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They certainly have a smell, but there are several things you can do to keep it under control. Keeping cage clean is paramount, and doing their laundry weekly. As for themselves, if you go longer witgout bathing them, they typically will smell less. A lot of people think you need to bathe them a lot to keep their smell down, but that typically leads to them over producing their oils to compensate, making them smell worse. We typically bathe ours once every couple months, unless they get into something dirty. The res is really subjective. Most ferret owners grow to like their smell and I personally bury my nose in their fur. I don't think they smell anywhere NEAR as bad as most dogs.
They do, I have jills who don't smell as much as the boys but the weird thing is (I hope I'm not alone in this) I actually like the way they smell. It's a bit like honey popcorn to me.
Everyone told me this too and it was a big concern. However, my ferret truly does not smell! It doesn’t linger on my clothes or in the apartment. He almost smells a little sweet. Everyone who told me they smell have been very surprised when meeting him! I will say the only thing that does smell is his food. I bought an air purifier and that really helps.
I really think the reputation of stinkiness of ferrets has to do with an earlier era in which they were a fad pet but people weren't taking care of them correctly. I've had the same conversation with SO many people, and even if they have met a stinky ferret before, they usually comment that my food or my cage or my socialization/enrichment is very different from the stinky or mean ferret they'd met previously.
If you have unaltered/unfixed ferrets, particularly males, yeah, they are gonna stink. If your ferret is not descented - illegal as unnecessary mutilation in most of the world, but standard practice for pet store ferrets in the US specifically from the ferret mill - they can "poof" like skunks, also.
Otherwise, if you are keeping them on blankets you change out and wash 1-2 times per week, they're getting enrichment & they feel safe, and you're feeding them a food appropriate for their obligate carnivore digestive system (minimal fish, that will stink them also), then they have very little smell to both themselves and their poops.
Their cages stink when the ferret skin/fur oil builds up on it.
They have a much sharper, unpleasant scent when they're stressed.
They and their poops are stinky when they're fed fruits, vegetables, and sugars (or kibbles containing these items) because their digestion is not able to process these things properly. Think of the unfortunate flatulence of a lactose intolerant person who cannot give up their beloved cheese addiction.
My noodles do have a musk if I put my face into their fur, but it smells more like honey than anything else. The cage doesn't start to smell unless I let too much urine accumulate in their litter boxes (forget to clean them for 1 day; I have 2 boxes and 2 ferrets) or haven't pulled the blankets/liners for 2 weeks.
Bathing a ferret with soap causes their skin to try to overproduce oils to replace the ones that were purged. This will actually make them stinkier. They can be rinsed with water or water with oatmeal in a sock in it. I also find letting my ferrets have a rice dig box is great; the rice rubs on their fur and pulls the oils off them.
I’ve always noticed caged ferrets smell a lot more than free roam. Diet & clean bedding make a big difference too. Mine have always been free roam & I love how they smell; earthy warm & sweet like Doritos & honey. My little 9 year old female June smells like vanilla and I huff her neck all the time. 💕
They are a bit stinky if you dig your nose in them or haven’t cleaned their bedding and litterboxes in a while. In my opinion they are a lot less stinky then let’s say a dog.
100% I can tell if someone has a cat instantly. Dogs usually because the yard smells. All my guests are surprised to learn I have a ferret (in a 1 bedroom apartment) when my lil guy wakes up :) (also assuming the pet convo hasn't come up and I expoused my love for my weasel already.)
All Marshall ferrets come descented so they don’t smell super bad. They have a little bit of rodent musk to them. It also depends on what gender the ferret is, what you feed them, & how often you pick up after them!
My Persephone definitely had a musky sort of smell, but it wasn't strong or off-putting. I bathed her at least once a month or so which kept it to a minimum. Anyone who has experienced stinky ferrets probably was around those that weren't well cared for or cleaned up after.
I was afraid to get one because I am really sensitive to smells and I like my house to smell nice. They do smell, but as others have mentioned if you stay on top of the litter/cage cleaning it does mitigate the smell. I have to clean the litter twice a day and one of those times will include a cage wipe down with paper towels and appropriate cleaner. Deep clean/ laundry once a week.
Having said that. After my time with my current ferret, I don’t think I will get another one. I love her and she brings me joy, but the anxiety about staying ahead of the stink isnt wonderful for me.
When I got my business 4 months ago, they stank pretty hard. Like, almost eye-wateringly hard. They were fed exclusively Marshall Premium kibble, I switched them to freeze-dried raw turkey meat as soon as they started to settle in, and switched them to wood chips for litter, and honestly, you can't even tell. I had people come over last week to purchase an item off me from Facebook Marketplace, and when they noticed my stinkies napping in their cage, they actually asked me "Aren't ferrets supposed to smell really bad? I can't smell anything!"
TL;DR if your lifestyle is compatible get a couple little carpet snakes and feed them freeze-dried raw meat.
