If you own a ferret, I am sure you must have thought at least once about how to get rid of ferret odor in room. I certainly did when I became a new ferret mom!
No matter how much you love your furry ferret, you cannot deny the fact that they have a strong odor. You might get used to the musky smell over a period of time, but your friends or guests who do not have a pet ferret will not be accustomed to the smell.
It is best that you try to get rid of the ferret’s smell or at least try to mellow it down with various possible options available.
So, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the different methods you can try out to get rid of the ferret odor.
Why Does Your Ferret Smell? The Major 4 Reasons!
I know you want to get the answer to the stinking issue. However, before we discuss the methods regarding how to get rid of ferret odor in room, it is essential to discuss what causes the odor in the first place.
1. Presence of Anal Gland
Anal glands are responsible for releasing a strong smell in your ferret. However, they do serve a purpose while releasing the smell.
Ferrets love to communicate with other ferrets. Since they cannot speak, releasing the smell from anal glands is one way in which they communicate with other ferrets.
Ferrets tend to release strong “stink bombs” through their anal glands when they sense any danger. This is a part of their defense mechanism. The smell scares away their predators.
Moreover, if your ferret wants to mark his territory, he will become more defensive, and hence the smell released from anal scent glands will be stronger.
2. Presence of Skin Gland
Ferrets have a natural musky and earthy smell associated with themselves. This is due to the presence of skin glands. Skin glands are also responsible for the secretion of oil in ferrets.
Hence, if your ferret’s skin is oilier than usual, you can consider that the skin gland has secreted more oil and you can expect a stronger smell.
3. Dirty Ferret Cage
Because ferrets spend most of the time in their cage, it is bound to get dirty due to food and litter. Hence, it is extremely important to maintain the hygiene of the cage.
You should regularly clean your ferret’s litter tray and have proper bedding in the cage. Deep cleaning of the cage should be done at least once a week.
4. Incorrect Ferret Diet
A ferret, being an obligate carnivore has specific dietary needs. Their diet mainly consists of meat. If you provide an incorrect diet to your ferret, it is obvious that his poop will smell a lot.
Food items like fruits, vegetables, and bacon should be avoided. It is best to serve your ferret high quality kibble for his diet.
Best 3 Ways to Get Rid Of Ferret Odor in Room
There are many ways in which you can control the ferret odor. Let’s discuss the ways in detail.
1. Maintain Your Ferret’s Hygiene
Maintaining your ferret’s hygiene plays a key role in reducing the ferret odor. Proper grooming is very important as no one would want a stinky ferret in their house.
A. Regularly Clean Your Ferret’s Ears
You should clean your ferret’s ears once a week or at least once every two weeks. If not cleaned regularly, the wax will build up in the ferret’s ears. This accumulation of wax intensifies the musky smell. This can lead to a very strong and unpleasant odor.
Your ferret can also contract ear mites if the ears are not cleaned regularly.
You should use an ear cleaning solution for your furry friend’s ear cleaning.
B. Maintain Dental Hygiene in Your Ferret
Maintaining dental hygiene is the next step that you should take care of. Most likely, just like the majority of other ferrets, your ferret will not like when you brush his teeth. However, gradually, he will get used to it.
You can get a soft pet friendly toothbrush and toothpaste. If you are not aware of how to brush your ferret’s teeth, you can also ask your veterinarian to demonstrate it.
C. Give Your Ferret a Nice Bath
Invest in some pet ferret friendly soap and shampoo and give your ferret a nice warm bath. However, you should bathe your ferret only once or twice a month.
If you bathe your ferret too much, it can cause the essential oils from their skin to dry out. Due to this, the skin glands will secrete more oil to balance out the dryness, thus causing a heightened musky smell from your ferret.
We recommend using the Feretsheen 2-in-1 Deodorizing Shampoo for your furry friend.
D. Provide a Healthy and Nutritious Diet to Your Ferret
Your ferret’s fecal waste will smell a lot more if you do not provide healthy food to it. Ferrets being obligate carnivores have special dietary requirements.
Always avoid feeding them with food high in salt and sugar or fiber. You can opt for raw meat or high quality ferret food. Foods like fruits, peanut butter, and bacon are a big NO for your ferret.
E. Train Your Ferret to Use the Litter Pan
You should closely observe for two to three days where your ferret is pooping in the cage. You should then place the litter box there.
Most ferrets tend to use the litter box almost immediately. A point to note here is that the litter box should be kept away from ferret’s food.
If your ferret is not using the litter box, you can try replacing the litter with some other brand or material.
F. Surgically Remove Your Ferret’s Anal Glands
If you have an intact ferret, anal glands tend to release an extremely strong odor when your ferret is in heat. You can opt for a descenting procedure wherein the anal sacs and the anal glands of the ferrets are removed.
An unneutered ferret will smell a lot more as compared to a neutered ferret. Another interesting thing to note is that male ferrets have a stronger smell as compared to female ferrets. Each ferret has a different smell associated with itself.
However, the musky odor will still be there as the skin glands release that smell.
2. Clean Your Ferret’s Cage Regularly
Along with maintaining your ferret’s hygiene, it is also very important to maintain and clean your ferret’s cage. Take note of the below checklist and ensure that you have not missed any crucial step.
