Potty Training my two ferrets

Question

They won't go in their boxes! They're only a few months old but they go all over in their cage. We have a two boxes that are right by each other and their is only a little space in between them and the go in the space in between.

Then we put a water bottle their and they went ON the water bottle...

Help!

Answer 1

Ferrets are not prone to be litter box trained like cats. But I found a way to train mine.

1. They like big litter boxes where all 4 paws can be inside. I use the Hi-Back litter boxes from www.ferret.com.

2. Cover ALL the cage floors with fleece blankets. Make sure to clip them on the cage floor so they can't push them aside. Ferrets generally won't go on something that is soft.

3. What litter are you using? Try Yesterday's News. Cat litter actually has dust (even those claimed to be dust-free) and will agitate your ferrets' respiratory system.

4. Reward them for using it! If you see them about to back in a corner to p**p, pick them up and stick them in the litter box again and again until they finally just go. Then give them a treat. Ferrets respond VERY well to treats.

5. Before letting them out of the cage, stick them in a litter box. What out for faux-poops! (faux-poops are when they squat but don't actually use the restroom). Make sure though, that when you check the litter there aren't any fresh poops, because that means they just went.

Good luck! Some ferrets are harder to train than others!!!

Answer 2

Mine did the same. They would go everywhere. On their bedding, on the water bottles, IN their food dishes.

They will usually pick a place they want to go the most. Mine did that, which was next to the litter box but not actually in it.

I would constantly pick it up as soon as I saw it and put it into the litter box, and cleaned where they went very well. I kept doing that, also switched litters to this stuff called "Yesterday's News", its made out of recycled newspaper which they seemed to like better than they clay like colored balls the pet store recommended.

Eventually they got the point and once one started to use the litter box, the other did too.

Answer 3

It could be the actual litter.  Try switching it and see if you get some luck.  I just litter trained mine.  I put bedding all around her litter box.  They wont or usually wont poo on their bedding.  So she is basically forced to poo in the litter box.  Its been working so far.