Training to Litterbox

Question
My ferret is 3 months and a day years old. I was just wonderin how to make her use the bathroom in the cat litter that I had put in her cage. Im at school half of the time so I can't be there to take her to her litter box every time. Anyway she scratched it all out of the corner that she usually poops in and went to another corner. How do I train her to use it in the cat litter?

Answer
Hi Joquaya:

Your ferret is still pretty young, so she has lots of energy and may not be too interested in using the potty in the right place yet :-)

The best way to insure that she will use the litterbox is to put blankies (or your pajamas) on all the floor around the litterbox, especially the place she has been pooping. Be sure to clean it realllly well so she can't smell where she pooped outside the box.  A ferret won't poop in their bedding, on their toys or in their food/water, so if you crowd the floor with soft blankies, toys, food and water bowl, the only place left to potty will be in the litterbox.

Be sure to pick up a poop or two that she has done and put them IN THE LITTERBOX so she can see that is where they go. Once the litter gets a bit of the poopy/pee smell in it, she will have the idea.

Hope that helps!  There is a GREAT book for new (and old ones too!) ferret owners that has all kinds of good tips and tricks for training ferret called FERRETS FOR DUMMIES by Kim Schilling. You can get it on eBay or even on half.com for a really good price.  It's well worth the price.  A well-read ferret owner is a better ferret owner!  You have years of fun ferret years ahead of you....have fun & enjoy that little one.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers