Do ferrets smell? What actually helps

Do ferrets smell?

Yes, but usually less than people expect, and much less than a dirty ferret home does. The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) explains that ferrets have small scent glands all over their bodies that give them a musky smell. Some people find it off-putting. Others hardly notice it after a week.

The bigger problem is often the home, not the ferret. A US rescuer interviewed by Vetstreet put it plainly: ferrets do have a body smell, but the problem is more often cleanliness. She keeps more than 70 ferrets, and visitors still tell her the house does not smell like ferrets. Ferrets go to the toilet a lot and do not bury it, so a tray left for a day does more damage to the air than the animals themselves.

If you are still deciding, our guide to ferrets as pets covers the rest of what living with them is like.

Where does the ferret smell come from?

There are three different smells, and each has its own fix.

The BVNA notes that ferrets usually only spray from their anal glands when frightened or attacked. A ferret that feels safe with you rarely does it.

Does neutering stop a ferret smelling?

It makes the biggest difference of anything you can do, though it will not remove the smell entirely. The BVNA says entire hobs (males) smell much stronger than jills (females), especially in the hob breeding season from December to June, and that castrating hobs from six months old solves both the smell and the aggression. The RSPCA says neutering reduces the typical musky smell of the maturing male, and Burgess says neutering hobs can decrease ferret odour.

For jills, neutering matters for health more than smell. A jill who is not mated stays in season, and the RSPCA warns this can lead to hair loss and death from anaemia. Your vet will talk you through the choices: surgery, or a hormone implant under the skin that the RSPCA says usually lasts 18 to 24 months. Advice on timing differs. The RSPCA says it is generally best to wait until after puberty for surgery, while the BVNA suggests six months of age. Ask your own vet, who knows the latest thinking and your ferret.

Should you bathe a ferret to stop the smell?

No, not to stop the smell. It works for a day and then backfires. ExoticDirect, the UK pet insurer, advises bathing no more than once a month, because frequent bathing strips the skin and fur of their oils. The body then makes more oil, faster, so the ferret smells stronger, and the skin can turn dry and itchy. VCA Animal Hospitals agrees that bathing on a fixed schedule will not remove a ferret's natural musk, and suggests asking your vet whether bathing is needed at all.

Bath once a month at most, or only when your ferret has rolled in something. Playing in water is a different thing and is fine. A shallow tray or paddling pool of clean water in summer is good fun, as long as you supervise.

How do you stop a ferret cage from smelling?

Clean little and often. This routine follows the RSPCA and ExoticDirect, and it is where most of the smell is won or lost.

1. Empty the litter tray daily. Tip it out, wash it and refill it every day. The RSPCA says toilet areas should be cleaned daily, and the ferrets' tray needs it because they fill it fast.
2. Pick up accidents. Clean any toilet spots outside the tray the same day, then put an extra tray in that corner. Ferrets like to go in the same spot.
3. Swap soiled bedding. Take out any wet or dirty bedding and wash it daily, as ExoticDirect advises.
4. Clear old food and water. Remove uneaten food and wash water bowls each day, because ferrets often play in their water.
5. Wash all bedding weekly. Hammocks, sleep sacks, old T-shirts and blankets all go in the wash once a week.
6. Do a full clean weekly. Wash and disinfect trays, wipe the floor, bars and shelves with a pet-safe disinfectant and rinse well. Wood Green links a clean enclosure to preventing illness, including a serious gut infection known as green slime disease.

Our guide to cleaning a ferret cage goes through each step in more detail, and litter training a ferret stops most of the stray accidents that make a room smell.

What bedding and litter keep smells down?

Washable fabric bedding and paper litter, changed often. Fabric holds the musk, so rotating it through the wash is what keeps it fresh. Keep two sets of bedding so one is always clean.

• Two full sets of washable bedding: hammocks, sleep sacks, old T-shirts or towels with no loose threads
• Paper pellet litter, not clumping cat litter, which the MSD Veterinary Manual warns can cause breathing problems
• One litter tray per corner the ferrets choose, kept away from beds and food
• Unscented, pet-safe disinfectant for the weekly clean
• A room with fresh air, away from radiators and direct sun

Avoid wood shavings: RSPCA Australia says they can harm a ferret's airways, and the MSD Veterinary Manual warns that cedar releases aromatic oils that may be toxic to ferrets. See our guide to the best bedding for ferrets for what to buy.

Does descenting a ferret work?

No, not for the everyday smell. Descenting means removing the two anal glands under the tail. VCA Animal Hospitals says this does not stop the usual musky smell, because that comes mainly from the glands in the skin. Since a relaxed ferret rarely uses its anal glands anyway, the surgery takes away very little of what you actually notice. Neutering and cleaning are what work.

When is a strong smell a sign of a health problem?

When a smell changes suddenly and nothing about the cleaning has changed. Hormones are the usual cause. An entire hob or a jill in season smells stronger, and a jill left in season is a health risk, not just a smell. In neutered ferrets, adrenal disease can bring hormone changes back. The RSPCA and VCA list its signs as hair loss on the tail, rump or back, a swollen vulva in jills, itching with no fleas, and tiredness.

• A stronger musky smell in a neutered ferret
• Thinning fur on the tail or back
• A swollen vulva in a jill
• Scratching with no sign of fleas
• Green, slimy or very smelly droppings

Book a vet visit within a few days for any of the first four. Ring a vet the same day for green, slimy droppings with a ferret that is quiet or not eating. Our guide to ferret health covers the other signs to watch, and Burgess suggests yearly vet checks for young ferrets and twice-yearly checks from three years old.

For everything else about keeping ferrets well, start with our complete ferret care guide.