Two ferrets with separate issues

Question
Hi,
I am a first time ferret owner. I took over the care of a couple of ferrets a little over a year ago from a person who could no longer care for them - a boy (7 yrs) and a girl (5.5 years). Both were originally purchased from a reputable local pet store and the previous owner gave me all their paper work (vet forms etc). All their ferret vaccinations and treatments are up to date. I feed them Totally Ferret, and they get Ferretlax 1 times a week and Ferrettone about once a week. I also give them Bandit treats. Now for the problems;
The three of us made a big move and we now live with one more person and two cats. The girl loved this transition, she went from being a biter to becoming a playful loving ferret. But lately she has been throwing up. It is inconsistent in that it doesn't happen all of the time, and not every day, but seems to come in spells. She eats and drinks normally, and passes normal looking stool. She seems to be chewing the side of her dish as she eats and she gets very lethargic right before vomiting. As soon as she throws up she "snaps" out of it and is normal. She looks like she may have lost a little weight, but this may also be my paranoia? Her activity level seems the same and she likes to play and bite her ferret friend.

The boy is displaying some behavioral problems. This is something that he started doing after we moved. He is very sweet and affectionate and we love him dearly. But he is peeing just about everywhere. And in large quantities - but only when let outside of the cage. We have carpet so this is of course very disturbing. I have tried to loudly yell no, scruff him, and cage him in a cat carrier for 5-10 min when he pees outside of the box. He gets lots of praise when he does use the litter box. We have also tried limiting his space and making sure that his litterbox is very close to where he plays. He only uses the litterbox when we place him there or when we are watching. As soon as you look away he will pee anywhere except for the box. It is making us feel extremely exasperated as well as for him, I am sure. I would appreciate any advice as I am worried about the weaslies!  

Answer
Hello Sofia,

My little female ferret vomits every now and then as well.  It seems to be for no reason and the vet cannot find one thing wrong with her.  

Intermittent vomiting can be due to any number of reasons.  Some ferrets have very sensitive tummies and will vomit on occasion, such as my little girl.  Also, since this is a relatively new thing, perhaps it is stress?  Some ferrets do not take moving very well and can change behavior.  Vomiting can certainly be a sign of stress or anxiety.  However, you should not simply assume this is the case.  It might be a good idea to bring her to your vet for a checkup, especially with an older ferret.  It is great she is eating and acting normally though!

Regarding your male:  This sounds like he is taking the change in environment as a stressful thing.  Sudden changes in behavior are often accompanied by such situations.  Punishing him will likely not help, since he is already stressed out.  I would recammend trying to keep him in a nice quiet place while he adjusts to his new home.  Hopefully the urinary problem will clear up over time as he settles in.  In the meantime, I would recammend placing linoleum over the carpeting, or confine him to an area where the surface is easily cleanable.  Also, never use harsh disinfectants to clean up a mess!!  Most of these are very toxic to ferrets.  I recammend either a 1:30 dilution of bleach to warm water or a pet safe cleaner.  A good brand is Nature's Miracle, which is enzyme based and nontoxic.  

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=17546

You might want to consider a vet checkup for your male as well.  I am hoping the reason is behavioral and not urinary incontinence, which can be a problem for older animals.  It is pretty strange that it all started around the time of your move, so I would bet the two events are related.  

-Cindy P.