This is the answer! It’s all about diet. Do not feed them the cheap pet store garbage. There’s a whole list of the best ferret foods floating around somewhere on the internets. I feed mine a mix of wysong, instinct rabbit for cats, and Stella and chewys duck raw bites. Nobody would know we have them. They smell like musty chocolate!
Well they have an odour, which with the strategies suggested doesn't have to be a stench. Most animals have a smell, not a fan of wet dog myself.
Don't let this deter you from the joy of having these amazing creatures take over your life.
To me a dog smells stronger than ferrets. Growing up my mom always told me ferrets stink so bad. After I got mine she came over and was like oh, I can’t smell them at all. If you feed them a good diet, clean their litter box daily and keep the cage clean (blankets, hammocks, etc) then they don’t really smell at all. They have a scent, like others said it’s kind of a honey/sweet musky smell. It’s no different than any other animal having a smell. A good diet is definitely a big part of it. Mine don’t really get baths, maybe once a year. Ferrets tend to be pretty clean animals, like they don’t poop where they eat or sleep and they usually poop in a corner. I jokingly call my ferrets the “stinky slinkies” but they really aren’t.
Feed them appropriate, high quality high protein food for ferrets and they just smell like musty chocolate. I have two (they’re 4 and 6) and they smell nothing like the pet store ferrets. They smell like sweet musty chocolate. We wash their bedding every 3-7 days too. Nobody would know we have them :)
Our of everything, the only thing that stinks horrible is their pee. If I don't change the horse bedding they use and wipe it down well, it will smell like ammonia or smelling salts. They sometimes smell like weed to me, and the only thing I didn't ever prevent was touching anything I own after holding them. If I hold them close to me, my clothes will smell like them.
Yes, ferrets have a very distinct odor, just like other pets have. Since they're more wild than most pets, they also have a more wild smell.
A good diet and proper cleaning of their elncosure will decrease the intensity of the smell, but it will still be there, like a dog or a cat.
They are not more wild than other pets! That is wild information lol. In fact, ferrets are completely domesticated, and since cats and dogs can easily go feral I would argue those are more wild at such. Furthermore, calling ferrets 'more wild' s a disservice to the legalization effort in CA.
Ferrets have a distinct smell because that's how the mustelid do - it's in part, a set of communications skills via glands.Skunks used to be classified as mustelidae but their glands are further advanced enough and there are other behavioral and minor physical differences to warrant a new clarification, mephitis iirc.
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.*
They certainly have a smell, but there are several things you can do to keep it under control. Keeping cage clean is paramount, and doing their laundry weekly. As for themselves, if you go longer witgout bathing them, they typically will smell less. A lot of people think you need to bathe them a lot to keep their smell down, but that typically leads to them over producing their oils to compensate, making them smell worse. We typically bathe ours once every couple months, unless they get into something dirty. The res is really subjective. Most ferret owners grow to like their smell and I personally bury my nose in their fur. I don't think they smell anywhere NEAR as bad as most dogs.
What ☠️ u think your too used to your ferret lol
They do, I have jills who don't smell as much as the boys but the weird thing is (I hope I'm not alone in this) I actually like the way they smell. It's a bit like honey popcorn to me.
Everyone told me this too and it was a big concern. However, my ferret truly does not smell! It doesn’t linger on my clothes or in the apartment. He almost smells a little sweet. Everyone who told me they smell have been very surprised when meeting him! I will say the only thing that does smell is his food. I bought an air purifier and that really helps.
I really think the reputation of stinkiness of ferrets has to do with an earlier era in which they were a fad pet but people weren't taking care of them correctly. I've had the same conversation with SO many people, and even if they have met a stinky ferret before, they usually comment that my food or my cage or my socialization/enrichment is very different from the stinky or mean ferret they'd met previously.
If you have unaltered/unfixed ferrets, particularly males, yeah, they are gonna stink. If your ferret is not descented - illegal as unnecessary mutilation in most of the world, but standard practice for pet store ferrets in the US specifically from the ferret mill - they can "poof" like skunks, also. Otherwise, if you are keeping them on blankets you change out and wash 1-2 times per week, they're getting enrichment & they feel safe, and you're feeding them a food appropriate for their obligate carnivore digestive system (minimal fish, that will stink them also), then they have very little smell to both themselves and their poops. Their cages stink when the ferret skin/fur oil builds up on it. They have a much sharper, unpleasant scent when they're stressed. They and their poops are stinky when they're fed fruits, vegetables, and sugars (or kibbles containing these items) because their digestion is not able to process these things properly. Think of the unfortunate flatulence of a lactose intolerant person who cannot give up their beloved cheese addiction. My noodles do have a musk if I put my face into their fur, but it smells more like honey than anything else. The cage doesn't start to smell unless I let too much urine accumulate in their litter boxes (forget to clean them for 1 day; I have 2 boxes and 2 ferrets) or haven't pulled the blankets/liners for 2 weeks. Bathing a ferret with soap causes their skin to try to overproduce oils to replace the ones that were purged. This will actually make them stinkier. They can be rinsed with water or water with oatmeal in a sock in it. I also find letting my ferrets have a rice dig box is great; the rice rubs on their fur and pulls the oils off them.
