I've checked the FAQ, and a couple of web sites, but a couple of issues have
come up which these don't seem to specifically cover.  This is my first
ferret, and I'd like to know if anyone else has had similar experiences.
He's about a year old now.
 
1] Box-training.  Now, this ferret (the name he came with is Bandit, but I
think I'll be changing that] was kept mostly in a cage - a dog carrier of
the sort one might see at the airport.  The previous owner said he used the
litterbox just fine, but that's not really helpful when he's only let out a
couple of hours per day.  I did not take the cage, since I don't intend to
keep him boxed up all day; he has free run of most of the apartment as it
is, and I'd prefer to keep it that way.  Now, he _does_ get the area right -
more often than not, he'll do his business right next to the box, but not
_in_ it.  Is there any way I can teach him to go in the box, or should I
resign myself to simply continue putting down newspaper?  Or could it be
that he simply doesn't like the brand of litter I bought (it's his old box,
but I bought my own litter)?
 
2] I've never seen an animal refuse goodies before.  He eats fine - he seems
to be very happy with the Hagen ferret food he came with.  But he seems
almost afraid of regular food.  We tried giving him a bit of the roast beef
we had for supper last night (I've only had him a couple of days) but he
shied away from it, and this morning is currently ignoring some bits of egg.
I find this behaviour almost disturbing, and wonder if anyone has a clue as
to why he won't take anything but ferret pellets ..  the fellow said they'd
never tried him on anything else besides cat food (which I also tried to
give him, but he stuck his nose up at that as well).  Are ferrets really
_that_ finicky, that they'd even snub _roast beef_?
 
Thanks in advance.
[Posted in FML issue 2024]