Honestly - ferrets are going to ruin carpet wherever they go. That is
just the way it is. I am sorry to be blunt but even cat owners have
cats who have accidents. Dogs have accidents. But ferrets - they have
many, many more accidents than the two.

As for Edward's suggesting of shooting a ferret with a water pistol in
the ear, why on Earth would you aim for the ear? Why not bother them
somewhere else where you won't risk hurting the ferret?

Anyway - to your words: ". I almost break down in tears every time they
try to go to the bathroom outside their cage because they DO know its
wrong and the wont listen to me."

What are you doing to train them? Either email me or write on list. How
many times are they going on the carpet? And more importantly - where
are you expecting them to go potty? How many boxes do you have for
them? What size are they? Big enough for them to climb into fully? Or
are they the small corner boxes? Ferrets are reluctant to go into small
pans in my experience. They would much rather go in large, low sided
(cut down to an inch high by me) litter pans instead. What kind of
litter do you use in the litter pans? How high are the sides to the
pans? I have found they like to go in plastic tray areas I make with
signboard (plastic corrugated sign board) that I then lay down paper
on. They don't like to climb into boxes as much as just walk onto a low
plastic tray. Do you watch them when they are let out immediately to
make sure they are going to the litterbox? Even then, ferrets will go
wherever they want if that is the way they are. Each one is different.
Once you have one that won't go in the box all the time, others may
start to follow.

I think it would honestly be best for you to end up either keeping them
ONLY on the hardwood area. It will be good enough until you can move to
a place where they accept that pets have accidents.

OR you know - are they only going to the bathroom in one area? Can you
cover that area when inspections come with furniture or a rug? You
know, move the couch over it. They're surely not going to make you move
everything in your apartment. Only let them know about the stains once
you move out, and by then, you'll lose your deposit but you'll be in
another place, safe and sound.

We potty trained our ferrets and they still get influenced by bad
seeds, and my carpet gets replaced yearly in their room. The rooms
where I can't replace it, well, they look "crappy" but what can I do
about it? Maybe some people do have perfect angels. I don't.

What I used to do in order to train outside the cage was wait til they
got up, then watched each one until they looked like they were going
to go to the bathroom. Then I would place them in the box. This works
to some extent, but accidents still happen.

If you need some information on pet gates or long pet "fences" to keep
your guys corralled in non-carpeted areas of the house let us know. I
am sure there are tons of people with ideas on what to buy and how to
contain them - after all, so many people have the same problem you do.
Do not fret.

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 6292]