PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Ferrets, like many of the cousins in the weasel family, have a natural musky scent. Over time that can build up to an unpleasant level. That happens too often in pet stores and the homes of careless owners who don’t house and clean the cage properly. But some odor can be present even in the best circumstances. Fortunately, dealing with it only takes a little thought and effort.

Many commercially sold ferrets will have their natural scent glands removed. These are similar to the anal glands in skunks, which the ferret can use to spray with when fearful. Though, the emitted spray is different in skunks. Removing them can certainly reduce the potential odor problem, but some see that as unnecessary and extreme. Some odor will remain even then, since it’s excreted through the skin.

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One of the many fun aspects of owning a guinea pig is selecting or designing and building a cage. Few homes are designed in a way that allow the owner to let their guinea pig simply run free. They can get into a lot of mischief that way. But creating a cage that is spacious and fun is easy!

As with any animal cage, the larger the better is a good general rule. Cavies need space to walk or run around. They’ll use parts of the cage for bathroom duty and training them to use a litter box is a challenge too onerous for most guinea pig owners. About six square feet is the bare minimum for a comfortable cage for one pig. That may sound ample, but it is only 2 ft x 3 ft. Even for a small animal, that is not a huge amount of floor space.

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