Hi Ya'll,
 
First off, I should say that I don't really give baths to my guys.  I have
found that the majority of mine do much better if they shower.
 
I let all of them come into the shower with me, and have been known to turn
on the shower and let it run just for the ferrets.  I lay huge towels on
the floor, make sure the water is lukewarm and let them at it.  They have a
blast!!
 
If someone is in need of a bath, I will either just let the tub water run
to wet them down and then to rinse them or use a hand held shower to do it.
I don't fill the tub with any amount of water at all, leave the drain open.
 
All of mine seem to prefer this to an submersion in water.  They will even
go under the faucet themselves to play.  When I wash the whole crew, I will
put 3 ferrets in the tub at the same time.  Makes them feel a little more
secure I think.
 
I use a tea tree oil shampoo on them.  It is antiseptic, smells good and
doesn't dry them out.  If they need scrubbing, like my Nicky boy does once
in awhile, I will wet the ferret down and put shampoo on a washcloth to
scrub gently with.
 
I use tea towels to dry them off, they are just about the right size.  I let
them run around the house wet, they dry faster that way.  Of course, they
also often snorkle in the bedclothes to dry off, but they are worth it.
hehe.
 
I try not to bathe anymore than every couple of months.  This was my
schedule in Houston, which has a sub tropical climate and a major problem
with fleas.  As I stated the other day, I have not bathed the ferrets since
moving to Missouri a little over a year ago.  But they do play in the
shower.  They all have thick beautiful coats and they don't smell.
 
Trust me, with 23 in the house, it is the bedclothes and litterboxes that
smell, not the ferrets.  Keep those clean and you go a long way to eliminate
the odor altogether.
 
Mo' Maggie and the 23 Marvelous Minkies
[Posted in FML issue 2222]