Old Ferret, New Habits

Question
Hi there,

I have a 4 year old healthy male neutered ferret. Had an adrenal removed
about a year ago and doing fine since. He is about 4-5 years old. There are
two other females (spayed) in his cage, long time buddies. One is 8 and can't
always make it to the litter, the other is his age and is well behaved. Well in
the last month, even though we clean where the eldest female has accidents,
he insists on going in his bedding. He can make it fine downstairs but seems
to remember, well if Peanut (the 8 yr old) can have an occasional accident up
here, why shouldn't I be able to go up here all the time? But it results in waste
in the bedding and even near the food dish. He was litter trained for years up
to this point. He also has been dominance fighthing with the younger female
more than usual. Maybe for the clean bedding area? Any idea why he won't go
to the bathroom where he always had and should be going?

thanks,
Melissa

Answer
Hello, and thanks for your question. Well, I think what your guy is doing is just being a ferret. Ferrets are social creatures and pick up on what the others are doing really fast. I'm sure you notice when one finds something to get into they all have telepathy or something and make a beeline to that ferret.

All that he's really doing is thinking, "Oh, there's poop here, so this must be the new poop place." I don't think he takes it's so far as to think that Peanut gets away with anything so he must too, he just figures it's an alternative litter pan, even though it is soft and cushy. Ferrets gather information mostly by their noses and ears...he smells "litter box" and thinks "litter box". The other female may be a bit smarter and realize it's not really the litter box. So you can either just shrug your shoulders and make a joke of the whole thing or try to work around it. Maybe move the food dish or the bedding and make the litter more accessible to Peanut? (I hope you have more sleep options for them other than the bedding, like hammocks.) Also you say he's been "fighting" more with the other female, this could be just harmless play or maybe his adrenal is acting up again, this is not totally unheard of. Get him checked again by the vet who did the surgery and see, but unless he's starting to show the other signs of it you should be ok and he's just being a rowdy boy.

Hope I've helped, good luck :)
~sheila