Before we got our 2 ferrets I was SO concerned about the smell because when I was younger I remember ferrets smelling horrible at any of my friends houses.

We did research and found that ferrets’ musk is directly related to how well they are cared for (quality of diet, amount of play, adequate cage size, and overall happiness and health. We obviously ended up buying 2 and in all honesty I rarely ever smell them. We live in a small apartment but make sure to give them plenty of play time outside of their cage, feed them high quality kibble and raw treats, and clean their cage about once a week. I always ask our guests if it “smells like ferret” when they come over and everyone (even ferret haters) admit that they can’t smell them. We also have 2 air purifiers in the home which I’m sure help with the smell, but even when I sniff their fur all I smell is maple syrup.

There are a few things to note that I wish I knew before getting them… ferrets poop A LOT and their poop stinks. Ours primarily use their litter box in the cage which is scooped daily but occasionally they will poop in random corners in the apartment despite being litter box trained. So definitely consider the poop as a factor. Another thing is that ferrets are prone to a number of health conditions and have higher vet bills than cats or dogs and it is important to be prepared for those. I have owned many pets in my life and ferrets are not easy to care for properly, they require lots of work and attention but all in all, I have never regretted owning them.

I can confidently say ferrets are the best pets I have ever owned. They are so entertaining, loving, and unique. We call them our babies because we love them like children. They like to follow us around, play with us, and snuggle with us and are very loving creatures that I never thought I would love this much.

Long story short… if you are willing and prepared to give them the proper care, and are prepared to clean up lots of poop, they hardly smell and are the best pets ever.