|
About Ferrets
Ferret Care |
Food |
Ferret Proofing |
Treats |
History |
Antics |
Approximating Age |
Adding a Ferret |
Cats and Ferrets |
Bathing |
Cleaning Ears |
Biting |
Ferrets and Children |
Ferrets using trays/shelves as a potty? |
Litter Training |
Illnesses (Will open in new page)
Ferret Care
Ferrets make wonderful pets. They’re friendly, playful and their antics
will make you laugh. They’re also one of the most difficult pets to
own-because of the amount of cleaning and expense involved.
Average life span is about six to seven years in the U.S. Expect to
spend an average of $500 or more on the ferret per year. If you’re
lucky, it will be less than that. If you're not, it will be a lot more.
The ferret can seem fine one night. The next morning it can be sick and
need $350 in treatment. You must be able to afford the expense or this
is not the pet for you!
A ferret has the brain capacity of a two year old child and must get a
lot of stimulation and play time, mental and physical. If it’s kept in a
cage, it should be allowed 4-5 hours out of the cage every day,
preferably two different times a day. This is not an option. Why have
the pet if it’s going to be confined most of the time? The younger the
ferret, the more time it needs out of the cage.
Stimulation includes: playing with other ferrets, humans & other animals
outside of the cage or room; having different things to play in
(plastic/ paper grocery bags, boxes, pillowcases, pillows in
pillowcases, tote bags, shoes, etc.), toys to play with and hide, you
rearranging things, mats and sheets to burrow under, etc. They get bored
with the same thing, so keep things changed. If you have several plastic
bags out for them to play with, change it to paper bags for a few days.
Throw a pillow from the bed on the floor and let them explore it. My
ferrets check out every bag of groceries and stuff that I bring home
from the store (first I remove anything they can hurt or that can hurt
them). They love rooting through everything to see what they can find.
Just moving things around in the cage or room is good stimulation for them.
Ferrets can be litter box / newspaper trained to about 80%, sometimes
more. You've got to figure at least 20% of the time they are going to
use the floor somewhere. You have to love ferrets enough to be willing
to deal with that. If you’re expecting the ferret to run around and find
a spot where there's a litter box or newspaper, it's not going to
happen. This is a down side to having them. Some ferrets will not use a
litter box or newspaper if another ferret has used it or it’s been used
too much. So, the litter box must be kept scooped and newspaper changed.
Use only dust free litter and do NOT use shavings of any kind.
Ferrets have a very fast metabolism with a high energy level. They need
to be able to run & play to burn off energy. They will sleep some while
they are loose; it is still stimulation to be sleeping somewhere
different and to be able to wake up and go play. A young ferret needs
about EIGHT hours of run and play time. As they get older four to five
hours of run and play time is good.
Because of the fast metabolism, they MUST have food and water available
at all times and they should have a very high protein / high fat food.
They can’t be fed on a schedule. A protein level as close to 50% is
best. Of course, the better the food, the more expensive it is. The cost
of good food is one of the other bigger expenses.
Ferrets are natural hunters and will kill birds and other small animals,
including rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice,
chinchillas and sugar gliders. It is their instinct to do everything in
their power to get to these animals to kill them.
Ferrets do not tolerate heat well because they cannot sweat. They can
have heat stroke and heat causes a lot of stress, which can bring on
ulcers or irritable bowel disorder. The temperature should be 78 or
below. Veterinarians recommend temps from 68 to 76 degrees.
When sleeping, they prefer to sleep in a dark area. They are naturally a
burrowing animal, so they prefer the dark. They will burrow under or
through anything they can, including throw rugs, newspaper on the floor,
tubes, long boxes, etc. So, they should be provided with things to
burrow through and under. The burrowing is one of the cute and fun
things about them. They prefer to sleep in sleepsacks or closed in
areas, or in a hanging hammock. There should be at least two sleepsacks
or hammocks per ferret in the cage.
Nearly all ferrets available have been descented and spayed or neutered.
In the U.S. this is done when the ferrets are very young and,
unfortunately, this affects the overall health of the ferret over its
lifetime.
