How much effect does having a ferret descented have ?

Question

How much effect does having a ferret descented have ?

Answer 1

The ferret will still have a musty smell to people who aren't used to the smell. You need to be vigilant in cleaning up after the ferret and that will help with much of the odors.

Answer 2

Not much. A lot of people think a descented ferret means no more of the musky, ferret scent. Not true. Ferrets have scent glands all over their body, so removing only the anal ones will have very little (if any) effect on their overall smell. Descenting a ferret just means it will no longer be able to "f**t" or expel that poof of odor when frightened or excited. If you find a ferret that hasn't been descented, then I recommend leaving it that way (unless it becomes a medical necessity). Descenting really isn't necessary and can actually cause more harm than good. It's even illegal in some European countries because it's considered to be cruel. A ferret's poof really isn't that bad, nothing compared to a skunk - it doesn't smell as bad and it dissipates rather quickly.

EDIT: I also wanted to mention that their scent really isn't as bad as some people make it seem. I have five in a cage that's about two feet from the head of my bed and I have never had any problems with the smell. They do still have a scent to them (*all* animals, including humans do), but personally, I like their natural scent. There are, however, people that are extra sensitive to their scent and can't tolerate it at all. As some other posters mentioned, keep the cage, bedding (by bedding, I mean things like blankets, hammocks, etc.), and litter box(es) clean. Also, bathe your ferret as little as possible. All of those things will help keep the smell down.

Answer 3

I agree with Joniboni, with one addition. Like a skunk, it takes a ferret to be 1. angry or 2. scared out of it's mind to poof. It smells like somebody with bad body odor, but unlike a skunk, it doesn't last long at all!!! I have several who are not descented. And they smell just like a regular fuzzy.

Answer 4

I have 3. Two females and a male. None of them stink at all. They are all descented. you just have to make sure to clean clean clean so that their oils don't stick on their bedding and make them stinky. Wash the hammocks and everything wipe down the cage and the bars with some natures miracle spray or some clean cage spray by superpet. Wash the litterbox with baking soda (what I use) and hot water. You can use vinegar or regular soap as well. You have to do all of that on the same day. Scoop the litterbox 1 or 2 times a day depending on how many ferrets you have. Once a month take the whole cage outside and scrub it down using a mixture of baking soda and hot water, vinegar hot water, or soap and hot water. Do all of this I promise even with 10 or more ferrets you won't be able to tell you have ferrets. Also don't bathe them more than once or twice a year and don't feed food containing fish or fish meal.  

Answer 5

Well, the ferret is a member of the weasel family and a cousin of the skunk.  When a ferret is intact, they emit a "poof" of air but do not spray like a skunk.  The "poof" is very smelly but is only air and not a liquid.

Ferrets have an undeserved reputation of being smelly. It is true that they have a distinctly musky odor about them, but it is neither offensive nor overpowering. This musky odor comes from their skin glands and is present whether the ferret is descented or not. While occasional baths are recommended, frequent bathing will not reduce the scent, and will likely make it worse as the skin will get too dry and the skin glands will produce more oils in an effort to combat the dryness.

Most of the bad smells people complain about comes from the urine and p**p.  Since ferrets are carnivores, they need a meat based diet.  They have a runny p**p and strong urine that requires you to clean the litter box every day.  If your ferret eats a poor diet full of grains or fish, the p**p smells more.  If the ferret has Adrenal disease or Liver disease, they eat, drink and p**p much more frequently and it is rather smelly, so cleaning the litter box twice a day will prevent residual nasty odors.  Bottom line, keep the litter boxes clean every day, wash the bedding once a week and your ferret will have a mildly musky odor that some people find pleasant or at least not unpleasant.

"Ferrets are usually descented in North America, which involved removal of the scent glands. They do have scent glands similar to skunk scent glands, and they will release (not spray) the contents if threatened. However, ferret scent gland secretions are milder than that of skunks and the smell dissipates quickly and washes away easily. The routine removal of scent glands, which is most commonly done in North America, is now being questioned since the musky odor of ferrets is not due to the scent glands and discharge of their scent glands is not a big problem."