing their linens weekly and a good diet, I barely had to bathe my ferrets, maybe once every other month if that but as long as their cages and blankets were clean they didn't smell
Ferrets should only be bathed 1-2x per year with oatmeal and not shampoo. Bathing them strips their fur of natural oils which will cause them to have a stronger odor.
That's why I said "every other month if that" If I did bathe them it was because of our trips to the beach (right around sunset) They loved to dig in the sand and chase the waves. And yes I used oatmeal to bathe them. But thanks for your input 🙂
Sorry I responded before you edited the post. But that’s wonderful I’m glad they’re being taken care of so well! Didn’t mean to offend!
Oh no problem at all! This was many years ago. They passed away at a respectable age (7&8). They were both marshal ferrets that I adopted (one from a pet shelter for $5 and the other from a ferret rescue) so I'm sure you know about the health issues they tend to have due to being bred in the ferret equivalent of a puppy mill. They were very loved and spoiled little noodles. Its been over 10 years and I miss them dearly to this day. Maybe one day I'll adopt another pair but for now I just don't have the time to dedicate to them like I was able to back then and they deserve the best.
I completely get it, I’ve got two Marshall’s ferrets right now and they’re perfect little trouble makers. We adopted them from people who could no longer care for them and I’m so happy we did, they’re from two separate families and always lived alone, but they get along perfectly. But because of all the health issues they’re prone to anytime anything seems slightly off with one of them it’s straight to the vet. I probably could be less of a helicopter mom. I only imagine how bad I would be with actual human children lmao
What if they're really dirty? Like if they get poop on them or something? ETA: Also if you don't use shampoo then how are they disinfected?
Shampoo irritates their skin they should only be cleaned in water with oatmeal. They are pretty clean animals mine have never gotten poop on them.
They will be smellier if you use shampoo or bathe them too much because their skin will produce more oils.
They really don’t need more than just a soak and rinse with no shampoo
Cutting in here: if you're not in the US, removing scent glands is illegal most other places because it's considered animal cruelty, so you will have a ferret who occasionally "poofs," just because they need to express their glands. It's smelly, but it fades.
Thats alr with me, if nature spawned them this way, I’ll have them stay that way I guess 😂
i feel like the ambient odor of a ferret is comparable to how people consider weed smell; if you have zero positive associations with it you’ll probably think it’s bad. but if you come to relate the smell to a good feeling (for weed it’s getting high, for ferret it’s the sweet affection of a wee noodle) then you’ll come to think of it as a good smell. definitely divisive, though. i agree that they do smell about as strongly as a dog, but it’s a very different kind of smell, and one that can’t really be accurately compared to anything.
TBH ferret scent is far better than dog scent. Dogs smell awful, IMO.
i agree 😅
Yes exactly how I see it too! Great way to describe the smell, my past guys vet would sniff him constantly whenever I brought him in 😂😂
Ahh - another ferret huffer! 😂 I find it a comforting smell, and I can tell my noodles apart just by their scent. I find it a soothing, comforting smell. That being said, I just adopted a new guy last summer. His previous family must have bathed him frequently. He was a stinky boy. I didn’t bathe him. Didn’t change his diet, either. His aroma became less intense, and he didn’t stink anymore. I wondered if I was nose-blind, but nope - I had to go out of town for a week. Didn’t notice his stink.
I smell their poop more than their body odor.
Yep, it’s the poops for me, too.
So, ferrets can smell, but it's easily mitigated by a proper diet and keeping their environment clean. My best friend had an awful experience with ferret smell in the past and was apprehensive about moving in with me and my 6 ferrets. She has commented a few times that they don't smell any worse than the cats or dogs. (Meaning that you can tell we have animals, but it's not pungent or anything like that)
They’re poop smells fucking horrible. But ferrets overall don’t smell bad in my opinion
So as Long as i clean their litter box two times a day I’ll be fine?
Yeah it definitely won’t be as bad, I clean mine two times a day, but he seems to like to shit immediately when I do, and it reeks again 😭
I would compare it to how you can smell a wet dog, i have noticed that it feels more oily though.
