A friend of mine had the same odor problem with a cage she special
ordered from Kritter Koncept Kages. Despite washing it with soap and
water, and cleaning it many times with a strong vinegar/water solution,
the odor always came back within a few days. She had to keep it
outdoors if she couldn't keep a window in the room open, as the odor
made her nauseous. She never put ferrets in it, as she thought it was
too dangerous to use when the odor was that strong.

The odor is probably due to the PVC coating. Here is an article about
PVC:
http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/ThorntonPVCSummary.html

Please let us know what you find out about your cage.

[Posted in FML 7019]