Ferrets are becoming increasingly popular as pets, and it’s no wonder. They are cute, cuddly, and can be real comedians with their antics. But with ferrets comes odor. Here are 6 reasons your ferret may have odor and solutions for them, as well as an overall solution for keeping the air in your home fresh, and relatively free of ferret odor.

Breeding Season–When it’s mating time, the male instinctively perfumes himself with urine to be noticeable to the females. Even though this is very natural behavior in the wild, doing it in your home can be traumatic for everyone.

The easiest way to stop this behavior is to have your pet neutered. Neutering and spaying will certainly decrease hormone levels of males and females and will lessen the odor. This should be done between 5 and 6 months of age, and can even be done at a later.

Ear Mites-Ferrets produce a large amount of ear wax, and this can lead to ear mites which make their presence known with foul smelling ears. Your vet can prescribe ear drops to get rid of the mites, and may also prescribe a cleansing solution to be used regularly to keep the ears fresh and avoid a recurrence.

Dental Problems-If you smell bad breath, is it often an indication that there is a problem with teeth or gums. Take your pet to the vet and have them give a thorough exam to make sure that the problems are not causing pain, and can be taken care of before they cause more serious problems.

Poofs-This smelly reaction is an expulsion from the anal sacs when your ferret is excited, ill, frightened, and sometimes just occurs during physical exertion. This is a temporary smell that eventually dissipates in the air, but while you’re waiting, it’s a pretty “up in your face” smell.

Surgically removing the anal sacs can greatly improve the way your ferret smells. But as with any surgery there are risks not only during the surgery but lasting side effects that can result because of it. If you decide to have this done, make sure your vet is experienced with the procedure, and has performed it enough to be considered an expert.

Skin problems-Dry skin and skin infections can cause ferrets to produce more oil to affect a natural cure. This additional oil means increased odor. Bathing your pet several times a month can lessen the oil and the odor. Be careful not to bathe too frequently or you will cause more oil to be produced because of dry skin.

Always use a shampoo that is specifically designed for ferrets, and consult your vet about skin problems and the exact frequency for bathing that will keep your pet’s skin healthy.

Unhealthy Diet–What you feed your ferret can have a big impact on their overall health. A poor diet can result in more frequent and odoriferous elimination than would occur from a ferret being fed a healthy diet.

Unlike people, a healthy diet for ferrets should contain a large percentage of fat and protein, and should be low in fiber. This is another area where consulting a vet will make life better for you and your ferret.

An overall solution to odor that will keep your home smelling fresh regardless of what is going on in the life of your ferret is to use an air purifier that is specifically designed to remove pet odor from your air, and one that can give you 24 hour coverage daily.

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There are several places where you can buy a ferret.  This article highlights some of the pro’s and con’s of these

You may consider going to a pet shop to buy your new ferret.  This is ideal if you are looking for a baby, but if you want an older one it’s not so good.  Ferrets from pet stores should also have had their initial shots and you should be able to get a health certificate showing you what fuzzy has already had.

Before buying from a pet store it would be advisable to check with your local and state authorities that you can legally own a ferret.  Just because a pet store has them for sale doesn’t mean that you  are home and dry.  In some states, Hawaii and California for example, it is illegal to keep ferrets at all.  Others like Illinois and Rhode Island may require you to purchase a license to own them.

Buying from a breeder will pretty much ensure that you are able to get exactly what you are looking for in your baby… but be careful.  As with all animal breeders some are in it purely to make money and are not particularly interested in the welfare of the animal.  I’m sure you have seen animal welfare programs on TV where hundreds of dogs are rescued from puppy farms and the majority, if not all, have to be humanely euthanized because of their condition.  Well it’s not only puppies.  There are also ferret farms out there existing solely to make money for the owner.  They don’t particularly care about the animals they are breeding and many may have been taken from their mother far too early and not even had their initial vaccinations.

That being said there are responsible breeders out there who do care about their animals.  You may find these more expensive to buy from but the breeders will have a wealth of experience and knowledge and will be able to give you a complete history of the ferret’s life to date.

Perhaps one of the best ways of getting a new ferret is to look at animal rescue shelters or specialist ferret rescue associations.  Many ferrets find their way to these every year through no fault of their own and they will require re-homing.  Getting a ferret this way is not quite the same as buying one as you are effectively adopting and re-homing him, so you may be asked to pay an adoption fee but you may also be given additional food and toys so that he has something familiar in his new surroundings.  This is an ideal way to find an older ferret and the shelter staff will be able to match you to your ideal fuzzy.  Some of the pets that find their way into the shelters may have been mistreated by a previous owner and may have behavioral issues which you will be made aware of together with any specialist advice you may need to keep fuzzy happy.

Stuart Green is a ferret enthusiast with a passion for sharing information on ferret care.

If you want to learn more about how tobuy a ferret why not visit Stuart’s site at http://www.ferretcarejunction.com where you can sign up for a free 10 part mini-course as well as find other useful resources on looking after your ferret.

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Table food can definitely be given to ferrets as treats. As long as they are in small quantities, you do not have to worry about anything. In addition, ferret treats work just as the same with ferret meals which mean that it should also contain the same nutritional content required for ferrets. However, since they are only for ferret treats, it means that they should be given in small quantities so as not to destroy the natural appetite of your pet ferret. In addition, since ferrets only have a certain nutritional requirement per day, you should make sure that the table food that you give to your ferret does not exceed such limits.

There is a variety of choices which you can pick from in giving treats to your ferret. Simple table food such as a meat meal will be just fine for your pet as long as this meat is not covered with all sorts of spices. Also, it is best if you feed your ferret with raw meat such as chicken, turkey and rabbit. Other animal organs such as gizzard may also be delicious to your pet ferret.

It is extremely important that you do not give your vegetables and fruits as ferret treats since ferrets have an inability of absorbing these things. Cereals, crackers, pretzels, yogurt, ice cream and even pudding are ok for your ferret as long as they are given in small quantities.  Always remember that these things are only treats which mean that you have to minimize your ferret’s intake of them.

In the end, the best table foods as ferret treats are meat, poached or raw. The meat that you will give your ferret must be fresh at least less than five days old from the store. Also ensure that it contains no additives or spices such as gravy, starches or even salt. Avoid giving them deep fried meat since this may cause your pet ferret to experience diarrhea. In addition, sugar is definitely not safe for ferrets and will lead them to be sick if given to them. Therefore, it is important not to give them candies, cookies or even cake. Even milk is not advisable for them. If they have been given such things, then it is likely that they will get sick or worse, die from a possible diet related illness.

Ferrets do have a sensitive digestive system and a complex nutritional requirement. Before giving them anything from your dining table, it is vital that you first understand their natural nutrition so that you know exactly what and what not to give them. Since the bodies of ferrets may react violently on even the slightest foods, then consequently the slightest mistake can bring a huge consequence.

Table food can be good as a ferret treat as long as you know how to control the amounts given to your ferret. Moreover, it may also be advisable that you yourself will be the one to prepare such treats. Minimal provision of these treats is also a much better option than frequent ones which means that your table food treats can be given to your pet ferret at most twice a week.

Jeff Ritter is the owner of Pet Ferret Center, and thrives on teaching others how to properly care for their pet Ferret. For more information on ferret treats and for a FREE 15 part mini-course on “The Secrets To Training & Caring for your Pet Ferret!” go to => http://www.petferretcenter.com

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