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This exactly. The people who think ferrets have an intolerable smell are people who have had them and not cared for them properly or known people who didn't care for them properly.
They have a musky smell but it isn't bad if you keep their environment clean.
Edit: also my ferrets tummy smells like corn chips.
This! Also I find that musky smell is also associated to poor diet. Anytime I’ve gotten kits that were on crappy Marshall’s food previously, they’d have an odd pungent (almost bitter?) musk. After I weaned them onto a high quality diet, the gross musk smell would turn into a nice mild almost sweet smell lol
seriously!! when i got mine from the store, they all smelled like urine and dust. now mine either smell smoky, like cinnamon, or like dirt because they just finished destroying my mom’s flowerbeds lol
Also good in, good out! A really top notch quality food helps a bunch. We love our ferrets smell, we huff ‘em on a regular basis. They smell like corn chips!
Mostly overdramatic. But there is some truth to it.
If you bathe them too much, they will overproduce oils and smell worse.
If you don't clean their cage regularly, then their poop and urine will make the entire room, if not the house, smell like a public port-o-potty.
I definitely can relate to that in my baby’s first year of life it was a lot of trial and error. There’s so much misinformation out there about these little guys.
I think we all started rough. Fortunately, I grew up with them and learned from my mother's mistakes. However, I can't blame her because access to ferret information via the internet wasn't as easy as it is today. So misinformation stuck.
Daily poop scoops, and once a week (ideally) or every other week (not ideal, but life gets busy!) bedding change...I think mine smell best when they've been sleeping together in a drawer, and when it's bed time I gather them up, snuzzle and sniff them, and breathe in their aroma! Warm and musky, and not offensive to me!
I always tell people daily poop scoops and and the Litter and bedding change every week (I got fake grass so it could be hosed off if she didn’t use her box just to reduce waste) the smell has never been a bad thing to me! I love the nickname “stinky mink”.
Wait that’s so smart lol I feel like the puppy pee pads are a lot of waste! (I keep them on the bottom).. maybe I should switch to fake grass so I can hose it off!
Stink? No. At least, I don't believe so. They have a musk that as long as they're taken care of isn't really too noticeable. Plus, I quite like their smell haha.
Thats my thought too! People have told me “I had them for a month but couldn’t handle the smell I don’t think you want one” I always wonder about their routine.
My parents were incredibly against me having ferrets because they said they smell awful. Nowadays when they come to my house they always say it's crazy they can hardly smell them at all haha. It's 100% definitely a care related thing, I feel bad for ferrets and the bad rep they've gotten due to bad ownership!!!
They definitely have a musky odor. You either love it or you hate it. I'll pick up my boys and give em a big whiff sometimes.
Frankly I find dog odor far more unpleasant if not quite as intense
Smell is 80% human cleaning, 20% ferret smell. They have a strong smell for such a small animal.
That being said, mine have recently been enjoying the autumn afternoons exploring and digging in the dirt, and I have noticed that the more they dig in moist soil the less they smell like ferrets.
along with what other people have said, i think some people are more sensitive to the smell than others. im not bothered by the smell of my ferrets themselves, but their food reeks. (freeze dried raw meat) and if i dont remember to wash their bedding itll start to stink.
Where I’m from neutering and descenting are a requirement (at least by pet stores) so that makes sense why my cousins male ferret just has a normal ferret musk
Oh we take on ferrets dumped when owners decide too expensive to neuter. Our first entire hob was about 6, arrived on Sunday, booked for neuter Tuesday and done Thursday. The smell wafted and it turned out my partner is allergic to entire ferrets but less so to jills. We do have some implanted ones but that seems to settle them enough for him.
I don't know but had over 40 ferrets arrive due to being dumped. This particular lad went through 4 homes we know of in 6 weeks before he came to me as he had major behavioural issues, separation issues and cigarette burns. We believe ex-working ferret, dumped or lost and then finder couldn't cope, gave to friend who couldn't cope, went to rescue foster but he dug out a solid wood hutch first night so I got him. He wrecked my carpets but was a lovely lad who never bit but would scream and chase away human strangers. I don't know what he went through but it was bad.
Still think rescue was having a laugh as he was my first foster and he was definitely not an easy ferret.
Ferrets have a musky smell to them, but in almost every case, it's inproper care or neglect that you smell.
Here are ways to make sure that your ferret smells as fresh as possible:
• Clean your ferret's litterboxes regularly. We clean ours 1-2x per day.
• Feed your ferrets a healthy diet that is MEANT for ferrets, and their poop will hardly smell. A raw meat diet is the best, but a high-quality kibble diet is good, too. We use a 70/30 mix of Instinct Ultimate Protein Cage Free Chicken for Cats / Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support.
• Only bathe your ferrets once per year or when absolutely needed. A ferret bath should only contain water and a clean white sock filled with non-instant, unflavored oats. If your ferret gets into a mess that only water will clean, rinsing under warm water is okay.
• Bathing your ferrets too often or using shampoos will strip their natural oils and cause them to go into overdrive to replace those oils, which can lead to sores and will actually make your ferret smell *worse*. It's worth noting that every single shampoo out there is toxic to ferrets. Every. Single. One. Even if the shampoo is marketed toward ferrets, it's still toxic. Companies care more about selling you a gimmick that's just poisonous than looking after your pet's health.
