ferrets and baths

Question
Hello, my husband and I got our ferret at 8 months and only had him for 2 months. He's had 2 baths so far and is completely scared of the water. We've tried to let him play in a little water at a time to try to get used to it but is still terrified. I was wondering how long it would take him to get used to it.

Answer
Hi Kayla:

I have never seen a ferret yet that likes the water the first time they experience a bath. I always heard that ferrets hate water.  BUT, my ferrets have all liked the water - some have really loved it!  I think it's because of just a few 'secrets' I have that I use when they get their baths. I'll be happy to share those secrets with you - and anyone else who would like to try them.

I have several things that I do that aren't "baths" as such, but they get the kids more comfortable with the idea of good grooming. When I take a bath every evening, I take the kids in the bathroom with me. They have toys, a tunnel and a little step stool in the bathroom. I place the step stool next to the tub when I get in and they always stand on it and put their front feet up on the side of the tub while I bathe, anywhere from a few minutes to the whole bath time, depending on what mood they are in. I also take this opportunity to use my washcloth to wipe their little faces. Funny as it sounds, I think they enjoy it. They stand there and wait for it, so they must like it. They see me IN the water, so hopefully they know that when they take a bath, I'm not asking thenm to do anything that I don't do.  When I get out of the bath, I even put a little dot of cologne on the back of their necks...just another way of 'sharing' the grooming experience with them.

The perfect time to clean a ferret's ears is immediately before a bath. I use q-tips saturated in baby oil. Dip the end of the q-tip in and immediately down into the little pocket (ferret ears are much different than ours) where their earwax accumulates. Just rotate the q-tip gently in a 'scooping' type motion - don't push hard or dig. Wipe the folds on the outer ear well until the q-tip comes out clean. You should get brown waxy stuff - IMPORTANT NOTE: if you get anything that looks "grainy" and dark like coffee grounds, your ferret has ear mites and needs to be seen by the vet for treatment. Untreated, mites can even cause damage a ferrets ability to hear.  If you did the ear cleaning correctly, your ferret's ears are now all oily.  :-)  

WHAT YOU NEED:

- Johnson's & Johnson's Baby Shampoo (warmed slightly)
- Big fluffy dry towel

I use Johnson's & Johnson's baby shampoo (No Tears) and I warm it slightly in the microwave oven (or let it float in a sinkful of very hot water for 15 minutes - just be sure the ferret doesn't get anywhere near the hot water) BEFORE BEGINNING THE BATH. If you don't warm it, when you put cold shampoo on warm wet ferret, he will go nutz and try to get away from it.  Shake it well after warming it, then let it sit at least five minutes, shake again and dribble a little out onto the inside of your forearm and be sure it's only lukewarm. If it's warmer than that - WAIT till it cools to start the bath. It just needs to be LUKEWARM or room temperature.

I give baths in the kitchen sink because I believe it is important to the ferret to know that he has my complete, uninterrupted attention. I set the mood by singing and keeping my voice happy and rather sing-song-y. This is a great time for nursery rhymes with the ferret's name slipped in about every other verse or so.  Hold the ferret very firmly in the left hand and let him rest his feet down on the bottom of the sink where you have placed a folded hand towel in the very warm water.  I think allowing them to put their feet on solid ground helps them feel more secure; then my hand is also holding them securely - my right hand does most of the work; I do somewhat switch off hands, but never take one hand off the ferret until the other hand is firmly holding the ferret. You can't expect the ferret to trust you unless you give him reason to trust.

I think the biggest mistake folks make is water temperature. Ferrets normal body temperature is 103 degrees, which is like us with a temperature! If you've ever taken a bath when you had the flu, you understand - it gives you the shivers unless you run all hot water! Test the water temperature with your elbow to be SURE it doesn't burn, but it needs to be VERY WARM.  If it is too warm, the ferret will begin to pant, so he will tell you, don't worry.  IF he begins to pant, immediately add more cold to the water temperature (DON'T ever put a ferret in COLD water, even to cool an overheated ferret, it's too shocking). When you feel the water is the right temperature, dribble shampoo from the top of the head to the base of the tail and start massaging at the head and work your way down. Again, you can switch hands, but always keep one hand firmly on the ferret. SING, use the ferret's name in your songs. My kids love "Winnie The Pooh", but I substitute "Winnie" for their name: "Gilbert da Pooh" LOL   He loves to hear that and gets all silly. Another good one is "Oh Susanna", but use their first and your last name, i.e. "Gilbert Rodgers, oh don't you cry for me...cuz I come from Alabama wif my banjo on my knee". This is a great time to joke around and the kids do pick up on the lightheartedness.

When it's time to rinse, I pull the plug and rinse them right under the tap once I'm sure the water temperature is constant and correct.  By now I have both hands on them; my thumbs on the back, fingers on front. To rinse the face, I put the face briefly under the tap just above the ears while continually wiping my thumbs from their nose back over their eyes, which clears their face and helps with any feeling of 'omagosh, I'm gonna drown'. I get my face down very close to them, speak calmly "Mommy's here, good boy! Oh, boy - lookie how clean! Wow, oh pretty! Big boy!!"  I double rinse just to be sure all shampoo is out all the way to the skin.  I rinse one side, then roll the ferret over onto his back on my forearm and rinse the belly too. Again, my face is right on top of the ferret at this point, so he doesn't panick, cuz we're so close he knows mommy is right there in it with him and he's looking in my eyes as I'm looking at him and telling him what a good boy he is.

Keep a big fluffy towel on the countertop right next to the sink. I kind of 'squeegie' down the ferret, then put him into the towel, sit on the couch and give him a good brisk rub.  Some ferrets love to be rubbed and will stay on my lap for lots and lots of rubbing; others would rather get on the floor and run around like little sillies. I let them do whatever THEY want at this point - they've already done what mommy asked.

DO have a clean litterbox (newspapers are an even better idea, as litter will stick to their wet fur), because they almost always potty right after a bath, if they didn't already go IN the bath.

Once they wear themselves out in their after-bath frenzy of play, this is an excellent time to put fresh bedding in their cage. I put an extra, clean dry (not the one you just used) towel in for them to snuggle down into, as they can catch a chill easily for a few hours until they dry well all the way to the skin.

Hopefully that will make your next bathtime much more enjoyable - and you can start preparing for your next bathtime as soon as YOUR next bath!  My kids also LOVE to get in the shower with me. Just make sure if you let them IN with you, that there is a towel for THEM when they get out...or they WILL take yours, trust me on that one!  One last note - it is commonly said that "you *shouldn't* bathe a ferret more than about every other month or they will get dry skin". I bathed my first ferret daily because I didn't know better (and he was my 24/7 companion) and he was none the worse for wear, but there are those who really get upset if you tell them that.  I will just say "always rinse well!"

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers