How do I keep my ferrets from using the bathroom in the house?

Question

I have caged them but they seem so unhappy. I want them to be able to roam the house(they have their own room) without the trouble of finding a mess everywhere. Any suggestions? They won't use a litter box..grrrr... lol

Answer 1

How many litter boxes are you offering? What size are the litter boxes you are offering?

My ferrets live in my bedroom. Sadly I have litter boxes everywhere. lol I have one for my ferrets cage and 2 for outside of the cage in their favorite corners. Also...you will really have to spring for the 10 or 11 dollar litter pans. (The really big ones) Ferrets like to fit their whole body in the litter pan when they 'go'. If you offer them those mini pans, forget it, you have no chance in heck. You may also want to try lining the perimeter of their litter pans with newspaper. I find that when my ferrets do have 'accidents' its just about right next to the litter pan itself. Of course you don't want that soaking into your rug or ruining your hard-wood floor. Laying down a thick layer of newspaper daily will solve this problem. (Make sure the edge of the paper is under the litter pan itself so they are not tempted to 'play' with the paper. If it can move, they will move it.)

Finally...you may have to resort to going back to the old drawing board. Sometimes ferrets lose their way. :) They forget how to use their box. hehe This especially happens when you do something like get new boxes or change brands or types of litter. Just do the usual: when you let them out and they have that certain posture, quickly pick them up and pop them in the pan. If they successfully have an accident, place the accident in their box and 'show' them where you put it.

It is in my experience that no ferret is 100%. I'm sure their are some owners that are the lucky few. Make some modifications like the extra litter pans, the bigger litter pans, and the newspaper, and see if that gets you anywhere.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Go to petsmart, and buy like 2 of those ferret litter boxes. Set those up somewhere in corners where u see they go alot. They will pick up on the litters boxes, and go potty there, so you would just have to clean them out.

Answer 3

They can't hold it too long, so when they have to go they find a corner and just 'go'. I would only let them out when supervised, around the rest of the house. Don't expect them to run back to their room to go to the bathroom because they won't.

Answer 4

well,u could spend a bunch of time wit them and train them in ur own way.Or u could put them in there cage everytime they go potty in the house to show them it is not ok for them to do that.My dad also had farets and had to get somthin done that way they didnt poop as much and they didnt stink as bad as they used to when they pottied!