Tell me about ferret litter training!

[python.princess]

So we got a ferret a few weeks ago
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s....php?p=932935#
We love her! She's so much fun! We don't have a problem with smell so far- we did get some yummy spritzer to make sure it stays that way, though!

Our only problem is she only uses her litterbox about 70% of the time. She knows it's there. She knows what it's for. But sometimes she just decides she'd rather not go there. Any tips?

[Ladydragon]

keep her confined to a small play area with the litterbox close by. once she is using the litter box 100% of the time expand her play area. if after the expansion, she starts using the litterbox sporadically again, reduce her play area again. I also read somewhere, cant remember where at the moment, that you can teach them a potty command so that they go right before you take them out for a play session. I'll have to search for that though . hope this helps ya.

[katiadarling]

What Lady Dragon said! Also, they aren't supposed to like going to the bathroom where their bedding is, so you could put a sleep sack there. Some ferrets are never fully potty trained. Ours tried really hard, but sometimes they'd just be too far from a litterbox to make it there in time!

[janeothejungle]

They can be potty trained?

Okay, seriously. I've always found that my guys needed litter pans in every room (as very young uns, in every corner). They were 'litter trained', but if the urge struck and there wasn't a pan in site, they were not inclined to be inconvenienced. Would have cut into their play time. We mostly went with the positive reward system (when they got it right, they got a treat, like a raisin).
Good Luck with the fur kid.

Cheers,
Kat

[Patrick Long]

I have three litter pans in out cage, for 2 ferrets, and they still like to pee outside the box....


...good luck!!!!

[python.princess]

Thanks for the tips you guys! She's only gone outside of her cage once- we should've made sure she went before she came out to play. The problem is when she's in her cage. She goes on her floor and on her 2nd level. Here's what her cage looks like- but the top level was actually taken out.

[kitsunex]

with Ferrets, you can't really litter train them per say. rather observe them, they tend to prefer corners and will pick a favorite spot to go, which is where you put the litter box. Some ferrets are rather picky, and won't go if the box is "dirty" so you might want to scoop it as soon as they get done going. In the cage, what i did was put the litter box on the lowest level and cover the floor with blankets and sleep sacks, they won't go to the bathroom where they sleep, so they will use the box more often.

Like a cat, once they've marked a place, they will keep going there. So you want to either get some "Nature's Miracle" spray, or just wipe the area down with undiluted white vinegar. yeah the vinegar will smell at first but the smell goes away rather quickly and its a bit cheaper than nature's miracle.

i'd get rid of that care fresh stuff on the bottom level. it just creates a mess and ferrets aren't like rodents, they don't need it. instead just fill the cage with old blankets or T-shirts. what i did was safe my son's old clothes when he outgrew them and they became ferret blankets. the cage looks rather bare. She might be doing it because she is bored and has cage stress. the cage needs more blankets and hammocks. go to walmart or target and just get baby toys, like big plastic keys and stuff. things that make noise. if the ferret doesn't have a cagemate, they get bored much more easily and will become destructive to try to get your attention.

i always bought my bedding from
http://stores.ebay.com/Little-Feet-F...etreat-Bedding
they are hand made by a very nice lady and all the proceeds go to the ferret shelter that she runs. her stuff is the highest quality and stands up to the roughest ferret treatment.

i always had lots of bedding on hand, so when i cleaned the cage, i could put fresh stuff in it and then wash the dirty stuff from the cage.

hope that helps.

[python.princess]

Yeah, I forgot to mention we got rid of the care fresh too. We just put newspaper down instead. Tired of picking up the care fresh from all around the area. We also added a bunch more toys. She's got plenty to keep her occupied now! I'm thinking seriously about the t-shirt bedding idea... may have to give it a go! Thanks for the tips!

[python.princess]

Oh yeah... and that potty command thing sounds pretty convenient, Doris! Let me know if you figure out where you read about it!

[Jay_Bunny]

Litter training? What is the meaning of this words?

Seriously litter training ferrets is a very involved process and most ferrets just make up their minds that they would rather poop on your carpet. We just keep an eye on them and move them into the cage if they look like they are going to poop and clean up any accidents.

And I can tell you now, that ferret is going to outgrow that cage very very fast. Thankfully mine stayed small. She's not much bigger than she was when we got her. (1.5 lbs at full size now) and her cagemate, Damien passed her in only a few months and is now around 2.5lbs.

Oh and a change of diet could help with smell issues. My 4 smell less than my 3 cats and their poop barely smells. I have to be standing right over it to really smell it. I know I keep saying this but I can't say it enough, raw diets are best for ferrets. They make commercial freeze-dried or frozen raw meals. They are expensive but great for your ferret. You can also make homemade meals out of meat from the store. A well balanced raw diet needs no supplements and helps with a lot of smell issues.