My $.02 on descenting ferrets.
 
Never again!!
My wife and I currently live with 5 ferrets and 3 cats.
Our first ferret was a 'found' ferret. He scratched at our door one
spring afternoon and asked to come in. We put ads in the paper and left
word at all the local vets and pet shops. No takers so we kept him.
During the 2 weeks we waited for someone to claim the carpet shark we
had to bathe him about every 3 days. He was in full 'breeding plumage'!
Boy, did he smell strong!! When we took him in to have him neutered the
vet recommended descenting at the same time so we had it done.
What a relief, T2 (Tee-square) only needed a bath  about once a month.
 
Our second ferret was 'found' in the mens room of our local Shucks
Auto supply at closing one nite. The manager of the store was a friend
and knew we had a ferret so, he brought her to our house. Another 2
weeks waiting for someone to respond to our ads. We named the new
person Pheobe (the Phlash). She went to the vet for neutering and
descenting.
 
Our #3 ferret was 'free to good home' in our local want ads.
She was about 6 months old and her owner couldn't afford the
neutering and descenting. We think the first our first 2 were
'dumped' for the same reason. Welcome Maudi to the household!
 
Three was a nice number for several years 'til T2 got sick and
had to be put down. Then we got Bennet from our vet. He had been
given up for adoption by a couple expecting their first child.
Ben was our first albino, all the others were sables. Ben was also
our largest ferret at about 5 pounds. I think he had been at the
vets in a small cage for too long.
 
Big Ben fit right in after Pheobe showed him where his place in the
pecking order was!! That was a nasty 10 minute fight!
 
Several years after we got Ben, Pheobe died in her sleep. Absolutely
no prior symtoms at all. It was a terrible blow to the household.
 
We contacted the local ferret rescue organization (can't think of
the name) and asked if they had a 'pair' we could adopt. The woman
we spoke to showed up at our house at 10 PM with 2 males (Toby and Bobbin)
and a female (Bryn). She told us they were all neutered and descented.
 She just sort of dumped them off and left.
 
The next day when the 3 new 'kids' were let loose to play we found out
that at least one ferret had not been descented!! Toby and Bobbin
(the 2 new males) were fighting and Bobbin sprayed!! It turned out
Bobbin has the 'loosest' scent glands in the west. Thank goodness
it doesn't stick around like a skunk. For about a week we had to put
up with Bobbin's spraying. If any one of the ferrets just looked like
it might jump on Bobbin he would spray and run for cover.
Once the pecking order was established no more spraying.
 
I guess what I've been leading up to is that none of the 3 new ferrets
has been descented. They have no more (or less) odor than the 2
that we had descented. Any future ferrets that we get will not be
descented. Neutering seems to do more for the odor.
 
'nuff ramblin'
Jerry
Maudi Bryn Ben Toby Bobbin   Magellan Willie Turbo
            Ø                           Ø
         ferrets                     felines
 
Jerry Ness             John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.        Everett, Washington USA
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[Posted in FML 0177]