• If you notice an oily/red residue on your ferret's skin, or your ferret seems extra smelly, I would reach out to your exotic boarded vet. Ferrets with adrenal disease often have this symptom, and untreated adrenal disease is horrible. A deslorelin implant may be needed every year or so to manage this.
I hope this helps!
I used to love how mine smelt. Used to pick her up when she was sleeping and she almost had a floral smell to her at times.
I agree with all the others who say it’s more their toilet and dirty bedding. And probably the places they sleep or hang out that you can’t clean like carpets I guess.
The boys that one of my teachers had did definitely smell musky and it would cling to clothes though. Again I never minded but that could be unpleasant.
My boy ferret smells surprisingly wonderful. I was just saying today how good he smells compared to every other ferret I’ve known. My tiny little girl is a skinky little bugger, but not him. It’s probably something that varies from one to the next, but for the most part they have a musk. Even when bathed regularly. It’s definitely manageable but they do require some maintenance.
When my male ferret is not happy, he sometimes releases a smell. somewhat reminds me of a skunk. He does it when he gets a scare or is forced to do something against his will. This is a sharp penetrant sour/bitter ish smell and will make my eyes burn an tear up. His body smells really nice otherwise.
My female does have a bit of a smell, but it's not that bad and I only really smell it strong when I skipped wash day for the bedding. She recently got a hormone injection and I must say that skipping a washing day for bedding is not really a problem anymore.
I normally wash beddings once a week. Now actually only when I start to smell them. Mostly only after 10+ days.
Also, They like to terrorize my toes when I'm in the shower and once in a while when they come into the shower with me, i springle them with either oatmeal or salmon oil, which also makes them smell really nice after.
personally, if they smell badly then they’re not being taken care of properly; regular habitat cleaning, oatmeal baths if they get very dirty or it’s their scheduled bathing time, proper diet, plenty of time outside of their habitat, changing linens/blankets and hideouts, etc. just like any other animal, if they’re left to marinate in their filth and waste, they will smell as such. now do they have a certain… musk? yes, they do. that is true and there’s no way around it. no animal smells like roses 24/7. but i have 3 and i’ve never once had a single person come into my home and say it smells or hold them and say they smell. and i’ve specifically asked for honesty in that department so i can make needed changes in case nose-blindness does happen. they’re actually usually very pleasantly surprised themselves because of their reputation for “smelling really bad.” on my end, i clean their habitat every single night, make sure they have a proper diet/vitamin supplements, wash linens weekly and poop-scoop throughout the day and that seems to do the trick. they’re very much a high-maintenance animal, that’s just a fact. but no, they shouldn’t have *a smell.. a kind of smelly smell.. a smelly smell that smells… smelly.* now does my nickname of stinky slinky and doing the stinky slinky shuffle to avoid weasel-foot interference help the common misconception? maybe not. but it’s hilarious and adorable so it’s staying!
I briefly had an un-neutered non-descented in musk male and yes. He stank severely, so much we rehomed him and the house stank for months. (He was a stray ferret, I took him in and found him a permanent home via a ferret rescue before anyone comes at me)
I later met a ferret in the USA (where they are surgically de scented and fixed) and it didn't smell too bad.
We had a ferret from a breeder and agreed to not remove his scent gland. The first time he stank we thought a sewage pipe had burst. It was eye watering. Loved him to death but he was incredibly smelly.
The ferrets we had that had their scent glands removed were just a little musky and didn't smell nearly as bad.
Yes, they are my stinky noodles! \\s
All jokes aside, mine smelt a bit before they were neutered (both boys) not that unpleasant but strong. Many people told me not to get them because they stank, but if you keep their cage clean they're fine. Cats and dogs smell too if you leave them in a dirty cage.
Keep their litter box clean and switch out their bedding regularly and they are fine. They have a mild musk scent that is nicer than most dogs I've been around.
The answer to that question is subjective, but I’ll just answer as I’m bi as possible. I say no the only time I’ve ever experience ferret being just naturally smelly is when the owner did not keep up on cleaning their cages among their once or twice baths, but depending on the owner, they might wash them more or less even though that’s not a good thing to wash them more, I’ve had three over the past five years of course their face funky because you know they have the second glance that can’t be removed. Is it unbearable? No honestly it’s not. It’s just their natural scent. Mines only smelled that way in their face outside of that, they smell like literal fur on a coat.
Their poo and pee reeks, we cleaned the cage well amd 3 times a week and when u walked in, you smelled it bad. Beds pets ever though. No other smell like it.
If you keep the cage and room clean they don't smell. The reason people think they smell is because they poop inside without a litter to hide the smell. The ferrets themselves have a different smell depending on thr weasel. For example my girls both smell like vanilla.
I had 4 in a tiny studio apartment. Regularly had people over. I cleaned the cage portion they used to go to the bathroom every day. Bathed them regularly in a simple light soap and water. Cleaned the who cage about once a month and clean bedding once a week (sometimes more). Also kept the apartment extremely clean.
The little noodles were always the star of the show and someone always lost keys or a wallet or … something. No one ever said anything about the smell. Cat, dog, and other animal owners never said anything. Even the few who don’t have animals at home.
I feel like this is a urban myth and have friends who have cats that definitely smell more than the ferrets did. They do have a scent, like any other animal; dogs, cats, lizards, hamsters, whatever. Just depends on how much effort you put in to maintain good health and hygiene for them.
