Hi, Natalie,
 
You wrote:
>Everyone but me is really worried about the smell.  Does anybody have a
>really decent-smelling ferret or three around?  Any tips?
 
All animals have odors.  Dogs do.  Cats do.  Ferrets do.  If your ferrets
are altered (spayed or neutered) and descented, there is nothing more than
a slight musky smell.  There are ferret deodorants sold in spray bottles
that reduce that.  Then you have to do the obvious: change the litter pan
frequently, or that *will* smell.  With eight in the house, we clean litter
pans twice a day.  Clean any misses up immediately, too.  You can also buy
a product like Arm and Hammer Pet Fresh, which you sprinkle into the carpet
and vacuum up 15 minutes later.  It will keep ferret smells out of carpet
and upholstery beautifully, but has to be done regularly.  Wash their
bedding often.  We use old towels and throw them, along with their hammocks
and sleep sacks, in the washing machine while they are running around
playing.  Finally, *don't* bathe them too often.  That will cause more odor
than it takes out.  We find that once a month does well.  Too much does
more harm than good.
 
We have eight ferrets and do not want our apartment to smell.  It doesn't :)
 
Good luck,
Caity
(Tenchi and Ryo-Ohki are up with Keith at his parents house.)
(Adric, Avon, Ayeka, Nyssa, Romana, and Pertwee are all asleep.)
[Posted in FML issue 2558]