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How to train a ferret to poop in a litter box

How to train a ferret to poop in a litter box

Ferrets are low maintenance animals. According to several people’s thoughts, that’s the reason for petting them at home. You can prove it right only by training your ferret like teaching it not to bite, and use a litter box right away. Let’s know to train a ferret to poop in a litter box.

You just need to be patient while training. The ferret is less difficult to train a cat. However, some people may have thought that ferrets are like cats and will naturally use the litter box to poop.

That’s not true because at a very early age the ferrets are caged and separated from their mothers. So that they miss their early training to use the same spot for pooping. In this article, we will learn how to train a ferret to poop in a litter box.

Train a ferret to poop in a litter box

If you want to train your ferret to poop in the litter box. You don’t want it to mess everywhere in the home and your house stinks up. Then you need to put the litter box in the cage initially.

Since they have enough lot outside the cage to poop around. Ferrets have a good stomach and digest soon. Whatever they eat so they needed to use litter boxes several times a day. If it is far then they won’t wait to go there.

Keeping the litter box or pan in the cage is a better idea to train your ferret. Use it from the day first or before leaving him wandering in the house. You should put two pans in the corners wherever he would like to go.

As you should fill the box with litter paper and few droppings. If you observe he isn’t using that box try another box or pan at the same spot or move it to another corner. This way you can change directions so that they start using it for poop. Here are the methods, how you can train a ferret to poop in the litter box.

Method# 1-Setting up the litter box

Before training the ferret you should learn to set up the litter box first. So it should be safe, clean and harmless to use for your ferret.

  1. Choose a safe litter box for ferrets

Many ferrets love rolling over in the pan and you must know that not all the ferrets are safe. As ferrets have a tendency to sniff their litter and have a sensitive respiratory system. That’s why the litter pan should be dust-free and unscented litter. Which doesn’t clump is safest for the ferrets like (Recycled newspaper pellets, denatured wood litter, and alfalfa pellets).

If you have a shortage of ferret’s litter. Then you can use cat litter if it is unscented and un-clumping in a pinch or even use newspaper. Do not choose pine and cedar shavings as litter because it’s chemical can be toxic for your ferret and irritate his eyes while sniffing in the litter.

  1. Choose a large litter pan

The ferrets are territorials and so specific about the locations. You need to choose a larger pan whether you have a baby ferret you must need a 16 inches long pan or box with low sides. The ferret’s all four paws should fit in it. When he grows up and can easily enter the box without facing the issue.

  1. Litter box placement

Litter box or pan should be placed in the ferret’s cage to train him to poop inside the box. You can select one corner and fill it with chosen litter and don’t put any other litter in the cage. So that your ferret will get to know to use that litter box certainly.

  1. Put feces and urine in the litter box

Like cats, they do not instinctively opt to use the litter box. So you have to teach your ferret what the litter box is for, however. If you observe he is cornering himself they put a litter box over that corner.

So he will get in the box to poop and next time. He will use it frequently. Or you can put some feces of him in the litter box. Next, he will know by smelling the box what it is used for.

Method #2-Training your little buddy

After setting up the ferret’s litter box in the cage now train your pet how to use it.

  1. Litter training starts from the cage

Do not let your ferret out of the cage when unsupervised until they are litter trained. You can have it as precautionary to keep accidents contained and mess your house everywhere except cage.

However, you can take it out of the cage whenever you want. Since you can’t lock him up in the cage all the time. It will make stress to your ferret, let him out in your supervision and when you can monitor him.

  1. Move accidents to the litter box

The critters are small now and you should have to treat them like kids. If you see the litter outside the box. Afterward, move them to the litter box with the help of tongs or something like that.

So that he will understand well this box is for this purpose and usually. They poop in the place where it is already smelly like urine and feces.

  1. Reward your ferret for using the litter box

When your ferret starts using the litter box and doesn’t mess anywhere else. Then you must give him a treat as a reward so that he will remember to use litter pan when needed.

Praise them with encouraging phrases like ‘good boy’. When they finish using the litter and also can give him a small treat.

  1. Clean the litter box regularly

You should clean the ferret’s litter box regularly. Because ferret doesn’t like the smelly and dirty area. So encouraging your ferret to use their litter box cleans it once a day.

To remove the feces and clumps of urine using a scooper and clean the contents of the litter box weekly. Must replace it with fresh litter.

Tips related to litter training

You should need to understand certain things while training the ferret to use the litter box for poop.

  1. Clean up the accidents

You better should know the habits of ferrets. If once they eliminate in some area of your home and it stinks because of the litter. Then he would more probably again use that area or corner to eliminate. So it is needed to clean at first instance or clean up the accidents immediately before it stinks your house.

Use a room freshener to remove the smell from the area. So there should be no traces at all. It will draw his attention to the litter box even then the box is in the cage he will use it instead.

  1. Fasten litter box to the cage

Ferrets are habitual of digging in their litter pan. So they can even slide it to the other side of the cage and making him more likely to eliminate outside. Drill holes in the box and fasten it to the bars of the cage. So your pet couldn’t displace it and it stays where it was.

You can fasten it with wires but the edges should be outside of the cage so your ferret may not get hurt.

  1. Dealing with diggers

This way you can train your buddies who love digging by putting a small litter pan in the large pan but fill the small pan only and attach both pans to the cage. When your ferret will go inside the litter pan and dig into the litter then the wastage won’t spread everywhere but in the large pan. You can also place an older ferret to train the younger ferret who won’t allow messy behavior and guide him.

  1. Don’t put other things where your ferret litter

Keep the toys, food, and any other cage items in different places or far from the litter box. So the things couldn’t get dirty of the mess or where your ferret eats.

  1. Do not scold a ferret

Like most animals, ferrets don’t respond to your scolding. When you scold them not to eliminate outside the litter box. They will get stressed and it will not encourage litter box training.

  1. Use more than one tray

You can use more than one pan of the litter with ferrets on each level of multiple level cage. So when he roams around he could use it and more litter pan means fewer accidents.

  1. Those little critters are con artists

Yes for sure they can even con you by the fake using the litter box. To get the treat from you so keep an eye on them and try looking the sides. If his sides move then it must have used it in real. Double-check and let him out of the cage to play.

  1. Patience and consistent

Be patient while giving them the training to use the litter box. Expect lots of accidents and clear them with consistency. As it is necessary for the early stages.

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