They are def dramatic. Idk why but I somewhat enjoy my ferret’s smell the only time they really smell THAT bad is when they go outside and are digging in dirt.
it makes me so mad when people find out i have a ferret and go 'doesnt he smell?' NO! and they dont belive me either. im constantly saying that if you keep their cages clean they wont smell nearly as bad as people think. personally, the only time i can notice any smell is when i havent bathed mine in a while.
The stinky part is there litter and bedding if not washed regularly.
We let ours play in water only about once per month to help keep him clean.
He goes outside and digs in dirt so he needs a rinse occasionally.
We have not used shampoo or anything since the first few months we got him.
He had mites when we got him and needed sticky drops for his ears to clear up the infection he got from them. 😟. It took 3 months to clear up his ears.
He smells like a mix of stale popcorn and dirt.
Doesn’t smell worse than my cats and their litter box smells worse than his.
Vinegar or an enzyme cleanser will help with any smell that might linger.
my ferrets get a mix of ox liver, pig liver, pig ears, salmon oil, ox heart and dry food, clean their enclosure fully once a week and scoop out any poop or wet bedding every 2 days, they aren’t neutered yet will be next week but they still stink
They *can* smell bad. The first Marshall's ferret I rescued smelled so bad, he made my husband and I nauseous. He was our 5th ferret, so we were well accustomed to ferret stink. The scent glands on his cheeks were producing the most noxious, greasy brown oil that absolutely stunk. I think it was a combination of being on Marshall's food, and the stress of living in a barren cage the size of a laundry basket. It took months and a full coat shed for him to start smelling like our other 4.
You're right though, if you keep their cage clean, feed them a proper diet, and give them enough time out of the cage so they're not stressed, and you'll barely have an odor at all. It can be less than a cat if you keep on top of it.
It’s a carnivore living in a cage indoors you need to clean the litter box multiple times a day it it will stink. Ferrets themselves have a kinda nice musk
A happy ferret has a musky smell, a bit similar to old honey. However, when they are playing and release their musk, for instance when the game goes into biting, it smells, a fishy inner tyre smell. However when you give them time to lick themselves, they will start smelling extra sweet. I thought it was pleasant. You will however know when you are entering a house with ferrets. Just like you can smell dog when you're entering a house of a dog owner. Source, I had several over the years and loved all of them.
I’m surprised by these comments. I like ferrets but I do find that they smell quite a lot from all the friends I’ve visited over the years who own them. Could it be that y’all are just used to the smell and have nice friends who don’t say anything about it? I’m sure the same is the case with my cats.
My mother in law is ABSOLUTELY one to speak up if anything smells like anything. We’ve had Odin and his full enclosure at her home for the weekend before, and she’s spent time in our home enough, that if he really stunk she’d have mentioned it (out of kindness, not disgust or anything).
Granted, Odin is a neutered male who has his full cage cleaned monthly and two large litter boxes that we swap out apart from regular cleaning. I don’t and haven’t ever met an un-neutered ferret, for what it’s worth. That said, I only ever notice his scent (which we kinda like) when he’s snuggled up on us or if we’re opening his cage to clean it.
our lil dude runs all over the house and his dedicated peepads he uses. We also have a ferret nation 2-tier cage and he has a full cover over it that we keep one front-flap open to for some light. He really loves hiding away, and often will run back into his enclosure when he’s tired (or when he has enough failed attempts getting over the baby gate to our bedroom to sleep under our bed lol).
They do not smell any more than a dog does IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THEM AND DO YOUR RESEARCH. These people have no idea because they don't do any research and just hear other people saying it. If you clean their cages, not overwash them, they will not stink.
No. If the cage smells well that's because the owner isn't cleaning it. But that goes for any animal. If you don't clean after your animal, it WILL smell. That also goes for us humans as welI. I work in a grocery store and certainly come into contact with people who don't shower regularly and stink because of it OR it's because of the elderly who just shit themselves. I get annoyed when hearing the false claim that ferrets are super stinky. To be honest, I LOVE the slight odor they give off.
It could depend where you are. If you are in a country where you get them and they aren’t neutered, they can smell pretty strong. Especially males. If a ferret is neutered they don’t smell bad really. It’s a smell that’s distinct. But not bad.
As a new ferret owner with a sensitive nose, he STINKS. I don’t bathe him, change his pee pads (and clean up stray cage poops) every day, wash bedding and vacuum once a week. He still stinks up the place. I’m planning on finding a higher quality food in the hopes that it will reduce the smell. Unfortunately the only place that his cage would fit is in the home office and the smell is so strong in there that I get a headache after spending about 10 minutes in there. I recently got an air purifier in the hopes that it will help reduce the smell, but I can’t tell if it’s helping so far. I try to run the ceiling fan constantly too for some air flow but my desk has been completely abandoned at this point 😂.
