All ferrets smell if you don't take care of them properly. Every last one of my ferrets gets a bath a least every 6-8 weeks, their bedding is washed once every 2 months, their cage is cleaned regularly (the more you have, the more often you must clean their cage). Some can be fearless, some are timid and like my Jester above they can be quite "momma's boys" .
They are between the intelligence of cats and dogs, and quite curious. The ferret I care for now, my last one and my oldest of the original Fabulous Five, is Infiniti. She loves to take my socks - clean or dirty - and "put them away" for me (by hiding them under the bed). She "cleans the room" by putting away her toys (hiding them under my bed, as well).
Ferrets have been domesticated for over 3,000 years. They were originally used in Europe to hunt rabbits. They were brought to America, to do the same. They are still illegal in some states - including, the most popularly known, California. California's laws refer to the cousin of the domesticated ferret, that resides in California - the Blackfoot Ferret. This ferret is larger, wild, and threatens California's poultry population.
Others, like myself, who have owned and loved ferrets as I have, have been writing letters, signing petitions and doing everything in our power (which is sometimes more difficult being out of state) to get this law amended, at the very least.
There are owners of ferrets in California. They are illegal, and if you are caught with them, they will be taken from you and you could be jailed and/or fined a few thousand dollars. The pet ferrets that are taken from their owners in California are lucky if they're shipped to another state to be sold - the unlucky ones are euthanized (i.e. put to sleep, destroyed).
I've owned cats, dogs, fish, ferrets, hamsters, rats, mice, snakes, bunnies and guinnea pigs. By far, out of all of them, ferrets have brought me the most joy - albeit, they've required a lot of care, but with that I've grown to love them as if they were my own flesh and blood.
