To MH7AOL... I have three ferrets--all altered. The female and one male came from Marshall Farms and are both altered and descented. I have a male where oops which is altered but not descented. I have had him since he was 8 months old..at that point he was the smelliest, greasiest ferret I'd ever known. I had him altered and since about 45 days after that point and one good shampoo, he smells LESS than the other two! This same finding has been echoed to me by many others in the last 2 years. If I ever get more ferrets, they will be altered but undescented males. As for shampoos, I had used different "doggy odor" shampoos and baby shampoo which all worked find as long as I used a conditioner. I have stumbled onto an excellent line of shampoos and condtioners that will make your ferrets, dogs, cats, and rabbits smell like NOTHING. Not like shampoo, musk, or dirt, but nothing. The shampoo and conditioner together work miracles-- NovaPearls brand. Good luck amy [Posted in FML issue 0735]