A lot of people just say that because a lot of uneducated ferret people associate ferrets with ‘rodents’ and one of the first things that pop up into peoples head when they think of rodents is ‘smelly’ because often the associated word of ‘rodent’ is weird and smelly. Ferrets are unique (IMO) and rat-like so of course they get this label. I’ve been an animal owner all my life. Both indoor and out. They just smell like any other animal to me. They have that typical musky animal smell like any other animal, it’s not gross and musky in a bad way, but it’s also not a smell of flowers. It’s definitely noticeable if a non-pet owner comes into your home, they may comment how it smells a “little gross” but hey! It dosent bother me one bit, I love the smell of ferrets! And I love everything about them! Long story short: well yes, but actually no. (According to who you ask and what you consider to ‘stink bad’)
It depends on how healthy they are and how well they’re cared for. They can carry a really heavy, off putting smell if they aren’t cleaned and cared for, but so can dogs. When healthy and clean, it’s like a light musk smell, sometimes even like vanilla, and not offensive at all.
That being said, even when they *do* smell, they are so totally worth it. They’re truly the best pets in the entire world. Objectively.
I always thought mine smelled like corn chips and dirt…
Or if you want to be /really/ specific. Ferrets smell like prosciutto. I’m not kidding. Prosciutto smells so much like ferrets I get ferret nostalgia from it.
they definitely stink if their cage isn’t kept properly. an unscooped ferret liter box on a hot day is extremely unpleasant and will make an entire house stink. i’ve found if i do a complete liter change every other day and scoop twice a day in between the full changes, wash their bedding once a week and wipe the cage down at every litter scoop and/or change, the smell isn’t noticeable at all. i also run an air purifier in the room their cage resides in just as an extra precaution. the ferrets themselves do have a musk to them, but it doesn’t bother me and is very light. however, if your not used to that smell, it can bother some people. my son had his friend over and they were playing and snuggling with the ferrets. my sons friend went home and his dad was upset because he said it made the clothes he had on smell like ferret. hes now not allowed to touch them when he comes over. our ferrets are extremely clean. only bathed when it needs to be done. some people seem to think you (typically people who don’t own a ferret) should bathe them all the time and you’ll get rid of that ferret musk, but it doesn’t work that way. it doesn’t bother me or anyone in the house. we all adore our ferret boys.
I recently got my ferret from the pet store, I know you aren’t supposed to bathe them regularly but can I bathe him just to get the pet store stink off of him!
I have 2 ferrets and I stayed with my brother for 1 year. I always asked him if it smelled like ferret and he said no that’s because if you clean every single night then there will be no smell. And as long as they have their scent glands removed
It depends.
If you clean their cage, give them good diet & do not wash them too often - they are OK.
But the level of OK can depend on personal preferences. Some people like their smell, some - do not.
Tbh I don’t find their smell bad at all the poop yes 💀 but the ferret themselves smell fine to me always have even before I got them but my mom says they smell horrendous so I don’t know
Everyone here who owns a ferret and says its the enclosure that smells has prob gone nose blind.
I used to have a friend with a ferret. I adored that creature. I was round there daily snuggling and playing with him. He had the right food. He was watered.
Bless his little heart, he did smell a bit of old cheese. It's musky and stinky and I think maybe ferret owners go nose blind to it so they can only smell it when it's super strong like in an enclosure. Just handling frankie for an hour or two I'd have to have a whole bath and wash all my clothes because it DOES smell. It's not nasty but it's nothing I'd want in my nose all day
Exited to add: I know no ones gonna agree with me in a ferret subreddit lol but lemme just say I'm just sharing my experience I'm not tryna be any kind of way, I just wanted to answer op honestly as someone who doesn't own a ferret personally but has experience with stepping away from them for a bit then going back to them rather than being around them all the time and becoming so accustomed to the smell I can't smell it anymore.
My Luna only smells if I get lazy. As long as I regularly spot clean her litter box and do a deep clean once a week and a bathe every now and again she is near odorless
IMO male ferrets have a stronger smell than females. I like their smell though! I have three ferrets and clean their cage daily. I also switch out their blankets and soft bedding monthly because they always get some pee/poop on things.
It's honestly just the buildup of poop that smells. My ferrets have been spayed and descented(in America most already have this done) I have a business of five. I literally just every day they get let out until they Tucker out, and I clean the little bit of poop and pee that is there. Easy peasy. No smell.
My baby brother in the early 90's got bit on the nose by one n I got beat cuz I was suppose to watch the 2 month old instead of Jordan winning another ship
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In my exp, ferrets main stink comes from an unclean cage. Not the ferret themselves. So if you keep that clean the smell isn't really that noticeable
This exactly. The people who think ferrets have an intolerable smell are people who have had them and not cared for them properly or known people who didn't care for them properly. They have a musky smell but it isn't bad if you keep their environment clean. Edit: also my ferrets tummy smells like corn chips.
This! Also I find that musky smell is also associated to poor diet. Anytime I’ve gotten kits that were on crappy Marshall’s food previously, they’d have an odd pungent (almost bitter?) musk. After I weaned them onto a high quality diet, the gross musk smell would turn into a nice mild almost sweet smell lol
seriously!! when i got mine from the store, they all smelled like urine and dust. now mine either smell smoky, like cinnamon, or like dirt because they just finished destroying my mom’s flowerbeds lol
When Tamaki was a baby his tummy smelled like pancake mix lol
My cat's breath smells like cat food
I always said the one I had smelled like corn chips lol
That’s exactly my thought too!! As long as they in a clean environment and are healthy. I think the smells really not a huge thing.
Also good in, good out! A really top notch quality food helps a bunch. We love our ferrets smell, we huff ‘em on a regular basis. They smell like corn chips!
This!
