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 ---- [log in to unmask] is: Amy Goldman Dimensional Insight Voice: (617) 229-9111 111 South Bedford Street Fax: (617) 229-9113 Burlington, MA 01803 [Posted in FML issue 1587]