Howdy, everyone!
 
The mention of "Ferrets for Dummies" earlier this week inspired me to
pull out my own copy and read it.  See, my best friend just bought a
house and I'll be moving in with her and her hubby later this month.  AND
she has a friend who has a ferret whom he wants to adopt out (yet another
victim of divorce).  So here I am, reading and rereading FML, Ferrets for
Dummies, etc in preparation for bringing home Big Boy Pablo.
 
I was especially interested in the fact that the USDA requires her to
provide sensory enrichment.  Obviously, this is a great idea anyway.  So
I was thinking about ways to provide this and remembered some earlier FML
advice for blind fuzzies: the use of scents.
 
Are there any essential oils that are particularly bad for ferrets, or
which are likely to cause ferrets to develop allergies or other problems?
I imagine that any kind of resinous essence (pine, cedar, etc...) would
be bad, given the precautions about pine and cedar bedding.  But stuff
like peppermint, bergamot, citrus and suchlike -- is this okay?  My plan
is to wash Pab's bedding in something unscented (I know I can get
unscented laundry detergent from the health food store) and then run it
through the rinse cycle with some essential oils, switching out the
scents every month or so.  I want to "save" some scents for marking the
walls in his room, in case he should go blind at some point.
 
Are there any obvious problems with this other than the danger that he
may just not like the smell?  I plan on keeping a handful of bedding
unscented just in case he should develop a reaction.
 
Mary, I'd especially be interested in your take on essential oils, since
you're the resident herbal expert. :)
 
Second question: it turns out that -- somehow, since ferrets are required
to be neutered and descented before they are sold -- Pablo is whole.  I
know he's an older ferret, though I don't know how old yet.  I'd just
like to make sure it's okay to go ahead with the procedure even though
it's a bit late.  (Apologies for not checking the archives; my ship's
proxy server doesn't feel like playing today and I don't know when it
will be back in commission.)  Comments?
 
Thanks!
 
 -- Kat
 
P.S.  Oh yes, I will definitely be interviewing Pablo's current
houseslav--I mean, owner, before taking him in (Pablo, that is). :) --K
[Posted in FML issue 3935]