Litter Training Your Ferret

Ferrets seem to have a two-thought process when it comes time to potty. Number 1: "I need to potty." Number 2: "There's the closest corner, it looks like a nice place!". Although your ferret will never be 100% consistent and will have the occasional accident, with a little work and patience ferrets can be litter trained.

Begin by obtaining a stable litter pan that has a low edge and a high back. The pan will need to be low enough in the front to allow easy access and high enough in the back so your ferret won't overshoot the box when it backs in. The pan will also need to be firmly attached to the side of the cage to avoid being moved or tipped over. Ferrets will probably slide a moveable litter pan out of the way and do their business in the corner of the cage. There are several commercially available litter pans for ferrets, so check your local pet store.

To reinforce the idea that the litter pan is a potty area, place a small amount of litter in the pan. If your ferret doesn't seem to be catching on quickly, use a litter box that covers two corners or half the size of the cage and keep lots of toys and bedding in the rest of the cage area.



Fortunately, ferrets almost always pick a corner to potty in and will rarely leave a mess in the middle of the floor. The best thing to do in the room your ferret will play in is place litter pans in several corners of the room. Your ferret will likely not travel far from where it's standing to potty, so having several pans will keep accidents at a minimum. If you start to notice your ferret returning to the same spot to potty, you might consider moving a litter pan to that area.

You may also consider using newspaper in corners or where litter pans just won't work. This is a good idea especially if you have cats in the house as cats generally will use a litter pan and not newspaper.

Before taking the ferret out of the cage, wake it up and let it wander inside the cage for a few minutes. Another good idea is to take the ferret out and hold it for a minutes and then place it back in the cage so it will do it's business.

Keep an eye on the ferret while it is out and place it in a litter pan if you see it back into a corner. Allowing them to be out of the cage for 2-3 hours and placing them back in their cage is also a good idea.

Since ferrets aren't likely to use the litter pan if it is too dirty, regularly scoop and clean it with a mild soap.

Ferrets are delicate creatures and your choice of litter is important. Dusty litters and clay litter can be harmful to your ferret. The clay may cause a clog in your ferrets throat or nose, or get into the ferrets anal opening and cause a blockage. Pellets and dust free litters work better and are safer than dusty clays.

Never yell or strike a ferret for having an accident as it will not understand the purpose of this discipline. Remember that the best policy when litter training your ferret is patience and repetition.

Wes is the owner of multiple ferrets and the blog FerretZone.com