Hi, I am new to ferrets. I have had a couple of hamsters, so i kind of have an idea about them, plus I read a lot.
So, I am in Oklahoma and I want to get a ferret. But when I go to petco, they always have ferrets that stink very bad.
I would like to know if anyone in this forum has ferrets and lives in Oklahoma, USA. I would like to see a ferret that had proper care, so I can decide if I want one, because I really do. The smell of the cage at petco is absolutely impossible to live with.
And I would also like to know where can I get a kit in Oklahoma that had proper care.
Thank you.

Hi, My husband and I just bought two kits from a Petco in Tennessee. I agree 100% that the habitats in the Petco smelled horrific, but the standard food they feed them at the store is the regular Marshall food, and the main ingredient is fish. It makes them stink and it makes their poop stink as well. Also they probably haven't been bathed. There are so many products in the store and online to minimize ferret odor. My husband and I bought the Marshall Chicken Diet and you can't even smell their poop. Like at all. We bought the Tea Tree Shampoo and used it a few days after we brought them home and they don't smell at all. There is a liquid you can get and put a few drops in their water bowl/bottle and it helps control their odor. We bought a spray deodorized that you can spray on them as much as you want and it completely neutralizes their scent as well. Since ferrets have such sensitive skin it's not recommended to bathe them more than twice a month, there is a "Waterless Bath" product that also works wonders. You just spray them and massage it into their fur and towel dry them. Also if you just clean their cage and litter pan regularly the odor really shouldn't be a problem. I am a first time ferret owner (my husband owned one previously, before we met) myself, and in all the excitement of a new pet I never even considered the smell until we were being handed two ferrets by the Petco employee. They reeked. Stunk so bad, I didn't even want to hold them. Then I looked at their cute little faces and it was a done deal. They really are fun, amazing pets and even though it's only been a week since we brought them home, but I can't imagine being without them now. Trust me you will not regret getting them; if your only obstacle and doubt about ferrets is the odor, invest in the products I mentioned about and it won't be an issue. Hope you decide to buy one, they are great.

ok,as for smell, they will smell more in a pet store. Employees in most stores are absolutely horrible about caring for ferrets and keeping thigns cleans. You have to keep the litter box/boxes cleaned all the time. Scoop daily if not several times a day and change every few days. As for bathing, you should only bathe your ferret maybe 2-3 times a year, unless they get nasty. Over bathing will cause their natural skin oils to dry out and make them stink even more. A high quality diet, whether kibble or raw fed also makes a HUGE difference in smell of poop. When I fed Marshalls their poo was absolutely horrible. But I feed NV Rawboost Duck and Turkey now, with an occasional egg, and hydrated treats I order and it's not nearly as bad. Keep their bedding clean, make sure you have extra hammocks, old t-shirts, pillow cases whatever to put in the cage when you wash their used bedding. The longer bedding goes without being washed will build up a smell. Also check out shelters in your state, you may have one close by. There is always ferrets that are needing good forever homes.