Descenting is removing the musk glands from around the tail. This gets
rid of most of the musky smell. They have other musk glands & will still
have a slight smell to them. Some ferrets have a stronger odor than
others. I had one that got a small odor within a week of having a bath
and another that could go four months without any odor. If there is a
ferret smell in the home, it’s usually because the bedding, cage, or
litter boxes isn't clean. The sleep bedding should be changed every week.
Ferrets should be bathed very little, preferably no more than every
three to four months. Bathing removes the natural oils from the skin and
fur, which can cause skin and coat problems, as well as excessive
itching. Too much bathing actually makes the smell stronger because the
musk glands give off oil for the dry skin and coat, which gives off the
musky smell.
Nails grow very fast & must be trimmed every 10-14 days. It’s important
nails are kept trimmed, as they get caught in bedding or carpeting,
which can rip out a toenail or even break a toe or a foot. Grown out
nails also cause an abnormal walk for the ferret, which can hurt the
feet and legs.
Ferrets are very smart and very fast. If they can find a way to get out
of the house, they will. Any open door is a chance for it to get out.
Everyone thinks they’ll see a ferret escape or it can't make it out the
door fast enough. There are a lot of ferret owners who can tell you
differently and have dead ferret experiences because of it. A child does
not shut doors well or quickly and cannot look for a ferret trying to
escape. You must make sure children cannot let the ferrets out
accidentally. Every hole an inch or larger has to be covered or blocked
or the ferret can squeeze through. Anything that can be scratched
through must be blocked, especially dryer hoses and screen.
Ferrets can catch bacterial infections and the flu from humans. They
cannot catch colds. Most humans don’t know if they have a cold, the flu
or an infection. If you or anyone in your household has the symptoms of
a cold or the flu, it can be life or death to the ferret, so keep the
ferret away from the germs. If a person with cold symptoms has to go
around the ferrets, hands should be thoroughly washed and the ferret
kept completely away from the face. Even better is to wear a face mask.
Do not cough or sneeze around the ferrets if you have cold symptoms.
If you have any questions about ferrets, feel free to contact me at kmferretrescue@comcast.net.
Ferret Food
Because of the fast metabolism, ferrets MUST HAVE FOOD AND WATER
AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES. They can’t be fed on a schedule.
They should have a very high protein / high fat food. A protein level as
close to 50% and a fat content of 18% is best. Of course, the better the
food, the more expensive it is. Do not feed anything under 35% protein;
it will cause more medical problems and/or early death. Any ferret food
from Wal-Mart or the grocery store is NOT okay to feed to a ferret.
Ferrets should be fed ferret food and not cat food. Below is a link to a
site that explains the difference in the nutritional needs and digestive
systems of ferrets and cats:
http://www.totallyferret.de/46_42_2_Isnt-the-ferret-just-a-smaller-cat.html
Essentially, ferrets: process their food twice as fast; require four
times more amino acids like taurine; require minimum 36% protein,
compared to 26% for cats; can accept only 20% carbohydrates, compared to
70%; require 33% more fatty acids; need higher vitamins; do not utilize
roughage and different kinds of sugar and cats do; and are more
sensitive to high salt.
The ingredients of the food are as important as the protein level. The
first two ingredients should be a meat or meat product. If one of the
first two ingredients is not meat based, then don't feed that food! A
meat meal actually has more protein than whole meat, so try to feed
something with a first ingredient of a meat meal.
There is a lot of discussion about grain free diets for ferrets. Because
they are carnivores, people assume they do not absorb carbohydrates from
grains and, therefore, try to feed a grain free diet. Most of the grain
free diets substitute vegetables for rice. Ferrets actually do not
digest vegetables well. They pass quickly through the system. So, a diet
with vegetables in it is not as a good as a diet with rice in it.
Ferrets do at least absorb some protein and nutrition from rice and
other carbohydrates, although not as much as from meat.
There is considerable information available now that shows ferrets,
especially males, are prone to crystals in the urinary tract when fed a
diet with peas in it.
Ferrets can be very picky about what they will eat. Do not assume it
will eat a new food you buy. If possible, buy a food that can be
returned if the ferret doesn’t eat it or see if there are other ferret
owners that will give you a sample of the food they feed. I have samples
of 13 kinds of ferret food I can send out for .25 per bag plus shipping.
