Yes, you will be pleased to know that litter training your ferret is possible! You can train your ferret to use the litter box regularly - about 80 to 90 percent of the time - although he will never use it 100 percent of the time. Ferrets just do not have the sense of devotion to "making it" to a litter box that a cat does. Also, because ferrets have streamlined digestive tracts compared to human beings or cats, when a ferret has to go, he has to go now. So if your ferret is out of his cage and the nearest litter box is 30 feet away in another room, he will almost always pick a closer spot.
How many accidents can you expect your ferret to have? This depends on how much time and effort you spend in making it as easy as possible for your ferret to use the litter box.
Training Your Ferret to Use a Litter Box
Here are the major guidelines for training your ferret to use a litter box:
- Make sure you have the right kind of litter box and that it is set up correctly. This will make it easy for your ferret to use the litter box.
- Use a litter box with high sides to keep your ferret from accidentally missing the box.
- Clamp the litter box to the cage so it can't be tipped over. Litter boxes outside of the cage can be fastened with duct tape or other fastening tape to the floor or wall.
- Provide a litter box that has one low side so your ferret can get in and out easily.
- Use dust-free litter or litter made of recycled newspaper pellets (not clumping sand or scented litters) so the litter pellets and dust won't get in your ferret's nose or eyes.
- Praise your ferret or give him a treat when he uses the litter box.
- While he is learning to use the litter box, put your ferret in the litter box every time you catch him making a mistake.
- Clean the spot immediately when your ferret makes a mistake so it won't smell of waste, which makes your ferret think the soiled spot is a litter box. To reinforce the idea that the spot of his accident is not a litter box, put some kind of bedding material there (old t-shirts, towels, etc.).
- Make sure your ferret uses the litter box as soon as he awakens, before you let him out of the cage.
- Place litter boxes in a corner of each room whenever your ferret is out of his cage.
- Don't let a cat use your ferret's litter box. Ferrets won't use a litter box once a cat has used it. Train your ferret to use paper outside his cage instead of a litter box, and routinely put paper in places of your home that a ferret might use, such as under beds and furniture.