I truly believe that all ferrets have it within themselves the desire to be
good little ferrets and use the litter box.  But I think that the desire to
go in very specific spots sometimes outweighs that initial good desire.
 
At one time, I kept my ferrets in a cage, a large one when I had 4, but
eventually moved them to a room of their own.  I found that they were
excellent in using the litter box inside the cage but once they had
expanded their territory, they miss rate began to steadily appear.  What I
did find interesting was that our first ferret was terrible at using the
litter box.  Once we added a buddy for him, his rate of going in the right
spot was dramatically improved.  It was if the new one had showed our first
one what to do.
 
Eventually all of our ferrets got full range of the house at all times.
Litter boxes were everywhere and poop was not always in them... more like
around them and everywhere else.  It became a chore to keep up to it all
and it was exhausting.
 
We decided overall, the best way to beat a ferret is to join him.  (Oh,
that sounds awful!) It meant that we took into consideration where they
seemed to go the most and moved a litter box to that spot.  In cases where
I thought their chosen spot was not a popular one, I would put a blanket
down and that unto itself would clear up the matter.
 
Now, this part may be the hardest part to follow and that is, sometimes it
is better to leave poop in an area for awhile.  In cleaning up a favourite
spot, you may be taking away the very area they need to mark.  I found that
once I determined the choice spots for them, determining where to put a
litter pan and newspapers, and where to put blankets became easy.  I use to
have as many as 9 litter pans in the house but now I am down to 4.  And the
clean up is actually next to nothing.  The trick is to keep on top of the
spots that are iffy - ones they don't always go in, and to let the poop sit
a little longer in the areas that they do - this indicates to them that
this is a good spot and they will continue to go there.  We had one trouble
spot in our newly tiled living room.  They continually went in front of the
stereo.  I moved one litter pan from one area and put it there and voila!
no more misses!
 
Understanding the need to mark a particular spot is so very important.  Not
cleaning up in some areas is important too.  Laying down newspapers in
spots where a litter box won't fit works wonders.  And being persistent
and consistent is the final ingredient to success.  But experiment with
placement and go with the flow.  Your ferrets will let you know where THEY
want to go.  If may not always agree with the decor, but work with it and
don't fight it.
 
You will be much happier for it.  And believe me, I know.
 
Good luck and happy gold digging.
Betty and Her Blur O'Fur
[Posted in FML issue 2805]