A. Maintain Your Ferret’s Bedding
Bedding plays an important role in controlling the odor. Always select bedding that works well for odor control. Moreover, the bedding should be easily washable and should have great absorbency capacity.
You can have a look at our detailed information on bedding selection to make an informed decision on the selection of bedding.
You should clean, change and wash your ferret’s bedding at least once a week.
B. Keep the Litter Box Clean
Make sure that you keep the litter box clean regularly. If the box is not cleaned, the poop and urine will smell a lot. Select the litter wisely based on its odor control capability. This will make your work easier.
You should scoop the litter box daily to remove any poop dropping and soiled litter. If you feel that the litter box is low on paper or granules, you should add more fresh litter.
C. Deep Clean Your Ferret’s Cage
Deep cleaning involves cleaning every nook and corner of the cage. You should scrub the entire cage with soap and warm water to clean it. Make sure you remove the litter box and any other accessories added to the cage for more efficient cleaning.
Deep cleaning will ensure that the urine stains, stool, or food deposits are cleaned properly, thus reducing the smell that is released from the cage.
Deep cleaning of the cage should be done at least once a month to maintain hygiene.
Are you having trouble selecting the best cage for your ferret? Checkout out recommendations here.
D. Clean up All the Other Cage Accessories
If you have a young ferret who loves playing with toys, make sure you also clean them. The water bowl or food bowl in the cage should also be cleaned properly.
Cage accessories should be cleaned once a week.
E. Immediately Clean up if Your Ferret’s Poop That Is Outside the Litter Box
You should immediately clean your ferret poop or urine if he has done it outside the litter box. A quick clean-up will ensure that the bad smell is not built up and it also prevents any stains on the furniture.
3. Maintain Hygiene at Your Home
Having an exotic animal like a ferret at home brings an added responsibility of maintaining your house. If you are seeking answers to how to get rid of ferret odor in room, keep the below points in mind.
A. Make Sure to Air Out Your Home
It is very important to open up the windows and doors at least for 10 to 15 minutes once a week. This improves the air circulation and allows the ferret’s odor to mellow down.
B. Floors Should Be Deodorized Regularly
Since your ferret will be spending much time on the floor, it is important to deodorize the floors regularly. You can use baking soda or a combination of baking soda and vinegar on the floors before cleaning it.
If you are planning to renovate, it is better to replace the floor carpet with wood or tile which is much easier to clean.
C. Maintain Your Air Filters
Air filters play a crucial role in controlling the ferret’s odor. You should make sure that the vents of air ducts are properly maintained and clean regularly.
It is best to install a HEPA air filtration system and replace the filters regularly. Take a look at our recommendation for the best air filters to control pet odor here.
D. Regularly Vacuum Your Room
If you are a ferret owner, you should be very particular regarding the cleaning of your room and house. If you do not maintain your house, you can expect it to stink of ferrets.
The reason for regular vacuuming with a pet ferret is that your ferret will play and roam around in the entire house. They have oils on their skin that will be easily transferred to your furniture, pillows, carpets, rugs, or wherever your ferret has played.
Moreover, the pet dander should also be cleaned to avoid any allergic reaction.
You cannot expect the musky smell to go away without vacuuming or frequently dusting your home.
You should regularly vacuum all the fabrics and the furniture. If there are stains due to your ferret’s urine and poop, you can use natural ingredients like baking soda and vinegar before clean it.
E. Make Use Of Odor Eliminators and Stain Removers
Sometimes, the stains caused by your ferret’s urine and poop cannot be cleaned without using chemicals. Hence, you should use a stain remover to clean any such stains.
Odor eliminators also work great to cover up the ferret’s odor. Check out this product I found on Amazon which works great to eliminate the odor!
FAQs on How To Get Rid of Ferret Odor in Room
1. Do Ferrets Stink up Your House?
Yes, a ferret can stink up your house. Ferrets have a natural musky and earthy smell which can be quite strong for some people.
Moreover, when intact ferrets enter the heat, the male ferrets tend to release stink bombs which can be unbearable for a few.
2. How Do You Neutralize Pet Odor Naturally?
If you are not willing to use any chemicals to neutralize the pet odor, you can use vinegar instead. Vinegar is a great natural option to neutralize the pet odor.
You can use vinegar diluted with water in a spray bottle and spray it over the floors and carpets. If used in combination with baking soda, it works more strongly to eliminate the pungent odor.
3. Does Vinegar Kill Pet Urine Smell?
Vinegar does not entirely kill the pet urine smell. Vinegar, when used in combination with baking soda can help reduce the smell. However, the urine smell is extremely persistent and cannot be eliminated easily.
You can use enzyme-based products that effectively remove the smell. Take a look at this professional odor eliminator.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are several methods for how to get rid of ferret odor in room. Ferrets are cute little exotic creatures. They make a great pet.
However, a minor downside of keeping them as pets is their musky smell which for some may be unpleasant.
You should follow the methods that we have described in the article above, to get rid of the typical ferret smell. It might need some effort from your end, but it is worth it!
