About ferret smell....
As many people have said, all animals have their own scent. A ferret does not
smell like a cat nor a dog and the reverse is true. Not only do different
species have different scents, but individual animals also have their own
unique scent. I've always been a real "scent-oriented" person. I find the
scent differences between different animals (including humans) very
interesting. In fact, scent is what first attracted me to my husband! ;)
As far as our ferrets go, we got them as kits and they had that "kit-smell."
You know, like puppies which have a completely different smell than adult dogs.
No better, no worse, just different. Our fuzzies (one male and one female)
smelled about the same as kits. In fact, when I go to the pet store and
see little kits there, their scent always reminds me of Squirt and Pippi as
kits. As they became adults, they came into their own unique scents. (They are
both fixed and descented.) Squirt's is much more pronounced than Pippi's. His
scent is musky. I find it pleasant and closest in aroma to a faint skunk-like
smell. Not so "acidy" like a skunk, but sweeter - quite a nice perfume. Pippi's
is less musky and a little more like popcorn or cornchips. Her scent is far
fainter than Squirt's and you really have to try to smell it.
As far as reducing the smell, there seems to be a wide range of opinions on
baths. Ours get once a week showers. If it gets to be more than a week in
between baths, Squirt reminds you by sticking his head in the shower and
looking at you. They also seem to be itchy by the end of the week. The shampoo
we use has aloe in it and seems to help to sooth/moisturize their skin. I
think the showers also help shed any loose/dead hair and skin. In short,
they're less "itchy and scratchy" after their baths. As far as smell, unless we
have just washed their bedding material, they return to their "ferrety"
smelling selves in about a day. The real trick in keeping down the smell, if
that's your goal, is to not only keep their litter boxes clean, but keep their
bedding washed. The bedding (we use the fuzzy, fake sheepskin stuff which they
absolutely love!) has a far stronger ferret smell than either Pippi or Squirt.
I notice a reducuction in the aroma in the "kid's room" whenever we wash their
bedding.
As far as picking the ferret scent yourself, I wouldn't worry unless you're
letting your fuzzies sleep in your clothes before you wear them. (A real threat
in our house since the "kids" claim and sleep in any clothes that are left
within their reach - especially sweaters and sweatshirts.) You may pick up a
slight ferret scent on you, but it would be so slight that 98% of the people
you would come into contact with would be oblivious to it. Most people here on
the FML that mention someone else noticing their "ferret perfume" are speaking
of dates, boy/girlfriends, etc.- in short someone physically closer than most
business or causal contacts are. An old friend of mine used to work at the same
place I did (in my pre-ferret days). We commuted together for a few months and
I always noticed a slight, animal-like smell that I couldn't place clinging to
him. It wasn't bad, just something I couldn't place. I only noticed it in the
car which is a confined, close area. (He was my introduction to ferrets through
his stories of his little boy "Frito" and I am ever so glad of it!!) Years
later when we got Squirt I realized that it was the scent of ferrets. Only in
the close confines of the car I could just barely pick it up. Since I'm
"nose-ier" than most, I wouldn't worry too much about people noticing the
ferret smell on you! :) They'll never notice!!
-kim, mike, squirt, and pippi
Kimberly Burkard | _ Everything I needed to know in life
Xerox, Rochester, NY | _____C .._. I learned from my ferret:
[log in to unmask] | ____/ \___/ Dance for joy often. Play often.
[log in to unmask] <____/\_---\_\ Be determined in your ventures.
[Posted in FML issue 1122]
|
