Kelleen,
 
I have to agree with BIG on the bathing issue.  Our 6 get a bath when they
step in their poop, or roll over in it for that matter.  Don't ask...;-) In
other words, only when they get into something that requires soap and water
to take off.  They don't smell any worse by not bathing them, in fact their
odor is stronger after a bath.  They're clean animals by nature.  How often
do you bathe cats?  My cat is definately NOT the norm - she's 20lbs and
just too fat to keep herself clean, so we bathe her at least once a month.
But normally, cats keep themselves clean.  Ferrets do too.  Just keep thier
bedding clean and you can't go wrong.
 
On another bath note, our youngest, a little baby boy - 13 weeks, got his
first bath within a week of coming home with us - he pooped on the ramp of
the cage and then slid down the ramp coating himself in poop.  This was a
definate bath situation.
 
He cried throughout the entire bath.  I've heard ferret cries before, but
not by this little male voice.  It was a little raspy male voice.  I thought
it was cute, but the little fellow was terrified.  He got his second bath
when he pooped in the tub and then panicked because he couldn't get out.
Don't ask me how, but he managed to coat himself in the poop.  So, since he
was already in the tub...And once again he cried the entire time.  His voice
is deeper now and this time he sounded like a sea lion in heat.  This deep
husky voice crying.  I couldn't help but laugh.  If you closed your eyes,
you'd never guess it came from a tiny 2 lb ferret but would think he was a 2
ton sea lion wailing!
 
Mish
[Posted in FML issue 1347]