If the person with the parent problem would change a few things perhaps
the odors would be lessened enough so his parents could stand them.  I
know this was discussed about a year ago, but it seems do need discussing
again.  I've had strangers come in my house and not realize I had ferts
until I mentioned it.  I'm hardly an expert but find the things I do keep
the odors dowm.  Yes, there is a not too bad scent when you go in their
room, especially if one of the un-desented ones has poofed, but that is
rare and temporary, or if you put your nose near the wastebasket of
litter scoopings.
 
Here's what I do.  Anyone else please chime in.
 
Litter- wood stove pellets.  Remove poops twice a day.  Dump them in a
wastebasket bag.  If it would help take that out to the trash daily.  The
green scoop from Feline Pine works best.  It gets in the corners.  Once a
day I take the pans outside and sift the sawdust out and return the whole
pellets to the cleaned pan.  Wash litter pans (Van Ness rectangular small
or medium- forget the corner pans) as needed and spray with Clorox
Cleanup, a bleach cleaner.  Some nylon net makes a great cheap scrubber.
Rinse well and dry.  Anyone who wants plans for a pellet sifter please
email me at [log in to unmask]
 
Feed high quality food.  I use Totally Ferret, both regular and "older"
and some 8 in 1 Ultimate.  I am boarding two others on kitten food
(Purina One and Maxximum Nutrition) and I can smell the difference but
it's not too bad.  Fish based foods come out smelling fishy.
 
Rarely bathe them.  Keep the bedding changed once a week or so.  Launder
the bedding with an unscented detergent.  If you have plastic tunnels
wash them occasionally in a tub of hot water and detergent.  Rinse well
and let dry.
 
Check their teeth and gums.  A baby toothbrush used with pet enzyme
toothpaste helps a lot.  They love the poultry flavor.
 
Clean the ear wax out regularly.  I have been using the liquid sold for
dogs and cats.  It doesn't have the eucalypus oil that the ferret ear
cleaner has, which seems to irritate the ears.  That's why it deters the
mites.  I just use a swab dunked in the liquid.  If ear wax is crumbly
that's a sign of mites.  Sukie, please post the archives about taking
care of them.
 
That's about all I do.  Ha.  But really, with less use of ferret make 'em
smell good products I have better smelling ferrets now than I did when I
bathed them and sprayed them.  Maybe this will help.
 
Carol O. and the 14 fuzzies last I counted
[Posted in FML issue 4287]