I’m kind of obsessed with ferrets. They’re tiny, cute, and kinda wily. But to be honest, there is one thing about ferrets that may be a drawback to someone  — ferrets have a distinct, ahem, odor about them.  So what’s up with ferret stink?I’ve been around some stinky dogs and frankly there are some days my cats walk by and I say, “Oh hell no, Boo, you need a bath like whoa.” But, in general, most well-groomed cats and dogs don’t smell strongly of an odor on a regular basis. Ferrets, though, do tend to have an distinct odor, a noticeable musky scent. And yes, it’s totally OK and natural.

All mammals have musk glands that produce scented secretions, which allow animals to identify and communicate with each other. Humans have them too, although we call them pheromones and we cannot actually smell them (although some other animals can smell ours!). The distinctive ferret odor comes from musk glands in the skin, which are concentrated around the face and spread all over various points on the rest of their tiny bodies.

The strongest contributor to ferret odor is hormonal activity (think teenage boy).  Hormones stimulate musk production in the skin glands which begin their secretion until they really aren’t, well…horny any more.

The best way to control the odors coming off of your ferret is to have it spay or neutered. An unfixed ferret has a much stronger smell than a spayed or neutered ferret. When an unfixed male, known as a hob, is ready to breed, his hormones go into overdrive and he really begins to secrete a positively stinky smell to attract a sexy female ferret. (Fun fact: If they cannot produce enough musk through their hormones, they will also groom themselves with urine to make sure that they are noticed.  I have to imagine that this is positively stanky.)

You may have heard of “de-scenting” your ferret, but it is important to note that this is often considered to be a form of mutilation. De-scenting a ferret doesn’t change the daily smell of this weasel.  Only the scent glands near the tail are removed, which prevents the ferret from releasing bad-smelling musk if it’s frightened or excited, but this doesn’t stop the normal musky oils from glands throughout the skin which essentially a physically impossible procedure and frankly, totally unnecessary.

So, now that you know where that odor is wafting from, what do you do about the smell that doesn’t involve surgery? Washing their bedding is a good start. Most of the musk stays in the cloth, on the litter or paper bedding, and on your floors and furniture, not on your ferret, so cleaning and changing these items on a regular basis will make a big difference in the aroma of your home.

Interestingly enough, bathing a ferret too often is actually going to cause your pet to stink more. Why? Immediately after you bathe your ferret, its skin glands will instantly accelerate to replenish the oils just washed away, so for the first few days after bathing a ferret, it will actually smell stronger.

Diet can contribute to a stronger smelling ferret. Foods containing fish may make your ferret, or their litter pan, smell worse than diets containing chicken or lamb. You may also find that your ferret smells more during shedding season in the spring and fall, so just be patient during those times.

(Images:  schani, theogeo)

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