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.
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