A friend of mine had the same odor problem with a cage she special ordered from Kritter Koncept Kages. Despite washing it with soap and water, and cleaning it many times with a strong vinegar/water solution, the odor always came back within a few days. She had to keep it outdoors if she couldn't keep a window in the room open, as the odor made her nauseous. She never put ferrets in it, as she thought it was too dangerous to use when the odor was that strong. The odor is probably due to the PVC coating. Here is an article about PVC: http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/ThorntonPVCSummary.html Please let us know what you find out about your cage. [Posted in FML 7019]