Ferrets are obligatory carnivores. That means they have to eat meat. Their diet needs to contain at least 35% protein. Commercially prepared ferret diets like Marshall Farms or Kaytee will offer enough protein, but another choice is to go with a high quality dry kitten food (just make sure it has enough protein).
Check the ingredient list to make sure the protein comes from a high quality meat source.
You can supplement your ferret's diet with fresh foods like bananas, raisins, peanut butter, meat and cheese. A great way to tame a new ferret is to let her lick some peanut butter off your finger or give her a raisin every time you pick her up.
Ferretone is an oil based supplement that's great for your ferret's skin and coat. Again, just put a little on your finger and she'll lick it right off.
Welcome to The Mythic Ferret; A blog for ferret owners, ferret lovers and ferret fanatics. Here, you will find everything you ever wanted to know about ferrets. Please join us for a romp and a chuckle.
The Good, the Bad and the Really Smelly
Ferrets have a bad reputation for being smelly. Well, the truth is they are smelly but we love them anyway. After awhile your nose becomes immune to the odor, and the only way you'll know that your little pet stinks is when friends enter your house and ask, "Do you need to do laundry?" or "Who took off their shoes?"
Ferrets have two different sources of their stinkiness. First, they have a musky body odor that's secreted through their skin. It smells kind of like dirty socks or maybe skunk spray that's been diluted about 100 times. If you've ever notice a ferret rubbing his belly on the floor or rolling around on his neck, he was probably trying to leave this scent behind.
Secondly, ferrets have a scent gland located inside their rectum similar to that of a skunk but not nearly as pungent. Actually, even dogs have a scent gland, but you hardly ever notice it. This smell is powerful but short-lived. In my opinion, the offensive ferretity smell comes from their body odor and not the scent gland since they only release this gland on special occasions such as being scared, injured or during mating. I've owned both de-scented and regular ferrets and the normal day-to-day smell is about the same.
Bathing your ferret will help with the odor as well as using ferret deodorizing sprays. Also, keep his cage clean and wash his blankets often.
The conclusion: Yes, ferrets do smell bad but not any worse than my feet after a long, hot run. So give them a break. You just might want to put them in the garage if you're trying to sell your house or having a wedding in the living room.
Ferrets have two different sources of their stinkiness. First, they have a musky body odor that's secreted through their skin. It smells kind of like dirty socks or maybe skunk spray that's been diluted about 100 times. If you've ever notice a ferret rubbing his belly on the floor or rolling around on his neck, he was probably trying to leave this scent behind.
Secondly, ferrets have a scent gland located inside their rectum similar to that of a skunk but not nearly as pungent. Actually, even dogs have a scent gland, but you hardly ever notice it. This smell is powerful but short-lived. In my opinion, the offensive ferretity smell comes from their body odor and not the scent gland since they only release this gland on special occasions such as being scared, injured or during mating. I've owned both de-scented and regular ferrets and the normal day-to-day smell is about the same.
Bathing your ferret will help with the odor as well as using ferret deodorizing sprays. Also, keep his cage clean and wash his blankets often.
The conclusion: Yes, ferrets do smell bad but not any worse than my feet after a long, hot run. So give them a break. You just might want to put them in the garage if you're trying to sell your house or having a wedding in the living room.
Kits, Jills and Hobs
A baby ferret is called a Kit. A female ferret is called a Jill. And a male ferret is called a Hob.
Why are Baby Ferrets Spayed / Neutered at Such A Young Age?
Large ferret breeders usually spay / neuter their baby ferrets at around 6 weeks old.
Part of the reason for this is the fact that the female ferret is an induced ovulator which means that if she is not spayed she will come into heat (estrus) and remain in heat until she is bred. This can become a life threatening condition. If she remains in a perpetual state of heat her hormone levels will be too high for too long and can become toxic. Of course, you could have your adult ferret spayed. But having her spayed as a baby saves you the expense, worry and the responsibility of doing it yourself.
Male ferrets have no medical reason to be neutered. However, an un-neutered male will be more odoriferous and will display mating behavior such as biting another ferret on the back of the neck and dragging them around. A stud ferret makes a perfectly wonderful pet and is no more aggressive to people than is a neutered male.
Another reason breeders alter their babies is so they can do a de-scenting surgery at the same time as the spay or neuter surgery. De-scenting is the removal of the scent glands, which makes the ferret less smelly. Most ferret owners appreciate having their ferret de-scented although it does not remove their musky body odor, just the powerful skunk-like spray they can produce when frightened.
One final reason ferrets are spayed so young is so the breeders can keep a monopoly on the sale of ferrets. In fact, it's extremely difficult to even find a breedable ferret, as the large scale breeders will not sell one that has not been spayed or neutered.
Part of the reason for this is the fact that the female ferret is an induced ovulator which means that if she is not spayed she will come into heat (estrus) and remain in heat until she is bred. This can become a life threatening condition. If she remains in a perpetual state of heat her hormone levels will be too high for too long and can become toxic. Of course, you could have your adult ferret spayed. But having her spayed as a baby saves you the expense, worry and the responsibility of doing it yourself.
Male ferrets have no medical reason to be neutered. However, an un-neutered male will be more odoriferous and will display mating behavior such as biting another ferret on the back of the neck and dragging them around. A stud ferret makes a perfectly wonderful pet and is no more aggressive to people than is a neutered male.
Another reason breeders alter their babies is so they can do a de-scenting surgery at the same time as the spay or neuter surgery. De-scenting is the removal of the scent glands, which makes the ferret less smelly. Most ferret owners appreciate having their ferret de-scented although it does not remove their musky body odor, just the powerful skunk-like spray they can produce when frightened.
One final reason ferrets are spayed so young is so the breeders can keep a monopoly on the sale of ferrets. In fact, it's extremely difficult to even find a breedable ferret, as the large scale breeders will not sell one that has not been spayed or neutered.
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