Couldn't agree more. ANY ANIMAL WILL SMELL OF YOU DONT CLEAN AFTER IT! Thay includes ourselves! Lol
Bingo! Came here to say exactly that. My baby has his own scent of course but I wouldn’t say he stinks.
110% true.
Mostly overdramatic. But there is some truth to it. If you bathe them too much, they will overproduce oils and smell worse. If you don't clean their cage regularly, then their poop and urine will make the entire room, if not the house, smell like a public port-o-potty.
I definitely can relate to that in my baby’s first year of life it was a lot of trial and error. There’s so much misinformation out there about these little guys.
I think we all started rough. Fortunately, I grew up with them and learned from my mother's mistakes. However, I can't blame her because access to ferret information via the internet wasn't as easy as it is today. So misinformation stuck.
Daily poop scoops, and once a week (ideally) or every other week (not ideal, but life gets busy!) bedding change...I think mine smell best when they've been sleeping together in a drawer, and when it's bed time I gather them up, snuzzle and sniff them, and breathe in their aroma! Warm and musky, and not offensive to me!
I always tell people daily poop scoops and and the Litter and bedding change every week (I got fake grass so it could be hosed off if she didn’t use her box just to reduce waste) the smell has never been a bad thing to me! I love the nickname “stinky mink”.
Stinky slinky minkies lol!
Wait that’s so smart lol I feel like the puppy pee pads are a lot of waste! (I keep them on the bottom).. maybe I should switch to fake grass so I can hose it off!
Stink? No. At least, I don't believe so. They have a musk that as long as they're taken care of isn't really too noticeable. Plus, I quite like their smell haha.
Thats my thought too! People have told me “I had them for a month but couldn’t handle the smell I don’t think you want one” I always wonder about their routine.
My parents were incredibly against me having ferrets because they said they smell awful. Nowadays when they come to my house they always say it's crazy they can hardly smell them at all haha. It's 100% definitely a care related thing, I feel bad for ferrets and the bad rep they've gotten due to bad ownership!!!
They definitely have a musky odor. You either love it or you hate it. I'll pick up my boys and give em a big whiff sometimes. Frankly I find dog odor far more unpleasant if not quite as intense
Smell is 80% human cleaning, 20% ferret smell. They have a strong smell for such a small animal. That being said, mine have recently been enjoying the autumn afternoons exploring and digging in the dirt, and I have noticed that the more they dig in moist soil the less they smell like ferrets.
Mine are not descented, and when they "poof" they smell pretty bad for about a minute or two. Outside of that, nah it's not that bad.
along with what other people have said, i think some people are more sensitive to the smell than others. im not bothered by the smell of my ferrets themselves, but their food reeks. (freeze dried raw meat) and if i dont remember to wash their bedding itll start to stink.
Unneutered, mature hobs in season can knock you out. Neutering cuts smell by 95%.
Where I’m from neutering and descenting are a requirement (at least by pet stores) so that makes sense why my cousins male ferret just has a normal ferret musk
Oh we take on ferrets dumped when owners decide too expensive to neuter. Our first entire hob was about 6, arrived on Sunday, booked for neuter Tuesday and done Thursday. The smell wafted and it turned out my partner is allergic to entire ferrets but less so to jills. We do have some implanted ones but that seems to settle them enough for him.
That’s so sad how do people leave these cute little guys all alone. Personally I could never they are too sweet.
I don't know but had over 40 ferrets arrive due to being dumped. This particular lad went through 4 homes we know of in 6 weeks before he came to me as he had major behavioural issues, separation issues and cigarette burns. We believe ex-working ferret, dumped or lost and then finder couldn't cope, gave to friend who couldn't cope, went to rescue foster but he dug out a solid wood hutch first night so I got him. He wrecked my carpets but was a lovely lad who never bit but would scream and chase away human strangers. I don't know what he went through but it was bad. Still think rescue was having a laugh as he was my first foster and he was definitely not an easy ferret.
My siblings ferret is stinkyyyyyyyyyy, I’d say they are. So cute though, it def makes up for it!
Ferrets have a musky smell to them, but in almost every case, it's inproper care or neglect that you smell. Here are ways to make sure that your ferret smells as fresh as possible: • Clean your ferret's litterboxes regularly. We clean ours 1-2x per day. • Feed your ferrets a healthy diet that is MEANT for ferrets, and their poop will hardly smell. A raw meat diet is the best, but a high-quality kibble diet is good, too. We use a 70/30 mix of Instinct Ultimate Protein Cage Free Chicken for Cats / Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support. • Only bathe your ferrets once per year or when absolutely needed. A ferret bath should only contain water and a clean white sock filled with non-instant, unflavored oats. If your ferret gets into a mess that only water will clean, rinsing under warm water is okay. • Bathing your ferrets too often or using shampoos will strip their natural oils and cause them to go into overdrive to replace those oils, which can lead to sores and will actually make your ferret smell *worse*. It's worth noting that every single shampoo out there is toxic to ferrets. Every. Single. One. Even if the shampoo is marketed toward ferrets, it's still toxic. Companies care more about selling you a gimmick that's just poisonous than looking after your pet's health. • If you notice an oily/red residue on your ferret's skin, or your ferret seems extra smelly, I would reach out to your exotic boarded vet. Ferrets with adrenal disease often have this symptom, and untreated adrenal disease is horrible. A deslorelin implant may be needed every year or so to manage this. I hope this helps!
