Reducing ferret allergens

Ferrets are amongst one of the pets that people have acquired a special liking for. These little creatures belong to the same family as minks, weasels, skunks, otters and badgers. One of the reasons people like them is because they are very quiet, fastidious, intelligent and very affectionate.

Ferret allergens: Ferrets do cause allergens, however there are very limited ways of being able to test and determine ferret allergens, it is believed though that the allergens they produce are caused by their urine, dander, and secretions from their sebaceous skin glands.

Ferrets and dank odors: Ferrets naturally have oily sebaceous skin glands all around their face and body. Obviously this is important for people who suffer from allergies. Ferrets also have very developed anal scent glands that secret musk and they can be quite smelly. These overpowering secretions are stronger in adult male ferrets and it often times causes their fur to become yellowish and greasy. These potent odors can be quite irritating and especially so for people that suffer from allergies. It's not possible to completely get rid of these odors but neutering or spaying can reduce the amount of secretions quite a bit because it decreases the production of testosterone or estrogen. If you are allergic to these smells it's recommended you get a female ferret, as they don't produce any odor whereas the males may still produce some odor.