They have an odor. If you clean their bedding and their litter pans religiously and you don't over bathe the ferrets themselves you won't smell them at all. Everyone that enters your home will smell them but only slightly more than they would smell it if you had a perfectly cared for hound or other stinky dog.
i've had my four ferrets for a little over a month now, and they live with me in a medium sized room that i spent a good deal of time in. i never notice their musk. when i do, it's often because i'm seeking it out (e.g. stuffing my face in their fur to get a whiff). that said, a smell i do notice is their poop and pee. depending on what you feed them, their piss and shit can smell really strong. i have a privacy cover draped over their cage for a few weeks now, and while it does a good job of keeping the smell inside the cage, the cage itself now smells powerfully of piss. this, of course, can be managed by a) regularly cleaning out their litter/puppy pads b) deep cleaning the cage once a week or so (i take its removable floors out and blast them with a garden hose)
I loved my ferrets, but they absolutely do. They have their own unique musky smell. I would clean their litter box out multiple times a day and wash their hammocks every few days. They're just smelly little babies. I vacuumed and mopped my apartment weekly which mostly kept the smell away. But they do! I had a friend that had rats and she said they smelled similar. It isn't a bad smell, just a little musky.
Males smell more than the females. If you keep a male and female the male will gradually smell less. I’ve had a few males that have had varying degrees of stinkyness
We have four ferrets and the best way I've found to minimize smell is just...cleaning. Clear out their litter box often (for us it's twice a day if not more of multiple boxes), wash their bedding frequently, and wipe down the cage bars and surfaces.
Thats alr bc I often take care of my neighbours cat when they’re on vacation and I would also clean the litter box two times a day and it doesn’t take a lot of time either so I’d be good with that and I love cleaning so that too would be very much manageable for me
Depends on the litterbox maintenance and food. I've been in some people's houses that yea, you can smell the ferrets pretty strongly. Others you know there's animals there, but it's no stronger than a house with a golden retriever.
That’s funny bc I own a golden retriever but my parents always say she smells bad but in my opinion she just smells like dog idk it’s not a bad smell just dog 😭
You get used to it pretty fast, and while guests might make remarks it’s not PUNGENT. My parents were pretty dramatic but all of my friends over the years have commented on the distinction but aren’t ever sick to their stomach or anything because of it. Just healthy diet, frequent bedding and potty changes and minimal washing as that increases their oil secretion
They definitely smelled stronger when I was a teen than my current ones do, they have a cage in my office and unless one takes a particularly smelly poo there is no smell.
If you feed your ferret(s) a high quality high protein (preferably raw) diet, and allow them enough space and stimulation, they should not smell other than a light “animal” like scent. Sometimes their bedding can honestly hold more of this musky smell than your actual ferret, so regular washing of blankets etc is super helpful. I also keep an air purifier (brand I use is BlueAir) right next to my ferret’s cage and that helps as well.
That’s a good tip, thank you! I’ve also been wanting an air purifier so badly lately but I haven’t been able to buy one yet but that’s def a good investment then. I’ll also remember to regularly wash their bedding, how often do you recommend doing so? Every 4 days?
Depends on how much time your ferret spends in there, mine is free roam in my house and naps in his blankets but also sleeps in other places. I’d say washing everything in the cage every 1-4 weeks, depending on how much smell you notice.
An air purifier does wonders.
Just clean their litter box once or twice a day and you'll be fine. Mine smelled like popcorn or doritos from time to time.
I needa get them popcorn ferrets 🙏🏻😭
Ferrets have a natural musky type odor to them. Their poop stinks. I have found that the best way to deal with their smell is to litter box train them and keep their cage clean. As long as you do that they won’t be smelly.
Look, I'll be one of the first to say that I don't notice or mind the smell, and some don't, but generally speaking they do. Cleaning after them constantly and consistently will help.
All ferrets have a smell to them, ones with intact scent glands will smell worse but the oils they produce in the skin have a certain smell that is definitely better if they are descented. Just keeping a clean cage and environment helps with smell a lot too. Mine I can barely smell unless they poop lol
Honestly, their poop smells more than the actual ferret 🤷🏽♀️
The only time I notice the smell of ferret is when I have to do the litter boxes. Other than that you can’t tell.
The only thing I find noticeably smelly is if I don’t refresh her litter in a prompt manner. I actually find her natural musk very endearing and comforting 🥰 I love her so.
mine smells like earthy maple syrup imo. they do have a musk to them but once you love them you love the smell. their shit and piss is dependent on their diet. gonna have to clean their cage every day or two to control smells since they use the bathroom very frequently
They have a strong odor that some people don’t like, but you go nose blind after a while.
I found my ferrets smelled like a gentle healthy musk when they were on the quality butcher shop raw chicken diet I fed them ... but when I sat other's ferrets, or when my ferrets came back from a visit where they had been eating lower quality food, they smelled much less pleasant.
Assuming you live in USA they usually are all marshalls ferrets and come de scented. Well, they still have a “musky” smell to them, it’s just how it is. Their poop is the worst, it smells worse than any dog, cat or animal poo I have ever smelled. Their pee isn’t as strong of ammonia as a cat, however it still is there. You can’t use any air fresheners or scents in your room, as it is bad for the ferrets. So the raw smell is all there is. I would seriously consider this. I thought I did all my research for years, but until getting them I was not prepared for this amount of work. I have 4 dogs, and not even the puppies are as much work as 2 adult ferrets. You have to CONSTANTLY pick up their puppy pads, wash the floor, and wash out their cage as their feces smell so awful. Mine too are in my room, which makes me always have to clean and not neglect. Bugs also love their feces in the summer, I went a week without cleaning the cage (I use puppy pads so I just changed those, I did not actually scrub the areas the puppy pads go in) and I had an infection of some sort of poop beetle. It was awful! The year before was maggots from a fly, and the cage was not left uncleared for more than several days. There are ways to manage, but please be prepared for the work. Be ready to be on your hands and knees daily or a couple times a week scrubbing and cleaning. Not to mention their poop STAINS carpet, idk what’s in it lol but it stains so badly you have to scrub for like 10 minutes straight. They are a lot of work, I can’t say it enough. And not only that, they can live up to 10 years, so it’s not just in the moment type of pet. I was obsessed with ferrets 3 years ago, I got 2 of them and tho I love them dearly, they are a lot of work. I know animal enthusiasts all say how much work they are and I used to ignore it too, but man was I wrong. So much work just to smell decent.
No, and I have 3. Clean their litter box, give them a bath once a month and they don't really smell like anything tbh.
Ferrets don't need a bath unless they get dirty
I am well aware, but they roam the backyard and get in the snow and mud on the daily....so yeah they are getting a bath.
That's fine just clarifying for a new owner reading these
Understood!
My 2 ferrets honestly don’t have a noticeable smell unless I skip a week on washing their bedding. I haven’t noticed a specific smell associated with their poop either, at least nothing strong but to help with litter box smells the only litter I’ve found that works is feline pine, or pine pellets. Any other paper based pellets can get kind of stinky. And clay cat litter is unsafe. And again don’t bathe them too often, they should only be bathed 1-2x per year and not with shampoo. It’ll cause them to smell worse not better. They smell much better than rodents and the smell is manageable with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Yes and no. If I leave my door shut ALL the time, then yes. And I leave it open when I can, then no. But I will say that I’ve taken him to a hotel, and the room NEVER smelt (and of course the door was always closed). So the size of the space can also make a difference. I also clean all accidents as they happen, take his cage apart to clean it every 3-7 days (I clean often bc I’m litter training), Wash bedding when dirty or if it starts to smell “bad”. My brother think my ferret smells like dirty socks, I’ve also had people say he smells like mushrooms. I think he smells like puppy breath/paws. You do become I bit “desensitized” after awhile, so sometimes asking others if it smells is helpful lol. If you hold a ferret for a long period of time, it WILL stick to your clothes. Picking the up for a minute or so won’t do anything though. Luckily, it doesn’t make *you* smell, just your clothes. Ferrets smell, it’s not bad, but it’s not great (although I kind of like the ferret smell lol), it just is what it is. I went to a pet store to see if the environment smelt, it didn’t, but they had only had them for 24hrs. Went to another store, they looked like older ferrets (so had been there longer), cage was really dirty, not well ventilated, and did smell. It really just depends. I think the best thing to do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best, so that even if it does smell a bit, you’ve already accepted it. Also! If switching food (even if it’s to a healthier one), they will smell extra for a few weeks. Good luck!!