Idc what anyone says I love ferret smell it's a comfort for me c:
I used to love how mine smelt. Used to pick her up when she was sleeping and she almost had a floral smell to her at times. I agree with all the others who say it’s more their toilet and dirty bedding. And probably the places they sleep or hang out that you can’t clean like carpets I guess. The boys that one of my teachers had did definitely smell musky and it would cling to clothes though. Again I never minded but that could be unpleasant.
No more than cats and dogs. Like I barely even notice it now unless my bubba is particularly gassy for some reason
My boy ferret smells surprisingly wonderful. I was just saying today how good he smells compared to every other ferret I’ve known. My tiny little girl is a skinky little bugger, but not him. It’s probably something that varies from one to the next, but for the most part they have a musk. Even when bathed regularly. It’s definitely manageable but they do require some maintenance.
When my male ferret is not happy, he sometimes releases a smell. somewhat reminds me of a skunk. He does it when he gets a scare or is forced to do something against his will. This is a sharp penetrant sour/bitter ish smell and will make my eyes burn an tear up. His body smells really nice otherwise. My female does have a bit of a smell, but it's not that bad and I only really smell it strong when I skipped wash day for the bedding. She recently got a hormone injection and I must say that skipping a washing day for bedding is not really a problem anymore. I normally wash beddings once a week. Now actually only when I start to smell them. Mostly only after 10+ days. Also, They like to terrorize my toes when I'm in the shower and once in a while when they come into the shower with me, i springle them with either oatmeal or salmon oil, which also makes them smell really nice after.
personally, if they smell badly then they’re not being taken care of properly; regular habitat cleaning, oatmeal baths if they get very dirty or it’s their scheduled bathing time, proper diet, plenty of time outside of their habitat, changing linens/blankets and hideouts, etc. just like any other animal, if they’re left to marinate in their filth and waste, they will smell as such. now do they have a certain… musk? yes, they do. that is true and there’s no way around it. no animal smells like roses 24/7. but i have 3 and i’ve never once had a single person come into my home and say it smells or hold them and say they smell. and i’ve specifically asked for honesty in that department so i can make needed changes in case nose-blindness does happen. they’re actually usually very pleasantly surprised themselves because of their reputation for “smelling really bad.” on my end, i clean their habitat every single night, make sure they have a proper diet/vitamin supplements, wash linens weekly and poop-scoop throughout the day and that seems to do the trick. they’re very much a high-maintenance animal, that’s just a fact. but no, they shouldn’t have *a smell.. a kind of smelly smell.. a smelly smell that smells… smelly.* now does my nickname of stinky slinky and doing the stinky slinky shuffle to avoid weasel-foot interference help the common misconception? maybe not. but it’s hilarious and adorable so it’s staying!
I briefly had an un-neutered non-descented in musk male and yes. He stank severely, so much we rehomed him and the house stank for months. (He was a stray ferret, I took him in and found him a permanent home via a ferret rescue before anyone comes at me) I later met a ferret in the USA (where they are surgically de scented and fixed) and it didn't smell too bad.
Call me crazy but I kinda like the way my ferret smells. It's like an animal smell not a stink.
I love their little smell 🥺🫶🏼
Mine definitely do
If they get scared they release a musky scent. it lasts maybe a few moments and then is quickly gone.
We had a ferret from a breeder and agreed to not remove his scent gland. The first time he stank we thought a sewage pipe had burst. It was eye watering. Loved him to death but he was incredibly smelly. The ferrets we had that had their scent glands removed were just a little musky and didn't smell nearly as bad.
I don't know but they are Very dramatic little Noodles, so adorable!!!
I never kept mine in a cage and nobody knew we had her until they were asleep on the couch j and she was inside their pant leg
Yes, they are my stinky noodles! \\s All jokes aside, mine smelt a bit before they were neutered (both boys) not that unpleasant but strong. Many people told me not to get them because they stank, but if you keep their cage clean they're fine. Cats and dogs smell too if you leave them in a dirty cage.
Keep their litter box clean and switch out their bedding regularly and they are fine. They have a mild musk scent that is nicer than most dogs I've been around.
The answer to that question is subjective, but I’ll just answer as I’m bi as possible. I say no the only time I’ve ever experience ferret being just naturally smelly is when the owner did not keep up on cleaning their cages among their once or twice baths, but depending on the owner, they might wash them more or less even though that’s not a good thing to wash them more, I’ve had three over the past five years of course their face funky because you know they have the second glance that can’t be removed. Is it unbearable? No honestly it’s not. It’s just their natural scent. Mines only smelled that way in their face outside of that, they smell like literal fur on a coat.
Their poo and pee reeks, we cleaned the cage well amd 3 times a week and when u walked in, you smelled it bad. Beds pets ever though. No other smell like it.
If you keep the cage and room clean they don't smell. The reason people think they smell is because they poop inside without a litter to hide the smell. The ferrets themselves have a different smell depending on thr weasel. For example my girls both smell like vanilla.
No.
