Getting Your Ferret To Use The Litter Box

---

     Your ferret loves you - and wants to please you. But when a ferret has to 'go,' a ferret has to 'go!' Relax - litter training a ferret is a lot easier than you might think. All you really need to know is their natural habits.

First, provide your ferret with an open litter boxes, as opposed to one that has a cover on it. Clumping litter is best, but you can also use wood chip litter. This is found where cat supplies are sold. Do not fill the litters box like you would if you had a cat - your ferret just needs to bottom of the litter box covered.

Note that when the ferret is a kit that is just being litter trained, he may actually play in the litter box. There is nothing you have to do to stop this. He will stop on his own once he has it firmly in his mind what the litter box is used for.

Put the litter boxes in a corner. You definitely need one inside the cage, but you may also want another one or two in other locations of your home. Remember - when he has to go...

Ferrets will always seek out a corner to relieve themselves. You will know what they are planning to do in that corner because they do not walk straight into it - they back into it. Unlike cats, ferrets do not dig a hole, and they do not cover anything up when they are done. Naturally, you will want to 'scoop' the litters box at least once a day to keep odors at bay in your home.

Like cats, ferrets are very easy to train. They want that litter boxes, and will eventually seek it out. In fact, within a few days of you picking him up and putting him in the litters box, he will begin seeking it out when he has to 'go.' It is important not to discipline your ferret when he makes a 'mistake' concerning relieving himself. This only serves to send him the wrong message. Instead of thinking it is bad to relieve himself where he did, he will believe that relieving himself in general displeases you - and he will fret and worry when he needs to.

The only other thing that you need to know about litter training your ferret is when the ferret is likely to need to relieve himself. A ferret always needs the litter box upon waking. While you are training him, it is important that you put him in his litter box as soon as he wakes up, and that you make him stay there until he has done his business.

Other times that a ferret may commonly need to use the litter box is after eating or drinking. They have very small digestive systems, and it doesn't take long for food and water to make their way through that system. After excitement the ferret may also need the litter box, but he may not always need the litter box after playing.

Again, within a few days of beginning the litter training, you will be finished. Your ferret will understand the concept, and will return to the same place over and over again to take care of business - the litter box.