Search out ferret foods from reputable sites such as ferret.com with meats listed first in the nutrition charts. Google "more dooks food chart" for a food comparison. Many ferrets coming into the shelter prefer Marshalls Premium or Marshalls Chicken. This is because ferrets imprint on foods at a young age, and many ferrets are from Marshall Farms. (This is indicated by the 2 dots tattood on their ear.) Ferrets can be switched over to better quality foods with time, patience, and mixing into their soupies, but don't just do a 100% switch over night! They are very picky eaters and might not recognize the new food as food at all. In fact, many ferrets who are lost outdoors can often starve because they only recognize their current kibble as food. For this reason, it's important to incorporate a mix of 3 or 4 different foods into their diet (all available at the same time) should 1 food type become temporarily unavailable or discontinued alltogether.
Ferret-Proofing your Home
Note – just because your home is ferret proofed for a ferret you already
have or had, does not mean it is ferret proofed for good or for another
ferret. Ferrets learn to try different things over time and every ferret
is different about what it will try and do.
* Block off the kitchen when the ferret is out. Ferrets can climb under
appliances and get electrocuted, stuck or even escape. A ferret can
climb a baby gate or claw through it.
* Check under all cabinets to make sure there aren't any holes in the
corners. If there are, they must be blocked. There are almost always
holes in the corner of kitchen cabinets. While the holes may not lead
anywhere, there can be things under there that can hurt the ferret. The
ferret can get under there and not want to come out or it can go to the
bathroom under there and you can’t get it cleaned up.
* Block any space of 1" or more if you don't want the ferret in that
area, including under doors, through pet gates, etc.
* Be sure the ferret can't get to the laundry area. This is the way most
ferrets get out of the house. They claw or chew through the dryer hose.
They can also crawl into the back of the washer and get hurt or stuck.
* Block any way to get under or behind the stove, refrigerator or
dishwasher in case the ferret gets into the kitchen.
* Ferrets will scratch through screen. Don't allow them to get near it.
* If you have hardwood or linoleum floors, put down throw rugs, sheets,
towels, etc. to keep the ferret from slipping and spraining a foot or leg.
* Remove any bug or mouse traps or spray. Only use bug sprays that are
safe for ferrets and allow to dry before letting the ferrets be around
it. Never use flea bombs with ferrets in the house.
* Consider getting magnets on cabinet doors. They will eventually learn
how to open them.
* Keep toilets closed. Ferrets can pull themselves up and get in the
toilet, then drown.
* Ferrets will dig in dirt. So keep house plants out of reach.
* If you find there's something the ferret likes to chew on, remove it
and everything like it. Some ferrets will chew on vinyl or latex toys,
others on socks, and so on. If they do, these things must be taken away.
Treats for Ferrets
Everyone wants to feed a treat to their ferret. The question is, what is a good treat? Best would be if you could get the ferret to eat meat and offer meat (any kind, except processed), cooked or raw, as a treat. There are also treats on the market of dehydrated chicken strips, liver, etc. Unfortunately, most ferrets don't go for these right off the bat, but they may learn to like them over time. If you must use a pre-packaged treat that is not meat, read the labels and avoid anything with a high sugar content, which includes glycerin and glycol. Bandits treats are one of the biggest treats on the market. They recently changed their ingredients to have less sugar in them. Any non-meat treat should be given in moderation, preferrably no more than one per day. People food, other than meat, is not an appropriate treat under any circumstances. Often ferrets will like the smell of people food, raisins, bananas, Cheerios, etc. Fruits are high in sugar and can spike the blood glucose level. Cereals are high in carbohydrates that can lead to insulinoma. The bottom line is, ferrets can only digest meat protein and a few other things. Any treat you give that is not meat is not being digested and used by the ferret, it is passing right through the system and possibly causing damage along the way.
History of Ferrets
Ferrets as pets are not a new phenomenon!
It is believed their domestication began over 2,500 years ago. While used as a working animal in some places, they are primarily a pet in the United States.
In 425 BC the Greek word "ictis" occurs in Aristophanes' play: The Acharnians. This could have referenced a ferret, polecat or mongoose and the Romans probably used ferrets for hunting, a practice known as ferreting.
The name "ferret" is derived from the Latin furittus, meaning "little thief". Very appropriate considering the joy they take in stashing their treasures away.
