>Is it possible to discipline them by only rewarding them when they are
>good and not doing anything when they are bad?  Would that work?
 
Praise is always better than abuse.  If you hit a ferret, you get a mad
ferret.  If you praise them, you get a happy ferret.  Your choice.
 
You mentioned later on that the little girl is being aggressive toward the
male and that they spend a lot of time in their cage.  It certainly sounds
like 'cage rage' to me.  The pooping in the cage sounds like a protest as
well.  Our little girl 'punishes' us if we stop her from doing something she
REALLY likes doing (like emptying the recycling bin) by pooping on the
floor.  At least put some toys in the cage so they have SOMETHING to do all
day.  They don't need to be noisy toys...small stuffed animals entertain our
guys when we cage them at night.  It may be hard, but it really sounds like
they need more out time.  Ferrets are not cage animals and it's unfair to
alter their lifestyle to conform to yours.  -Erin...
[Posted in FML issue 2299]