Greetings to Cheryl and Sterling!  It may seem silly to make a big thing out
of litter, but it makes a big difference in our fartlets' health.  You're
right--no wood chips.  Also, no clumping litter--too many cases of ferrets
licking the small granules off paws and getting stomach and intestinal
blockages from the stuff clumping.  The same holds for clay litters, even
though the granules are larger.  Also some ferrets are allergic to litters
that are perfumed (usually sold as multi-cat) or that have too much dust;
perfumed litters can also cause an allergic reaction to sensitive paws.
 
What IS safe to use?  Pelleted newspaper litters are popular with ferret
owners (like Yesterday's News); it's heavy, hard to track out of the box,
and if eaten digests.  I found a litter called Nature's 170 that's totally
biodegradable and flushable.  When you put it in water it disintegrates
quickly, and presumably will do so in a ferret gut.  It is lightly scented
and has some dust, but so far our 4 are doing well with it.  I've also found
a citrus rind-based litter that digests and has no artificial scent, but
it's relatively expensive and hard to find.  Our vet also likes rabbit food
pellets--bought in bulk it can be very cheap, and again is digestible.
Rumor has it that the Totally Ferret people are also developing a ferret
litter--does anybody know any more about this?
 
So--no wood chips, no heavy artificial scents or perfumes, no clay, and also
beware some litter box odor control additives--some ferrets again have had
nasty respiratory and skin problems.  Good old baking soda works fine if
needed, but scooping poop twice a day and having multiple poop boxes works
best.  Hope this helps.
 
Cheers,
Sally Childs-Helton
Yes, No, Oz, and Curious the Foster Ferret
 
p.s.  Our club has 2 fosters that need homes in the central Indiana area--2
females from separate homes, ages 3 and 5, both in good health but behind in
shots, and have been living with cats.  Both are gentle and playful, and the
fact that they get along with cats probably bodes well for them getting on
with other ferrets.  I'll work with anyone who's interested, even in
surrounding states, to get these girls (Scooter and Violet) placed.
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[Posted in FML issue 1744]