What Do Ferrets Smell Like? [ Is It Bad? It Depends! ]

Ferrets smell like corn chips. They have a natural musky smell, but their scent is not bad. However, not everyone finds the smell tolerable. Male ferrets have a stronger smell than the jills, especially during the breeding season.  Besides, pets kept in a dirty environment usually have a repulsive odor. So it is essential to groom your pet properly and keep her environment clean to ensure she remains pleasant smelling. 

Further Reading: “Do Ferrets Eat Snakes?“

How Bad Do Ferrets Smell?

Ferrets have a unique smell like every other pet. However, it isn’t a bad smell. They have an earthy, natural smell you might notice whenever you carry your pet close to you. But do ferrets have an odor? Yes, they do. But that’s if you don’t groom your pet well and keep her cage clean. Well-groomed ferrets smell good, but unkempt pets will have an offensive smell. Ferrets sometimes like to mark their territory with urine. So, your pet might have an odor that could become conspicuous and completely repulsive if you don’t maintain good hygiene with her.

Additionally, your pet’s diet also determines how she will smell. Pet foods that contain ingredients such as fish, grains, or vegetables could make your pet smell weird. Besides, unneutered pets have a stronger scent than the neutered ones. That’s because unneutered ferrets secret hormones that have a strong smell. But neutered pets don’t usually have this odor. 

Further Reading: “Why Does My Ferret Shake?“

How Can I Minimize This Smell?

Maybe you’ve heard that ferrets always stink or mess up the house. That isn’t true. At least not if you pay attention to your pet’s hygiene. So, to minimize any repulsive smell from your pet, you should potty train your pet and clean her cage daily. Always change the bedding and clean the litter box. Also, wash the feeding bowls and change the drinking water daily. And don’t forget to bathe your pet at least once every two months. 

Some pets practice aromatherapy to deodorize their pet. However, never use any essential oil on ferrets! Essential oils are toxic to ferrets and could make your pet sick. Instead of using essential oils, use safe deodorants made for ferrets. But be sure that they don’t contain any chemical or essential oil. And lastly, if you don’t plan to breed more ferrets, spay your male pet. That will minimize the smell that comes from the pheromones they secret.

Further Reading: “How To Tell If A Ferret Is Scared?“

Do Ferrets Have Their Own Odor?

Of course, ferrets have their own natural smell. Theirs is different from that of a dog or cat. If you are used to owning pets, you’d know that all animals have their distinct smell. And your pet’s scent will only become an odor when you don’t groom her properly.   A ferret’s scent is similar to the smell of a bag of Fritos.

A ferret’s natural scent is different from the odor of an unkempt and dirty pet. If your ferret is not well-groomed, she will stink. Your pet will definitely pee and poop, and those need cleaning up. So, always keep your pet’s cage clean. If you keep your pet well-groomed and in a clean environment, your pet will not have a repulsive odor. 

Further Reading: “Do Ferrets Blink?“

Do Ferrets Stink Up Your House?

Whether your ferret will stink up your house depends on the answer to these three questions: is your pet potty trained, is he groomed regularly, do you feed her a healthy diet? Yes? No? If your answers are positive, then your ferret won’t stink up the house. It takes proper hygiene practices to keep pets nice smelling. Most pet owners worry that ferrets have a natural odor that is intolerable. But that’s not true. All that you need to do is to ensure that your pet’s environment is clean.

But if your answers are negative, then your pet will definitely stink up your house. Think about it, dirty water bowls, unchanged litter boxes, old bedding, all will make your ferret stink. So, instead of the natural smell of your pet, her smell becomes repulsive. 

Whether your ferret will stink up your house depends on the answer to these three questions: is your pet potty trained, is he groomed regularly, do you feed her a healthy diet? Yes? No? If your answers are positive, then your ferret won’t stink up the house.

Further Reading: “How To Tell How Old A Ferret Is?“

Do Male Or Female Ferrets Smell Worse?

Male ferrets, especially the unneutered ones smell worse than female ferrets. That’s because of the pheromones they secrete from their anal glands. The smell is very strong and muskier than its natural scent. ‘

The Vetspace explains that the high level of testosterone in male ferrets during the breeding period may, amongst other things, induce them to mark their territories. So, you might notice that your male ferret smells worse during this period. That’s because he’s marking the places he considers his territory with his scent and urine. You should consider spaying your pet to control the smell and prevent them from breeding.

Further Reading: “Can You Bath A Ferret?“

Related Questions

Do Ferrets Smell Like Pee?

Ferrets don’t naturally smell like pee, they smell more like corn chips. However, pets that are unkempt and groomed in a dirty environment may smell like urine. Ferrets may mess up their cage with their pee, and it is up to the owner to clean up the cage regularly. So, if your ferret smells like urine, clean up her cage, change her bedding, and litter too. Also, bathe your pet at least once a month so she can remain pleasant smelling.

Further Reading: “Can Ferrets Eat Canned Tuna?“

Do Female Ferrets Smell?

Female ferrets also have a musky smell. But unlike male ferrets, they don’t smell differently or have any secretion when they are on heat. For the female pets, their scent comes from their skin. If you keep your jill clean, her scent wouldn’t be conspicuous.

Further Reading: “How Often Do Ferrets Poop?“

Final Thoughts

Whether your ferret smells pleasant or not totally depends on you. If you don’t maintain high standards of hygiene with your pet, then your pet could smell very bad. We don’t want that, do we? That’s why it’s essential to minimize the odor with the tips provided in this article. If you don’t intend to breed more pets, spay your male ferrets. Take care of his grooming, and clean up his environment each day, this for sure will help you keep a healthy, clean, and good smelling ferret.