I sent a direct response to the person who posted frustration at their
ferret going potty everywhere, but thought I would go ahead and share
with everyone else too, in case anyone else encounters similar problems.
I went through something very similar with an older female ferret that I
had rescued, and I know just frustrating it can be.  When I rescued the
older female ferret, it soon became clear no one had taught her good
litterbox habits.  She went everywhere, even while in the cage.  Over
time, I worked with her and gradually was able to teach her better
habits.  I also made sure she got medical care that was needed, which
may have also helped.  Since she was an older ferret, I wasn't sure how
much of the training would take, but eventually she was pretty much 100%
litterbox trained.  it took a good while, a year maybe, but success...
for about a year.
 
Then she started going back to her old ways.  At first I thought she was
just backsliding and got very irritated with her, for I knew she should
know better.  Once when I was feeling especially frustrated, I scolded
her pretty loudly.  It seemed to upset her, and she started trembling.  I
couldn't understand why she wasn't trying harder when it was obvious that
the scolding upset her.  Then one time I saw her running as fast as she
could go toward a litterbox, but she just couldn't get there fast enough.
Other times, she would go mid-stride as she was walking, as if she were
not even aware of it.  I realized she wasn't backsliding, she was
becoming incontinent.  Then I felt really bad about fussing at her for
going in the wrong places.  She was really trying to do what I wanted,
but just physically couldn't do it anymore.  Poor thing!  I really felt
like a heel, and it seemed like she never trusted me quite as much
afterwards.  I wished I could take it back, but of course, I couldn't.
So I just tried to show her lots of love and hope that she could tell
mommy was sorry for being such a mean old witch.
 
She also had some rear-leg weakeness, which is common in older, or infirm
ferrets.  I think this tendency ferrets have toward rear-leg weakness
also extends to having other problems in the rear part of their body,
which tends to lead to incontinence.  They just lose muscle control at
the rear end of their bodies.  Short of putting Depends (diapers) on the
ferret, there's not much you can do once that happens.  It seems like a
lot of my older ferrets eventually become incontinent, but they usually
don't live a lot longer once that happens, (6 months maybe).
 
Even ferrets that have not completely lost control will sometimes have
trouble stepping over the rim of a litterbox if they are having physical
problems.  So it's just easier to go in front of it or behind it.  They
are not necessarily just being lazy.  I know this is not encouraging
information, but it's the truth.  So when you have a normally well
behaved ferret that starts going everywhere, you just have to love them
in spite of it.  Just know that these are you last days with him, love
him, know that he probably can't help it, and try to not let it get to
you too much.  When we, ourselves get old enough, we may have the same
problem one day.  I go so much now, I figure I'm headed for Depends one
day for sure.  LOL!
 
Holly,
Icarus & Cato
[Posted in FML issue 5197]