potty training my ferrets

Question
in the cage my ferrets do really well but going in the right corners but i wont my ferrets to have more freedom so i read books and those things didnot work i put a litter pan in every corner in my hallway and they just move it out of the way and when i make them go in the litter pan i have to keep putting them in the litter pan tell they just have to go but i have been doing this for a month now and it still isn,t working what should i do

Answer
Dear Ryan,

I've had ferrets for over 20 years and mine never get to the litter box 100% of the time.  Accidents will happen, but you should at least have your ferrets going in a box 85% of the time.

The problem I find with multiple ferrets is that when one poops on the floor, the others smell it and say "hey, this must be a good place for a bathroom!".  Here are some things I want you to try:

1. Thoroughly clean all areas where the ferrets are pooping outside of the box.  If it is a hard floor, use Fabuloso or another non-ammonia cleaning agent.  If it is carpet, use baking soda and then a pet urine-cleaner such as Nature's Miracle or Urine-Gone.  

2. Put towels on all borders of the litter box - it doesn't look pretty, but it will help your ferrets go in the box instead of pooping just outside of it.  Also remember to put the box in whichever corner the ferrets prefer to poop in.

3. When taking the ferrets out of their cage in the morning, take out only one at a time and place him in the box.  If he really doesn't have it go, release him but watch him for ten minutes to be sure.  If you see him backing into a no-no corner, race and place him in the box.  When he poops in the box, give him some FerreTone or FerretVite liquid supplement as a reward.  Do this every time with each ferret after releasing them from the cage AND after every one of their naps, if you can catch them at that time.

4. If you're like me, you're not always there during the day to catch them after naps and you need to make sure that they are using the box.  So you have to make the box the ONLY option for a little while.  Try to rearrange furniture or put things in the way so that the ferret must use the box.  You can put stuffed animals on the floor, or scatter some of their food on the floor...they won't poop if its a toy or food area.  

5. Reward successes, but don't punish mistakes.  If you catch a ferret going in the wrong spot, pick him up (even if he's still going) and put him in the box.  Give him FerreTone and a cuddle.  Picking him up after he's done and putting him in the box will do nothing, they won't connect the two.

6. Get some fresh poop from their cage and put that in the outside litter box.  When you put the ferret in it, he will smell the poop and might just decide its a great place to go!

Good luck!  If you're still having trouble in a week, check back with me and tell me what went wrong.

Stephenie