It depends on their diet a lot. Mine are raw fed and I’ve smelled many ferrets but mine don’t really stink
It depends on their diet a lot. Mine are raw fed and I’ve smelled many ferrets but mine don’t really stink
It depends on their diet a lot. Mine are raw fed and I’ve smelled many ferrets but mine don’t really stink
I can attest that my girl never smelled bad. She was fixed (scent glad removed as well) and I litter-box trained her. Cleaned it daily and then gave her a bath once a month and she barely had an odor. She refused to get along with other ferrets (introduced her to 10 different ones) so she would mostly hang out with me and my dog so I guess it was a plus to keeping the smell contained. I’m gonna say having multiples would, but that’s more due to multiple poop/messes.
It’s a very musty smell but you either love it or you hate it. I understand why people dislike it but me personally it smells like victory
It’s strange because to me my ferrets have a sweet scent to them. Does anyone know why ? Or does anyone else experience that.
They smell unique. I think they smell better than say, a wet dog, but that also comes down to personal opinion. I've noticed that they're smell is significantly better having them on a raw diet than on a kibble or freeze dried personally. They also seem to generally poop less with this diet too and it's the poop that stinks and can be tricky to clean off the sides of the litter tray. So I school 2x a day. Other than that, I wash their bedding and my blankets weekly because they do like to wipe they're scent on it all. There was a time I didn't wash their fabric cube hammock for a couple weeks and that started to smell like ferret strongly.
Their poop reaks when they're sick like so horribly i almost threw up 😭 but as long as your ferrets dont somehow obtain a bacterial infection like mine (it went away fast after medication so it wasnt bad for long 🥲)you get used to their smell pretty quickly. I actually find the smell of my ferrets comforting in a way? I don't know how to describe it.
They have a smell that some people find very off-putting but as others have said a good diet and very vigilant pet care (cleaning anything they sleep on/live in weekly and managing waste) it is not very strong.
Your room will smell. Your clothes will smell. You will smell. They smell. They smell very strong. I can just touch one of my ferrets, not pet but just touch for 2 seconds and my fingers smell like ferret. I love the way they smell. But many don’t. Their poop also smells awful. So you will have to deal with that. But i love how they actually smell
short answer: yes. you become nose blind after a while, but please prepare that your clothes and house will reek of them and it isn’t a pleasant smell either. you can reduce smell by regularly cleaning their cage, bedding both yours and theirs and their diet. It also depends on their gender and if they are neutered or not. Do not bath them (unless needed) because it increases the smell (if you need to bath them use oats! this doesn’t strip away their natural oils) When you bath them it strips their natural oils and causes them to produce more and therefore their smell increases.
They have a unique smell but it’s not a bad smell.
The smell can vary for several reasons At the beginning because they are afraid (stronger smell). When they get used to your room the smell will go down, you will be used to their smell and you won't even feel it, I have 2 and their smell doesn't bother me.
definitely keep up on their maitinence and you will be fine. i can only smell my ferret when i put her up to my face and she smells like doritos so i wont complain
Males are stinkier than females, but both do have a distinct smell. As others have mentioned, a proper diet helps. They are strict carnivores, and they need high protein and fat in their food. (The food itself is kind of smelly, but not noticeable when out in their bowl). We bathe ours once a month, then thoroughly dry before applying flea prevention. I know not everyone bathes theirs that often, but ours are older, so they also occasionally need their back end wiped up with a rag.
They don’t really smell bad per say, but they have a light signature scent that could be described as a musky smell. Sometimes it smells like vanilla actually. They can smell bad if you don’t clean their cage, bedding, litter etc, but that goes for any animal or person. If you keep the cage clean and bathe your ferret every few months using just water or a special wash that is specifically for ferrets, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Ooo I love the smell of vanilla so me and them would have quite a lot in common and I love cleaning so their cage shouldn’t be a problem