Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Ferrets > liter training

liter training

21 10:59:23

Question
Hi Amy- I recently adopted a 12 week old male.  I have had him for two weeks now.  Liter training seemed virutally effortless.  Suddenly he goes potty everywhere but his liter pan!  I am using hardwood stove pellets (ferret universe website reccomended them to keep smell down)- not sure if that is the problem.  ALso, in reading your past answers, I see you recomend a cat food for ferrts, not an actual ferret food?  I love my little guy- I haven't had a ferrt in a few years- last was a female and I had ZERO behavior issues.  I'm wondering if males are just different.  Thanks!

Answer
Hi ,
congrats on your new baby!
Males are actually a little more laid back in personality, IMO.  As far as food, I used to recommend Purian, but I actually have stopped recommending this b/c they have changed the formula so many times. I personally recommend a holistic food, like Nutro Natural or Blue Holistic for cats. I have had some really good success with both of these, but I don't know if they are available everywhere.
The main thing is the holistic seems to be no corn, very little starches and preservatives, and a much better quality food that they like the taste. I would find a holistic cat food with a POULTRY base, like chicken. Avoid fish meal and any type of corn, or corn meal.
I personally do not like commercial ferret foods because of the fish oil in them. It makes their stools oily and pungent, and their coats are more oily.

As far as litter training,I am going to copy and paste previous litter training advice, and maybe that will help:

Litter training ferrets is a difficult task, but it is worth it in the end.
Ferrets become more reliable with the litter pan as they grow older, so if your ferrets are under a year old, they will potty outside the litter pan occasionally, sleep in it, and play in it... Most outgrow these behaviors. BUT they DO HAVE TO BE TAUGHT to use a litter pan, it is not instinctual. First: If you don't have a cage, get one. It is very important that your ferret have a cage to go to, to sleep, to eat, and to used the litter pan. It really helps with the training. Now, the litter pan...  I always used a DISH pan, or a small litter pan for a cat. It is larger, and covers a larger area.  The best one to use is one that "butts" up against the cage walls. This will prevent him from pottying along side of the litter pan.Also, it has deeper larger sides, so if he plays and digs in it, it won't spray litter everywhere. I found the commercial "ferret" litter pans for "ferrets" to be too shallow, and are triangular in shape, so that it leaves a lot of room for accidents, and are too easy for the ferret to flip over.
Some ferrets are a pain with moving around the litter box, and flipping it, etc., in the cage. The litter box can be attached a couple of ways.  You can buy LARGE black clips at your nearest office supply store. called "Paper clamps." Buy the largest ones and clamp the litter box to the cage bars with one on each side. Now, the litter: I use Clay litter like "Tidy Cat," but a lot of people use "Yesterday's News" which is newspaper and more hypoallergenic. I personally like the odor control, so I use Tidy Cat. Don't use scoopable, because a lot of ferrets "snorkel" when they are young, (before they figure out the litter box) and scoopable could clog their nose and mouth.
Also,  you may need to decrease her play area, for instance, confine him to one small room, with litter pans in most corners of the room. If she starts to "back up" into a non-acceptable area, pick him up and put him in the litter pan.  If your ferret are pottying in a remote corner of the room, first, clean that area thoroughly to remove all scent, and sometimes it helps to spray the area with vinegar (as a deterrent). If she consistently uses one corner, put a pan there, and anchor it down so she cannot move it.

Unfortunately, ferrets are NOT 100% with the litter box when OUTSIDE the cage, even as adults. They are not like cats...I used to have to teach mine to go potty before they left the cage to play, and it takes a lot of patience, with a ferret staring at you for 15 minutes waiting for you to let him out of the cage, and me saying "GO POTTY!!" FINALLY he would go!! Then they eventually learned "If I go potty, I get out to play," ... so that's your best bet, is to make sure she goes potty before you let him out of her cage to play.
here's a couple of websites that may help:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/ht/littertrainferr.htm

http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/littertraining.html
Good luck, I hope this helps!
again, congrats on your new baby boy!
amy