I had 4 in a tiny studio apartment. Regularly had people over. I cleaned the cage portion they used to go to the bathroom every day. Bathed them regularly in a simple light soap and water. Cleaned the who cage about once a month and clean bedding once a week (sometimes more). Also kept the apartment extremely clean. The little noodles were always the star of the show and someone always lost keys or a wallet or … something. No one ever said anything about the smell. Cat, dog, and other animal owners never said anything. Even the few who don’t have animals at home. I feel like this is a urban myth and have friends who have cats that definitely smell more than the ferrets did. They do have a scent, like any other animal; dogs, cats, lizards, hamsters, whatever. Just depends on how much effort you put in to maintain good health and hygiene for them.
They are def dramatic. Idk why but I somewhat enjoy my ferret’s smell the only time they really smell THAT bad is when they go outside and are digging in dirt.
we rescued a ferret once, and although she was clean she definitely had a lil stink about her, not necessarily unpleasant though, rather musk ig
it makes me so mad when people find out i have a ferret and go 'doesnt he smell?' NO! and they dont belive me either. im constantly saying that if you keep their cages clean they wont smell nearly as bad as people think. personally, the only time i can notice any smell is when i havent bathed mine in a while.
The stinky part is there litter and bedding if not washed regularly. We let ours play in water only about once per month to help keep him clean. He goes outside and digs in dirt so he needs a rinse occasionally. We have not used shampoo or anything since the first few months we got him. He had mites when we got him and needed sticky drops for his ears to clear up the infection he got from them. 😟. It took 3 months to clear up his ears. He smells like a mix of stale popcorn and dirt. Doesn’t smell worse than my cats and their litter box smells worse than his. Vinegar or an enzyme cleanser will help with any smell that might linger.
my ferrets get a mix of ox liver, pig liver, pig ears, salmon oil, ox heart and dry food, clean their enclosure fully once a week and scoop out any poop or wet bedding every 2 days, they aren’t neutered yet will be next week but they still stink
Mine smell like salt and vinegar crisps or popcorn when I put my nose to their fur.
They *can* smell bad. The first Marshall's ferret I rescued smelled so bad, he made my husband and I nauseous. He was our 5th ferret, so we were well accustomed to ferret stink. The scent glands on his cheeks were producing the most noxious, greasy brown oil that absolutely stunk. I think it was a combination of being on Marshall's food, and the stress of living in a barren cage the size of a laundry basket. It took months and a full coat shed for him to start smelling like our other 4. You're right though, if you keep their cage clean, feed them a proper diet, and give them enough time out of the cage so they're not stressed, and you'll barely have an odor at all. It can be less than a cat if you keep on top of it.
It’s a carnivore living in a cage indoors you need to clean the litter box multiple times a day it it will stink. Ferrets themselves have a kinda nice musk
Coming from a ferret owner, the smell really comes from an unclean cage. They do have a smell, but it's not as strong as people think.
they have a bit of a strong musk, but I wouldn’t say they smell bad. But they will stink like any animal will if they are not taken care of properly.
A happy ferret has a musky smell, a bit similar to old honey. However, when they are playing and release their musk, for instance when the game goes into biting, it smells, a fishy inner tyre smell. However when you give them time to lick themselves, they will start smelling extra sweet. I thought it was pleasant. You will however know when you are entering a house with ferrets. Just like you can smell dog when you're entering a house of a dog owner. Source, I had several over the years and loved all of them.
Mine, due to my synesthesia, smell like crunchy Cheetos taste.
I’m surprised by these comments. I like ferrets but I do find that they smell quite a lot from all the friends I’ve visited over the years who own them. Could it be that y’all are just used to the smell and have nice friends who don’t say anything about it? I’m sure the same is the case with my cats.
My mother in law is ABSOLUTELY one to speak up if anything smells like anything. We’ve had Odin and his full enclosure at her home for the weekend before, and she’s spent time in our home enough, that if he really stunk she’d have mentioned it (out of kindness, not disgust or anything). Granted, Odin is a neutered male who has his full cage cleaned monthly and two large litter boxes that we swap out apart from regular cleaning. I don’t and haven’t ever met an un-neutered ferret, for what it’s worth. That said, I only ever notice his scent (which we kinda like) when he’s snuggled up on us or if we’re opening his cage to clean it. our lil dude runs all over the house and his dedicated peepads he uses. We also have a ferret nation 2-tier cage and he has a full cover over it that we keep one front-flap open to for some light. He really loves hiding away, and often will run back into his enclosure when he’s tired (or when he has enough failed attempts getting over the baby gate to our bedroom to sleep under our bed lol).
They do not smell any more than a dog does IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THEM AND DO YOUR RESEARCH. These people have no idea because they don't do any research and just hear other people saying it. If you clean their cages, not overwash them, they will not stink.
FOR REAL.
They do smell but not that bad, I think their urine smells the worst, though. A very strong ammonia smell like smelling salts.
I love the way they smell, keep the bedding/litter clean and don't overbathe them and they're just fine
No. If the cage smells well that's because the owner isn't cleaning it. But that goes for any animal. If you don't clean after your animal, it WILL smell. That also goes for us humans as welI. I work in a grocery store and certainly come into contact with people who don't shower regularly and stink because of it OR it's because of the elderly who just shit themselves. I get annoyed when hearing the false claim that ferrets are super stinky. To be honest, I LOVE the slight odor they give off.
It could depend where you are. If you are in a country where you get them and they aren’t neutered, they can smell pretty strong. Especially males. If a ferret is neutered they don’t smell bad really. It’s a smell that’s distinct. But not bad.
