Does anyone else have a ferret that absolutely REFUSES to use a litter box?
We have had Thor (pronounced Tor) for three weeks now and have been
absolutely unsuccessful in trying to get him to use the litter box, even in
the cage.  I've tried everything.  I think he's even disproven the fact that
ferrets won't go to the bathroom where they sleep!  (Though I can't prove it
was him - he's managed to untrain Odin as well! :^( )  He'd rather curl up
and lie in the litter box (even with a piece of poop in the back corner!)
than use it.
 
We have a large (4 level) cage that we built (which we are now redesigning
and going to redo a bit - into a 3 level, with a couple "shelves").  They
are pooping all over, except in the boxes.  Downstairs in the kitchen where
they get their play time, we have a litter box in a corner, and now I've
taken to putting newspaper underneath it.  Tor will actually go over there
and go on the paper.  The other night we had a battle of wills, and I had to
let him win.  I saw him backing up, so as usual, I picked him up and put him
in the litter box.  He sits there a minute then jumps out without going.
Backs up on the newspaper, I pick him up again and put him in the box.  He
jumps out.  He runs off to another corner of the kitchen where he sometimes
goes and starts backing up.  I pick him up and put him in the litter box -
out he jumps.  We went through this a few more times, and then when he
backed up on the paper again, I just let him go (I knew he had to go bad,
and he was just determined not to use the box).
 
I've tried clean box, dirty box - nothing will work.  In the cage I tried
filling up the unused corners.  Didn't help much.  Last night I put
newspaper down on one of the levels in the cage under the box, and at least
they pooped on that.  (Of course this morning Odin was more interested in
trying to pull it up and get under it!)  The past two mornings, when we've
taken them out, Thor went right over next to the litter box and went on the
paper.  So he knows the area that he's supposed to go in!   I think I've
only seen Thor pee in the box once or twice in the three weeks (in the
kitchen that is - I've never seen him use the boxes in the cage).
 
Do I give up and just let him use a piece of newspaper??  I'm using
Yesterday's News recycled pellets for litter - and Odin used to use it just
fine.  Could it be that Thor wants a different kind of litter?  What else
should I try - I don't want to use the clumping litter after reading about
the problems it can cause.  Meanwhile, Odin sees where Thor is going and
that's where he'll go.  (And he's getting good at faking in the litter box -
6 times before we let him out of the cage!  :^) )
 
It was so much easier with just Odin - he was getting pretty good.  But we
needed a play buddy for him (not that Thor is cooperating - more on that in
another post - this is getting too long!).  Any suggestions/ideas that might
not have been covered here or in the FAQ would be welcome.  How do you train
them to go in a box in a cage?  I'm not there to reward them if they do, or
stop them when they don't?!  Or is it simply that some ferrets will not use
a box?  (Thor is a year old, btw).
 
Thanks.
 
Amy
----
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Amy Goldman
Dimensional Insight                   Voice: (617) 229-9111
111 South Bedford Street              Fax:   (617) 229-9113
Burlington, MA 01803
[Posted in FML issue 1587]