by princess doodah

Created on: February 22, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

Domestic ferrets are notoriously smelly and need to be bathed. However they should be bathed no more than once a month as it will dry out the skin. If the skin dries out the body produces more oil to compensate which makes the ferret smell even more than usual.

If your ferret enjoys bath time it can be an enjoyable experience for both of you, but if it dislikes bath time it can be quite a challenge.

Ferrets can be bathed in either a bath tub or a sink. If your ferret enjoys taking a bath then it'll be happy in either, but a bath tub has more room to swim around in. If your ferret does not enjoy taking a bath then a bath tub is the better option as the sides are tall, slippery and escape proof!

You should remember to shut the door of the room you are using. If the ferret escapes out of the room, you could be looking at a house full of little wet footprints!

To prepare you should lay a towel out on the floor and have a towel to hand for drying. Make sure you have a specialist ferret shampoo on standby. Ferret shampoos are available at all good pet stores and at most online pet stores. Human shampoo should not be used as it dries out the skin and coat. Conditioner is not needed as ferrets create their own oils that condition their coat.

The water should be filled up deep enough for the ferret to be able to swim, but shallow enough for the ferret to touch the bottom easily with it's feet. A ferrets body tempreature is 101-102 degress F so make sure that the temperature of the water is warmer than this, but not too hot.

To keep the ferret in one place put one hand under its belly and use the other hand to fill up a container of bath water and pour it over the ferret. Once the ferret is wet all over, pour a small amount of ferret shampoo in to your hand and lather in to the coat. Once the ferret is nice and frothy you should take the container and rinse the shampoo off with clean, warm water.

If your ferret is enjoying the bath then you should just watch over it whilst it has a swim and play around. You can also throw in some water proof toys. If however your ferret is still not enjoying the bath then you should get it out immediately before it gets over stressed.

WARNING! Never leave your ferret alone in the bath. Just like children, ferrets can have accidents in water too.

To remove the ferret from the bath, put one hand under it's belly and lift it out onto the towel on the floor. Use the other towel to dry it. Make sure you dry it properly otherwise it could pick up a chill. You should always towel dry and never use a hairdryer as a ferrets skin is much more sensitive than a humans skin and will burn. Another method of drying is placing a big pile of towels on the floor which the ferret will dive in to and dry itself off.

Here are some pointers to help relieve a ferrets fear of water:

- Use an encouraging tone of voice throughout the bathing process

- Give treats throughout

- Support the ferret under the belly for reassurance

- Use water proof toys to maybe take his mind off the water.

Some ferret owners have the urge to bathe ferrets more often than they should, due to their smell. This is due to the strong smell they produce from their scent glands. Unless the scent glands are removed there is not much you can do about it but there are a few other ways to stop nasty, unnecessary whiffs and they include:

- Daily litter tray cleaning

- Regular bedding cleaning

- Specialised ferret deodorant sprays

- Regular grooming

- Spaying.

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