Ferrets will always have a scent around them, just like you always have a scent around you and your dog always smells like a dog. You can’t do anything about it. However, you can minimize the smell. Here is a list of what you can do to minimize your ferret’s odor, in order of importance.
Clean the litter box daily.
Keep the litter box clean. Clean the litter box at least once a day, and if you have more than a couple of posts, you may need to clean the litter box more than once a day. The output of a bug smells much more than the actual bug.
Feed your ferret things that smell good.
You are what you eat. I like garlic Every time I eat my garlic potato gratin dish, I sweat garlic the next day. My body odor changes significantly.
Ferrets are also what they eat. Look at the ingredients in your ferret’s kibble. What do the individual ingredients smell like? I don’t buy ferret food that contains fish, because I think fish is the smelliest meat of all. My ferrets get food made with chicken, turkey, venison, and duck. (They like Totally Ferret.)
Remember to change slowly if you decide to change your pet’s food. Some furry ones get used to a particular food. Some furry ones have allergies. I have a young lady who cannot eat chicken without suffering from GI issues.
Clean the cage weekly.
Wash all the plastic trays in your ferret’s cage once a week. I use a vinegar and water solution. Several times a year take the cage completely apart and scrub it down. I have a Ferret Nation cage and I take it outside, hose it down, spray it with soap and let it soak. After hosing off the soap, I do a visual inspection to see if anything is missing. Sometimes I need to get a scraper and scrape.
Change the bedding weekly.
You have pores all over your skin and you sweat. This gives it a good human scent. Ferrets have scent puffs all over them and this gives them a fine musky ferret odor. The scent glands release oil. The oil collects on your bedding.
Therefore, change your beds once a week. I like to have at least two sets of bedding so I can have some in the wash while the ferrets use the rest in their cage.
Consider scent puffs.
Most ferrets descend before reaching the pet store.
What this means is that their anal scent glands are removed. You know how your cat or dog sometimes drags their butt across the floor? The cat or dog is trying to express its anal glands. Most critters naturally express these puffs when they relieve themselves, and unless your critter has a problem, it’s best left alone.
Ferrets also have these anal scent glands when they are born. If your ferret still has his scent puffs on, you may consider removing them. Do a lot of research and talk to a vet or two before doing this. While this surgery is performed regularly in the US, in the UK it is considered cruel and is only performed by vets when medically necessary.
I live in the US, and every ferret I have rescued or come across has already shed. I’ve been told, however, that while ferrets with their scent glands intact have a stronger odor overall, “poof” rarely and the “poof” odor dissipates quickly (unlike a skunk where you bathe your dog in ketchup for days).
Do not bathe your ferret too much.
Bath time is important. That is, it is important not to bathe your ferret very frequently. It may seem counterintuitive, but if you bathe your ferret too much, it will stink more. No Bath your ferret more than once a month. Less is better.
The bath removes the ferret’s oil generated by the body’s scent glands, and the little one’s body works to solve that problem. If you bathe your ferret too much, your little friend’s body will go into overdrive and produce a lot of oil.
Do not bathe your ferret more than once a month. My ferrets usually only get three baths a year, and those baths are usually due to being covered in mud. If your ferret gets too dirty, dirt or something similar, rinse your ferret only in the affected area or wipe it down gently with a damp baby wipe or damp cloth.
Products are an option.
I don’t think additional products are necessary, but if you really need to further reduce your ferret’s odor, there are a couple of products that can help. A couple of products, designed to reduce body odor, are a clear liquid that is put into the ferret’s water. I have tried them on my tacos. In fact, they work. However, I don’t notice it until I take the product with me. (It’s like watching a puppy grow. You don’t notice growth overnight, but suddenly, your puppy is a dog.)
I no longer use that product. I don’t think it’s necessary, and I can’t seem to find an ingredient list. That makes me nervous.
Perfumes are another method, but instead of reducing the odor inside the animal, they cover it up by making another odor stronger.
My sister hates the musky smell of ferrets, so when she comes to visit, I make my weasels smell like baby powder or cucumbers. My ferrets don’t like it and I don’t like it, but it appeases my sister. However, we don’t do this very often.
In summary
1. Clean the litter box daily.
2. Change your bedding weekly.
3. Clean the cage weekly.
4. Feed your babies food that doesn’t smell bad.
5. Don’t bathe them too much.