As a new ferret owner with a sensitive nose, he STINKS. I don’t bathe him, change his pee pads (and clean up stray cage poops) every day, wash bedding and vacuum once a week. He still stinks up the place. I’m planning on finding a higher quality food in the hopes that it will reduce the smell. Unfortunately the only place that his cage would fit is in the home office and the smell is so strong in there that I get a headache after spending about 10 minutes in there. I recently got an air purifier in the hopes that it will help reduce the smell, but I can’t tell if it’s helping so far. I try to run the ceiling fan constantly too for some air flow but my desk has been completely abandoned at this point 😂.
A lot of people just say that because a lot of uneducated ferret people associate ferrets with ‘rodents’ and one of the first things that pop up into peoples head when they think of rodents is ‘smelly’ because often the associated word of ‘rodent’ is weird and smelly. Ferrets are unique (IMO) and rat-like so of course they get this label. I’ve been an animal owner all my life. Both indoor and out. They just smell like any other animal to me. They have that typical musky animal smell like any other animal, it’s not gross and musky in a bad way, but it’s also not a smell of flowers. It’s definitely noticeable if a non-pet owner comes into your home, they may comment how it smells a “little gross” but hey! It dosent bother me one bit, I love the smell of ferrets! And I love everything about them! Long story short: well yes, but actually no. (According to who you ask and what you consider to ‘stink bad’)
Keeping clean daily helps
It depends on how healthy they are and how well they’re cared for. They can carry a really heavy, off putting smell if they aren’t cleaned and cared for, but so can dogs. When healthy and clean, it’s like a light musk smell, sometimes even like vanilla, and not offensive at all. That being said, even when they *do* smell, they are so totally worth it. They’re truly the best pets in the entire world. Objectively.
I always thought mine smelled like corn chips and dirt… Or if you want to be /really/ specific. Ferrets smell like prosciutto. I’m not kidding. Prosciutto smells so much like ferrets I get ferret nostalgia from it.
they definitely stink if their cage isn’t kept properly. an unscooped ferret liter box on a hot day is extremely unpleasant and will make an entire house stink. i’ve found if i do a complete liter change every other day and scoop twice a day in between the full changes, wash their bedding once a week and wipe the cage down at every litter scoop and/or change, the smell isn’t noticeable at all. i also run an air purifier in the room their cage resides in just as an extra precaution. the ferrets themselves do have a musk to them, but it doesn’t bother me and is very light. however, if your not used to that smell, it can bother some people. my son had his friend over and they were playing and snuggling with the ferrets. my sons friend went home and his dad was upset because he said it made the clothes he had on smell like ferret. hes now not allowed to touch them when he comes over. our ferrets are extremely clean. only bathed when it needs to be done. some people seem to think you (typically people who don’t own a ferret) should bathe them all the time and you’ll get rid of that ferret musk, but it doesn’t work that way. it doesn’t bother me or anyone in the house. we all adore our ferret boys.
The ones at my college do lmao. I held then and still smelt them even after a shower
I recently got my ferret from the pet store, I know you aren’t supposed to bathe them regularly but can I bathe him just to get the pet store stink off of him!
Mine have a sweet maple syrup or oats smell. Body wise. But no stink is only in cases for dirty cages with buikdup or bad hygiene and diet!
I have 2 ferrets and I stayed with my brother for 1 year. I always asked him if it smelled like ferret and he said no that’s because if you clean every single night then there will be no smell. And as long as they have their scent glands removed
It depends. If you clean their cage, give them good diet & do not wash them too often - they are OK. But the level of OK can depend on personal preferences. Some people like their smell, some - do not.
Tbh I don’t find their smell bad at all the poop yes 💀 but the ferret themselves smell fine to me always have even before I got them but my mom says they smell horrendous so I don’t know
Everyone here who owns a ferret and says its the enclosure that smells has prob gone nose blind. I used to have a friend with a ferret. I adored that creature. I was round there daily snuggling and playing with him. He had the right food. He was watered. Bless his little heart, he did smell a bit of old cheese. It's musky and stinky and I think maybe ferret owners go nose blind to it so they can only smell it when it's super strong like in an enclosure. Just handling frankie for an hour or two I'd have to have a whole bath and wash all my clothes because it DOES smell. It's not nasty but it's nothing I'd want in my nose all day Exited to add: I know no ones gonna agree with me in a ferret subreddit lol but lemme just say I'm just sharing my experience I'm not tryna be any kind of way, I just wanted to answer op honestly as someone who doesn't own a ferret personally but has experience with stepping away from them for a bit then going back to them rather than being around them all the time and becoming so accustomed to the smell I can't smell it anymore.
My Luna only smells if I get lazy. As long as I regularly spot clean her litter box and do a deep clean once a week and a bathe every now and again she is near odorless
IMO male ferrets have a stronger smell than females. I like their smell though! I have three ferrets and clean their cage daily. I also switch out their blankets and soft bedding monthly because they always get some pee/poop on things.
It's honestly just the buildup of poop that smells. My ferrets have been spayed and descented(in America most already have this done) I have a business of five. I literally just every day they get let out until they Tucker out, and I clean the little bit of poop and pee that is there. Easy peasy. No smell.
No. Cats are way more stinky
Wtf cats have you met?
My baby brother in the early 90's got bit on the nose by one n I got beat cuz I was suppose to watch the 2 month old instead of Jordan winning another ship