Hey all! I'm new to this forum. I'm wanting recommendations on bedding for my ferrets. I haven't found anything that I LOVE yet. I'm wanting something absorbent and good for odor control. Thanks!

I don't use disposable bedding in my ferret's cage. The only things at the bottom of my cage are the litterpans with a puppy pad underneath, and usually a cozy bed. I also hang hammocks around the cage for sleeping :-)

Ferrets: Wesley, Percy, Owen    -rip Bandit-
Bettas- Kitty, Pip, and Logan
Sun Conure- Kita
Gerbils- Piper and Tailer

I use baby comforter for my bottom of my FN cage.  There is so many nice hammock, cubes, ferret bedding on line that people make.  Have you check out the homemade ferret bedding, I am sure you can find something you like.

Washing your bedding once a week will keep the smell down.


Here are some tips keeping the smell down.
 
*Keeping the litter box clean will significantly reduce odors. I clean out my litter box, 2x day.


 *Different kinds of litter perform differently at absorbing moisture and controlling odors.  Most people use recycle newspaper pellets or wood pellets for litter.


 *One of the most effective ways to keep your ferret smelling fresh is to keep the ferret’s bedding clean.


 *Animal waste causes odors. You can control the both the strength of the smell and the amount of the waste with a proper diet.
 *  Make sure your cage is made out of washable materials, such as plastic or coated wire.   Wooden cages will hold the odor in.


 *Bad Breath can cause odor, please check your ferret's teeth.  Ferret could have dental problems


 *Check those ears! A common contributor to strong ferret odors is dirty ears.


 *Do not bathe your ferret. Bathing strips the ferret’s skin and fur of essential oils, and "dries the ferret out." Dry skin is itchy skin, which is uncomfortable for your ferret.


 *Fixing your ferret.  The strongest contributor to ferret odor is not the scent sacs or glands, but the hormones.

I would also recommend  some form of fabric. I made my own bedding out of cotton and fleece. There are liners on the trays and then hammocks, beds, etc. I found if I didn't have the floor covers, the ferrets would go to the bathroom everywhere, but now with the fabric bedding, they only go in the litter boxes. You could use scrap pieces of fabric, old clothes/blankets, fleece blankets from walmart, second hand stores are good too.  

I bath my ferrets once a month in special ferret shampoo that doesnt strip their oils. If you dont give them a bath at all they tend to stink more. Before I got ferrets people would say how bad they smell. A bath once a month with tea tree oil shampoo or something to that effect for ferrets keeps them smelling and looking cute. I have never had a problem with them stinking really bad with the shampoo I use on them. 

I make my own ferret sleeping bags with fleece and flannel. I have one ferret that doesn't like to use the litterbox and she will not have any accidents near her bed, so I just made sure that there were enough suitable sleeping places that she didn't feel the need to pop a squat anywhere near sleep area. Now she at least only ever goes on the bottom level, but getting her in the box at that point is hit and miss. lol