In 1389, a book entitled "The Hunt" by Gaston Phoebus includes instructions on using ferrets to hunt rabbits using muzzles and netting placed over holes.
1489–1490, Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Lady with an Ermine" is likely a ferret. Its white color meant to represent chastity.
"The Ferreter's Tapestry" is a 15th-century tapestry from Burgundy, France, showing a group of peasants hunting rabbits with nets and white ferrets.
Conrad Gesner's "Historiae Animalium" of 1551 shows a ferret with a collar and leash.
In the United states, they were rare as pets in the 1980's, but estimates in 1996 placed their domestic population around 800,000.
Ferret Antics
Anyone with a ferret knows that if something is missing, they need to check the hidey-hole! Ferrets are known to stash a variety of objects that they find interesting. This could be anything from car keys to their approved toys. Many like the rubber protective casing for smart phones, so those are fair game as well to be hidden.
Is your ferret jumping around and making a chucking/dooking noise? It isn't angry, but just dancing for you to play with it! This is also called the weasel war dance.
How to Approximate a Ferret's Age
It's kind of hard to tell someone how to tell the age of a ferret.Once
you've done it long enough, you have a good idea.What most of us use to
tell the age is:
* Teeth and gums- a young ferret will have white teeth and pink gums. At
about two years old, it starts getting a little plaque on the teeth and
possibly some redness in the gums.It progresses from there.If the teeth
are really yellow, have a lot of plaque and/or the gums are really red,
then we figure the ferret is at least five years old. (Bad teeth can
also be from prior poor care or malnutrition.)
* Fur - a young ferret's coat is usually very full, soft and silky. It
also has a strong color base.As a ferret ages, the ferret's coat can get
more coarse and thinner.The color starts getting lighter and grey in
some ferrets. (A coarse and thin coat can also be from stress or
malnutrition.)
* Toenails - as a ferret ages, some of the toenails begin to flatten
from top to bottom.(Flat toenails can also be from poor care or
malnutrition.)
*Activity - a young ferret usually has a lot of energy and is extremely
active.The older a ferret gets, the less active it is or the more rest
it needs between activity.
* Eyes - a young ferret's eyes are clear and bright. As the ferret ages,
the ferret can get cataracts.Cataracts usually come on after four years
of age, though they can come sooner.
* Medical issues - most ferrets don't get insulinoma until at least four
years and often later. Adrenal disease normally shows up after four
years as well, though it’s not uncommon to see it at three years.
Adding a New (hopefully rescued!) Ferret to your Existing Ferrets
The ferret you already have is going to be nervous about the new ferret
and vice versa. They have to learn to trust each other. The house is
the territory of your ferret. It will now have to deal with another
animal bringing in all sorts of new scents. The new ferret will have to
deal with entering a home with already established scents.
Suggestions: Wash and clean anything and everything that belongs to your
ferret, so that less of its scent is all over the house. Give them
separate food and water dishes / bottles in different places, so they
don't have to compete or aggravate each other when eating or drinking.
Praise both ferrets often, so don't feel like the other is getting more
attention. Consider letting them have separate time out in the house for
a little while. The less threatened they each feel, the shorter time it
will take for them to accept each other.
If one ferret snaps or starts a fight with another ferret, pick it up
and take it to a different area. If it happens again, pick it up,
telling it no and take it to a different area. If it happens again, put
it in the cage with the door open. Next try putting it in the cage with
the door shut for just a minute. They get the picture pretty fast that
there will be repercussions for fighting. However, sometimes that just
doesn't make a difference.
Adding a Ferret to a Home with Cats
There may be issues with adding a ferret to a home with an adult cat. A
cat can be added to a home with a ferret, usually without any problem,
because a ferret is not territorial.
Cats are territorial. Adding a ferret to an adult cat's territory can
sometimes be a problem. Sometimes the cat will attack the ferret. More
often, the cat will stop using the litter box and start going around the
house rather than in the litter box. This is to show the humans it's not
happy and to show the ferret the house is the cat's territory. This is
what happens most of the time and it's very, very hard to make the cat
stop. Again, this doesn't occur every time, but you never know if it's
going to happen the one time you try it.
