Jen asked:
>I was wondering about the ferret de-odoring sprays.  Is there any
>drawbacks to using these?  Would it be safer to use these instead of
>giving them baths every two weeks?  The spies want to know.
 
I tried using a deodorant spray on my un-descented (fully scented?) ferret
for about three days-- in my experience, it made his fur coarse and made
him sneeze.  It also triggered a mild asthma episode in me, which is when I
stopped using it.  If you are used to chemical sprays it might not bother
you, but it might bother your ferret, who has no way of telling you.
 
Giving ferrets baths every two weeks may actually make them have a stronger
odor-- their scent and oil glands start working overtime to replenish the
scent/oil that has been stripped away by the bath.  Keeping the ferrets'
bedding clean will have a bigger effect on their day-to-day smell than
washing the ferrets themselves will.  Using a non-clay litter helps too--
I've found that my ferrets have an amazing ability to absorb the odors of
things around them into their fur, and if they're near a yucky-smelling
litterbox... ugh.  Anyway if you try not bathing them for over two weeks,
you'll probably notice that the strength of their ferrety odor decreases.
Mine just get baths when shedding or if they've gotten into something
nasty :)
 
Regina
 
Regina Harrison
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http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1083
Electra the Brujah's page:
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                                  Come closer, beloved
                       Speak to me in contagious words
                               Do you see the vultures
                                        over the fire?
                                Scavengers are patient
                       Do you see the cadaver dancing?
[Posted in FML issue 2983]