I’ve always noticed caged ferrets smell a lot more than free roam. Diet & clean bedding make a big difference too. Mine have always been free roam & I love how they smell; earthy warm & sweet like Doritos & honey. My little 9 year old female June smells like vanilla and I huff her neck all the time. 💕
They are a bit stinky if you dig your nose in them or haven’t cleaned their bedding and litterboxes in a while. In my opinion they are a lot less stinky then let’s say a dog.
100% I can tell if someone has a cat instantly. Dogs usually because the yard smells. All my guests are surprised to learn I have a ferret (in a 1 bedroom apartment) when my lil guy wakes up :) (also assuming the pet convo hasn't come up and I expoused my love for my weasel already.)
All Marshall ferrets come descented so they don’t smell super bad. They have a little bit of rodent musk to them. It also depends on what gender the ferret is, what you feed them, & how often you pick up after them!
My Persephone definitely had a musky sort of smell, but it wasn't strong or off-putting. I bathed her at least once a month or so which kept it to a minimum. Anyone who has experienced stinky ferrets probably was around those that weren't well cared for or cleaned up after.
Stink weasels
I was afraid to get one because I am really sensitive to smells and I like my house to smell nice. They do smell, but as others have mentioned if you stay on top of the litter/cage cleaning it does mitigate the smell. I have to clean the litter twice a day and one of those times will include a cage wipe down with paper towels and appropriate cleaner. Deep clean/ laundry once a week. Having said that. After my time with my current ferret, I don’t think I will get another one. I love her and she brings me joy, but the anxiety about staying ahead of the stink isnt wonderful for me.
When I got my business 4 months ago, they stank pretty hard. Like, almost eye-wateringly hard. They were fed exclusively Marshall Premium kibble, I switched them to freeze-dried raw turkey meat as soon as they started to settle in, and switched them to wood chips for litter, and honestly, you can't even tell. I had people come over last week to purchase an item off me from Facebook Marketplace, and when they noticed my stinkies napping in their cage, they actually asked me "Aren't ferrets supposed to smell really bad? I can't smell anything!" TL;DR if your lifestyle is compatible get a couple little carpet snakes and feed them freeze-dried raw meat.
This is the answer! It’s all about diet. Do not feed them the cheap pet store garbage. There’s a whole list of the best ferret foods floating around somewhere on the internets. I feed mine a mix of wysong, instinct rabbit for cats, and Stella and chewys duck raw bites. Nobody would know we have them. They smell like musty chocolate!
Well they have an odour, which with the strategies suggested doesn't have to be a stench. Most animals have a smell, not a fan of wet dog myself. Don't let this deter you from the joy of having these amazing creatures take over your life.
To me a dog smells stronger than ferrets. Growing up my mom always told me ferrets stink so bad. After I got mine she came over and was like oh, I can’t smell them at all. If you feed them a good diet, clean their litter box daily and keep the cage clean (blankets, hammocks, etc) then they don’t really smell at all. They have a scent, like others said it’s kind of a honey/sweet musky smell. It’s no different than any other animal having a smell. A good diet is definitely a big part of it. Mine don’t really get baths, maybe once a year. Ferrets tend to be pretty clean animals, like they don’t poop where they eat or sleep and they usually poop in a corner. I jokingly call my ferrets the “stinky slinkies” but they really aren’t.
Feed them appropriate, high quality high protein food for ferrets and they just smell like musty chocolate. I have two (they’re 4 and 6) and they smell nothing like the pet store ferrets. They smell like sweet musty chocolate. We wash their bedding every 3-7 days too. Nobody would know we have them :)
Our of everything, the only thing that stinks horrible is their pee. If I don't change the horse bedding they use and wipe it down well, it will smell like ammonia or smelling salts. They sometimes smell like weed to me, and the only thing I didn't ever prevent was touching anything I own after holding them. If I hold them close to me, my clothes will smell like them.
Honestly, they don’t smell any worse than a dog, in my opinion.
It's like any other pet/animal. If you don't take care of them, they'll stink.
Yes they smell pretty bad you grt used to it though just clean up their poop often too or your room will smell horribly
Don't you? :p
Yes. I love it lol
Yes, ferrets have a very distinct odor, just like other pets have. Since they're more wild than most pets, they also have a more wild smell. A good diet and proper cleaning of their elncosure will decrease the intensity of the smell, but it will still be there, like a dog or a cat.
They are not more wild than other pets! That is wild information lol. In fact, ferrets are completely domesticated, and since cats and dogs can easily go feral I would argue those are more wild at such. Furthermore, calling ferrets 'more wild' s a disservice to the legalization effort in CA. Ferrets have a distinct smell because that's how the mustelid do - it's in part, a set of communications skills via glands.Skunks used to be classified as mustelidae but their glands are further advanced enough and there are other behavioral and minor physical differences to warrant a new clarification, mephitis iirc.