Adding the ferret to a home with kittens is not usually a problem.
Bathing a Ferret
Your ferret should be bathed as little as possible, and no more than every few months. I have a friend whom hasn't bathed her ferrets in a year and you cannot tell it. If you bathe too often, it makes the glands in the skin give off more oil, which makes the ferret actually smell worse.
When you do bathe the ferret, use a shampoo made for ferrets or kittens. Baby shampoo will do in a pinch. Just a small amount, like the size of a dime is enough.
Try hard not to get water in the ears or eyes. I hold my hand over the ears to wet the back of the head and rest of the body. I use a damp cloth to clean the face, so I don't have to actually wet the face.
If you're bathing in the sink or tub, be sure to have something the ferret can stand on to keep it from slipping. If the ferret's feet and slipping on the sink or tub, it will get scared and is going to fight a lot.
Rinse the ferret well when done and dry with a towel. The ferret will try to get out of the towel very fast. Try to get the ferret as dry as you can before letting it go. Be sure to have a sheet or something on the floor that the ferret can burrow under. This is its way of drying off.
Once the ferret is done running around and drying off, use a Johnson & Johnson Q-tip to carefully dry out the ears of any water that may have got in them.
Cleaning Ferret Ears
Ferrets ears should be cleaned every couple of months, more often if you
notice they are dirty. As ferrets play, they get dirt in their ears.
You will need: mineral oil, cotton swabs or balls, ear wash
Dip a cotton swab or ball in mineral oil, just a small amount. Scruff the
ferret. Use the cotton swab or ball to wipe the inside of the ferret's ear,
including any wax you can easily see. Do not use a cotton swab to dig into
the ferret's ear.
Make sure the ear wash is warm. Cold liquid going in the ferret's ears is
irritating and will cause them to jump. Put four or five drops of the warm
ear wash in one ear. Rub the solution into the ear for about 30 seconds.
Then let the ferret go.The ferret will shake out any loose ear wax. It will
also rub its head into the ground, which will help clean it out.
Once the ferret is no longer rubbing its head into the ground or shaking its
head, then do the same thing for the other ear. It's a good idea to offer
some Ferretone or something the ferret likes after cleaning each ear. This
helps make it less of a bad thing for the ferret.
Ferret Biting
A lot of ferrets bite just out of playfulness or not knowing any
better. When they play with another ferret, they can bite and do it
pretty hard. They have to be taught that this is not appropriate to do
with humans. This is, of course, a little more difficult to do with a
deaf ferret.
First thing is to be aware when you are around the ferret for actions
that lead up to biting. For example, I had a ferret that would always
lick twice before biting (as do a lot of ferrets). I had another that
would come up and sniff first before biting. If you can recognize some
of the actions, you can take pre-emptive measures to keep the biting
from occurring.
Be sure the ferret is not hungry. A ferret should have food down at all
times. Ferrets can be very picky about the food they eat, so make sure
the ferret is eating nearly a bowlful of food a day. If it isn't, it's
probably not eating enough because it doesn't like the food.
If you see that the ferret is acting like it is going to bite, move the
ferret away from you or move yourself slowly away from the ferret. If
you move away quickly, the ferret will think it is a game and want to
bite even more.
Until the ferret no longer bites, do not roughhouse, play chase or
anything else that will make the ferret more likely to bite. The ferret
must first learn to play nicely.
When the ferret does bite, take the ferret by the scruff of the neck,
say no (but not yelling) and place it away from you. A mother ferret
will scruff a baby ferret when it is misbehaving, so that's what you're
doing. Don't yell at, shake or hit the ferret, because this can cause
more biting and even aggressiveness. If the ferret tries to bite again
within a short time (like a few minutes), scruff it and put it in a
different area. If it happens again, scruff it and put it in the cage,
but only for a minute or two. They usually get the picture very quickly
when they get confined to the cage. If the biting persists, confine to
the cage for five minutes. (Any longer than five minutes and the ferret
has no idea why it's in the cage.)
Ferrets and (Human) Children
Most rescues do not recommend having a ferret with young children (under
10). There are several reasons as noted below. I have adopted to
families with children. I just want everyone aware of any potential issues.
First, any animal will bite if something happens that it doesn't like.
