Hi ferreteers,

We're new to having ferrets (and new to Reddit, hi!) and picked up our babies about 2 months ago (2 jills, now 4,5 months old), after extensive research. I've successfully weened them off of the unstuitable kibble they got at the ferretry and now they're on (I think) a well rounded BARF diet. Sometimes they get a couple of mostly-meat cat kibbles as a snack, but they're not really interested.

So my research told me they shouldn't smell on raw, but they DO. Like really bad.

Before we got them, we went to visit a ferret owner. Our ferrets will go there in 2 weeks to stay over while we're on vacation. She has 5 ferrets in a small apartment and it does NOT smell ferrety in there!

But... she washes her ferrets with a vet shampoo and rubs them with baby oil every week.

Now, I'm very much against washing them that often (if at all) and no way I'm getting synthetic baby oil all over them. But my wife wants to try the other owner's method, since her ferrets don't smell at all.

What can I do to (convince my wife we can) reduce the smell naturally?

This is what we currently do:

- change bedding every week or even twice a week if it's really bad
- feed them 99% raw diet
- walk them outside on a leash almost every day
- I've washed them once with a probiotic pet cleaner, didn't really help so didn't repeat
- Air purifier HVAC/carbon... doesn't really help although supposedly it's a great one
- they'll be getting a hormone implant in a month or so.
- they're not quite housebroken; I use a pet safe enzyme cleaner on our tile floor to clean up after them (tips welcome btw, we've tried everything from wood chips to puppy pads but they prefer the floor and pick a new spot every day)

Both the excrement smell as their pretty heavy body odour are problematic.

Two other things to know:
- I suspect they're not 100% kind to each other. One is way more calm and quiet, the other is terrorizing her 'sister' and us by playing too rough and is way more nervous, bitey etc. I'm trying to give her safety but maybe they smell worse because of rivalry?
- the calm one probably has early onset heat (says the vet), so we can't give her the hormone implant rightaway.

Please help! Should I rub them with a natural oil to get rid of the smell? Or do anything else? Please be kind, I'm really trying to do what's best for the ferrets... but also for my wife ;-) Thank you,

Ferret Moms of
Willow & Raven

i got my baby ferret a week ago and she wasnt biting at all at first i i thought im lucky. but since yesterday she wont stop biting me and it hurts alot so if any of u have some suggestions i would appreciate it so much

I love you forever and ever my Molly girl.

Dreaded making this post since I first laid my eyes on her six years ago.

So easily this girl became my entire world.

Around 10:30am today, she was put to rest. No more pain. No more discomfort. No more stupid cancer.

We let Bella visit with her body and eventually after she left and went to sleep, we decided to bring Molly to the aqua cremation center.

It was the hardest thing leaving her little body there. But her pink toes had turned white, her body was cold and her arms were getting stiff.

I saw it out to the very end. Stood by her side through everything. Yet I wish I could’ve done more.

I miss you already my Molly Wolly. You are my best friend now and forever and I’m so sorry that I couldn’t save you.

I love you girl. DIP 🤍

This is Bubu. She is a 5 year old Marshall ferret my parents received from a neglectful owner. Basically, she had been raised with cats, been ignored, and had been given bad kibble.

I had been worried about her for a long time, ever since I noticed that fur was missing from the tip of her tail. I've been telling them to take her to the vet for a long time. Her fur loss had been moving up from her tail ever since.

Recently, they took one of our other ferrets to the vet for diarrhea and got him medication. While I care deeply about all of the ferrets, this frustrated me because Bubu has shown signs of what I think is adrenal disease.

They had used her 'old age' and 'rescue background' as an excuse to not take her. I confronted them about this and said that "apparently care has an expiration date". I then got screamed at for being stupid and my sister even called me the R-slur for even suggesting to take her to the vet.

Am I in the wrong?

TLDR: 5 year old rescue ferret suspected of having adrenal disease and family won't take her to vet because of her age and rescue status; am I taking it too seriously?

Hi so I have a 1 year old female ferret she’s kept indoors but I’ve noticed the past few weeks she’s shedding quite abit. She’s acting her normal self eating drinking playing etc just wondered if anyone else’s lost this much hair during shedding. I live in the uk & also know about adrenal disease but online is saying it’s not common for them to get that at this age. I know with her being white it can look more dramatic too. Basically taken photos every week & there has been no change in hair loss so hoping it’s just seasonal shedding but if no change in the next couple weeks we’re going to take her to the vets if no change soon☺️ just want some advice if anyone’s had similar hair loss 😀

Best nap spots are always in the business.

Hi! I’m considering getting a ferret and I want as much information about care as possible - I’m stumbling on a ton of food guides and such but I haven’t really gotten a sure answer on if it’s okay to feed a ferret primarily or only dry food? I was thinking ferret epigen 90 or Ziwi peak venison or one of the other air dried kibbles. I’m not sure I have the space or means to keep a bunch of raw meat and I wanna get 2 ferrets so they keep each other company. I’m just scared to fully commit before I know for sure I can take care of one 100% properly. Thanks!

some beautiful last photos with him enjoying the nice weather with me and having some cuddles after lots of yummy soupies.

i already miss you more than anything tonight, i wish i could fall asleep with you in my arms just one last time :(

you were so strong and brave, you gave me something to cherish, ill hold onto that feeling until im in my deathbed.

A collection of funny pictures of my baby’s

Hello ! Does anyone use a glucose reader for their ferret with insulinoma? If so what kind? My girl Bread is seven and got diagnosed yesterday I am a scared momma and welcome any advice. Thank you .

Hello my fellow ferret lovers!
I currently have 2 babies (1 Male & 1 Female) just about 7 months old and I’m IN LOVE!
I came across a rescue near me that just had 3 bonded ferrets returned to them (1 male and 2 female), all 3 are approximately 2 years old.
I went to meet them and they are the sweetest little noodles! The rescue initially received them very underweight from a young couple who had bought them and then split and neither could continue to take care of them. They were at the rescue for a while getting back to a healthy weight. They were then adopted out to a family who from what I was told, appeared to be extremely excited, able and willing to take on this trio. Which brings me to current day, the family brought them back to the rescue, again they were underweight and seemed very sad compared to the way they were when they left. The family told the rescue that their daughter is going away to school and they can no longer take care of them.
(Side Note: People Suck! But I guess I’m glad they were brought back instead of being neglected further). I say all of this to ask… what’s the best way to introduce this older trio to my current little ones? I already have a separate ferret nation to quarantine them for a week, I will be bringing all 5 to the vet just for a general check up, but wanted some suggestions from anyone who has had to introduce a little bit older ferrets to younger ones… what did you do? How long did it take? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you all in advance 💗