HI All,
The other day someone in the military responded as to why they don't like
ferrets in base housing, citing odor and damage to housing others have to
live in.
 
Well, I will probably get some flack from this but IMHO, cats are much
worse than ferrets when it comes to leaving urine odors and damaging
furnishings, etc.  I have two cats and two dogs, besides my own ferret
and the shelter kids.  I have had cats most of my life.
 
Cats originate from desert country, which is why they have highly
concentrated and smelly urine.  This urine continues to stink long after
the spot has been wiped up.  To anyone who has ever lived with a "sprayer"
you know just how smelly it can get despite your best efforts.  I LIKE
cats.  I am not putting them down.  But they also have this deep need to
scratch, and many, many owners do not know how or care to, train them to
scratch only on approved items.
 
Ferrets on the other hand, do have a personal body odor, which is
definitely sweet.  IMHO.  When ferret poop and urine have dried, I can
detect no odor at all.  When ferrets have moved on to another home,
Febreze can take any lingering odor right out of carpets and furniture.
Try that on cat urine.  Right, still there.  Ferrets do not do half the
damage that a determined cat can, especially an un-neutered male.  A little
ferret proofing on the owner's part, and furniture and rugs are safe.
 
Dogs, whom I also love, are smelly.  Some of them drool all over the place.
When they are puppies they pee and poop all over the place, until they are
finally housebroken.  The odors are left in the rugs, etc.  Dogs chew on
furniture.  Ferrets are litter-trained easily, to either papers or litter
boxes.  Male dogs, especially if there are two in the house, may continue
to water the furniture all their lives.
 
Now, military housing person, how can you possibly state that ferrets are
worse than dogs and cats?  Yes, there is an odor while they are living in
the housing, an odor that ferret owners find quite pleasant, (except for
poufs) and that odor is easily removed after the ferrets have left.  How
many pieces of furniture have had to be recovered after dog and cat damage
and how many rugs have had to be replaced due to dog urine stains?
 
I rest my case.
 
Cheryl of the Critterpen
[Posted in FML issue 3487]