Hi,
 
I am having a problem with one of my ferrets becoming "un-potty trained"
and I was wondering if anyone might have any explanations or advice.
 
I have two females that are about 10 months old.  I bought them together
from a pet store at age 8 weeks.  Up until about the last two months, both
have been very well behaved and potty trained.  In the main room where
they are kept, they use litter pans.  In the rest of the house, when they
are out to roam, I put newpaper in their preferred corners.  There have
been no recent changes in their lives.
 
Now one of them will go potty in about a 4 X 2 foot area near the litter
pans, and sometimes just outside the litter pans, more often than in the
litter pan.  If she sees me watching her when she gets up to potty, she
will ALWAYS use the litter pan.  (I know it's her doing potty in the wrong
place because i have caught her in the act many times).  And, in the rest
of the house, where she is allowed, she tends to go just about anywhere.
She is not deterred by my watching her.  And if I catch her and try to put
her on newspaper she will never go.  And she can hold it for a long time.
Finally at that moment when I happen to not be paying attention--she goes
potty.  She has even gone potty on the dog's bed and on a chair!
 
I would like to avoid having to keep her caged and only letting her out
under close supervision, but obviously I can't have her pottying all over
the place.  Also, she and the other ferret are great friends and love to
sleep and play together.  I have no need to cage the other one, so caging
one would in effect, separate the two of them.  (Ironically, the other one
must be the most reliable potty-trained ferret there is!  Thank God she
hasn't been influenced by the deviant behavior of her sibling!)
 
And comments, suggestions, explanations, advice would be appreciated.
 
Thanks, Kristy
[Posted in FML issue 3676]