Litter Box Training Your Ferret in 3 Easy Steps:
May 27th, 2008 | By admin | Category: TrainingLitter box training your ferret is important (unless you like cleaning up the mess!). All of our ferrets were easily trained. Here’s the process:
1) Learn the signs that your ferret is about to eliminate. The signs are pretty obvious. He will start spreading his hind legs while backing up.
2) When you are familiar with the signs, quickly pick the ferret up before elimination and hurry him to the litter box. Once the process has started, it won’t be scared back in. They almost always finish what they start!
3) After the ferret has used the box, immediately give him a treat. We used raisins. Worked like a charm.
Some ferrets take longer than others. Some are smarter, some are more stubborn. Like people, right?
Placement of the box, I found was pretty much decided by our ferrets. They pick the corner to use and I put the box there. It made training much easier. Unlike dogs, ferrets prefer out of the way corners as opposed to the middle of your bedroom floor. It’s also important to get the right box. Avoid boxes that don’t have easy access. Plain cat litter boxes don’t usually work. The edges are too high for a kit or geriatric ferret to climb into easily. A high back is also necessary because most ferrets will press their rear against the back before eliminating causing the poop to go over the edge of a lower box and result in a mess. What’s the point of the litter box if you’re still going to be cleaning up a mess, right? I also have several boxes strategically placed around the cage and area they are free to roam. Some ferrets will go back to the cage to use the box, but most won’t. Be flexible and patient. I have never met a ferret that was untrainable in this regard.
I have picked out a few boxes that work pretty well.
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Pros: Low front/high back. It attaches to the cage to prevent tipping over. Ferrets will play with anything. Cons: Doesn’t work so well outside the cage as the lip gives the ferret purchase to tip. |
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Pros: High back/low front. The lip is high to make tipping more difficult. Cons: Doesn’t attach inside a cage. |
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Pros: The shape works well for corners (which is where they prefer to eliminate). The wire platform provides protection from digging in the litter Cons: The wire platform can be uncomfortable for some ferrets to walk on or can cause smaller ferrets to get their feet stuck. |
What kind of litter do you suggest?
Our ferret will not eat anything but her ferret food. How do I reward her with a treat when she won’t eat it? I’ve tried chicken, tuna, bananas, grapes, raisens, and ferret treats.
As far as litter, what you want to avoid is anything with dust such as clay cat litter or clumping litters. It is very hard on their tiny respiratory tracts. Pine litter is fine, but personally we hated the smell. Urine mixed with the pine was just awful. We found recycled newspaper litter the easiest, least smelly and most absorbent.
If your ferret doesn’t like treats, try just giving her a piece of her food if she likes that. It’s not so much what you give them, just so they know they are being rewarded. Ferrets are incredibly smart and seem to understand the concept of the reward.
Good luck!
When choosing a litter for your ferret, It is recommend to use litter made specifically for ferrets.
It is best not to use cat litter for ferrets. The dust from the litter can cause respiratory illness. Some ferrets may ingest the cat litter causing bowel binding. If you have no choice but to use cat litter, try to get 99% dust free litter. Do not get the clumping litter
Avoid Corn cob litter. It can add to respiratory problems due to dust, and some ferrets ingest the corn cob pellets and get intestinal blockages. Corncob bedding is not recommended as it harbors mold, is not digestible and can be a source of intestinal impaction if swallowed. Corncob litter and plain newspaper are not very absorbent and therefore will not absorb odor well either.
Avoid clumping kitty litters and clay, as these may become stuck in a scooting ferret’s rectum and expand, potentially blocking it up
AVOID cedar; it has volatile oils that can cause lung damage.
Pine is a problem for those ferrets who are allergic to it or those who drag in it too much, but otherwise the beads made from pine sawdust are alright.
Litters made from things like recycled newspapers or recycled cardboard are among the ones that are safe.
Exactly!
I use Swheat Scoop Natural Wheat Litter. It has no dust and clumps quite well. The only negative thing is the smell of ammonia you get when you scoop up the urine but it’s not too difficult to deal with, just empty your trash can so the room doesn’t smell like it. It’s also 100 percent flushable.