So, if the ferret is pressed too hard, held too long, not allowed to go
where it wants to go, etc., it may bite the child. Children do not
always recognize when they are pressing too hard, holding too long or
not allowing the ferret to go where it wants to go.
Most ferrets do bite some when they are playing. Children usually can't
tell what's a bad bite and a play bite and sometimes the ferret bites
hard when playing. I have bite marks on my hands and arms from where the
ferrets get playing too rough.
Ferrets get ulcers easily from stress. Stress can be from being handled
too much, being handled the wrong way, too much noise, too much activity
around it and so on. Ulcers are very hard to treat and most ferrets end
up dying from them. If the ferret is around children, especially young
ones, noise needs to be kept to a minimum with no screaming and no loud
music or TV. The ferret should not be handled much by the children and
only with adult supervision. The ferret needs to have at least 16 hours
of quiet time where there aren't children playing around it. Two times I
have taken in ferrets that have had to be euthanized because they were
in such bad condition from being around young children.
Ferrets can catch viruses and bacterial infections from humans, which is
deadly to them. Children are bad about taking precautions.
It is very easy for a child to injure a ferret and not mean to. Rescues
get a lot of injured ferrets in and nearly all of those injuries were
caused by children and usually by accident. Ferrets are so fast and
wiry, they get out of hands fast and fall to the floor or run through a
door as it is being shut. Another rescue did a ferret education day at a
school. The teacher was holding the ferret. It wiggled out of her hands,
fell to the floor and died shortly after. If this can happen to an adult
teacher, it can happen much more to a child.
Ferrets are very fast and very, very good at escaping. There's just no
way a child can move fast enough to keep a ferret from getting through
an open doorway.
Children are very bad about closing doors behind them or closing them
tightly. A ferret will always investigate a door that has been opened
and will escape if it can.
Ferrets can get intestinal blockages very easily from anything small
dropped on the floor. Children cannot be trusted to catch when they drop
something or the ferret can chew on the children’s toys, shoes, etc. An
intestinal blockage means death or expensive surgery. I took in a six
month old rescue that had chewed doll clothes. He died within a week
because he was too weak to have surgery. The surgery would have cost
upwards of $400 or more.
Children tend to respond to peer pressure. While your child may be good
around the ferret, the child’s friend may not be and can hurt the ferret
or pressure your child into doing something that shouldn’t be done.
Please consider all these things when making a decision.
Ferrets using trays/shelves as a potty?
If a ferret is aggravated at being in the cage too much, it will
sometimes do its business on the shelves of the cage to show its
displeasure. Be sure the ferret gets several hours out of the cage
at least twice a day. Even better is to let the ferret have free roam in
a room, like a bedroom, and leave the cage open and available.
Next, be sure it is easy for the ferret to get up and down to the bottom
of the cage to use the litter box. If the ramps are too steep or the
openings are too wide and the ferret is fearful of falling, it will use
the tray. Consider covering wire ramps with a towel to make it easier.
There should be some light in the room at night so the ferret can see
easily enough to get to the bottom of the cage. Otherwise, it may not
going to risk going up and down ramps.
Consider setting up one tray of the cage with a litter box and
newspaper, so the ferret isn't forced to go all the way to the bottom.
Sometimes they just have to go faster than they can get to the bottom
and once the smell is there, they keep going there.
Litter Training
Ferrets can be very good about using the litter box or newspaper. Some
can be very bad about it. It's the luck of the draw when you get them.
Even with the good ones, expect accidents at least 10% or more of the time.
First, please know that not all ferrets will use a litter box. Some
prefer to use newspaper or pads.
Ferrets can be picky about the type of litter box they use. Try
different sizes or types. Having several, and not just one or two, is
important. Do not expect the ferret to go back to its cage to use the
litter box or newspaper. It is rare for this to happen. If the ferret
won't use the litter box, try putting pee pads or newspapers down.
Ferrets do everything by smell. So, try to use an unscented litter or a
litter with a smell that doesn't bother the ferret. Also, use an
excellent carpet cleaner to get out any smell after accidents. (I use
Zep carpet cleaner sold in Lowes and Home Depot. It's $10 for a gallon
and concentrated. Use about 1/8 cup to 32 oz. of water. A friend uses
Odoban.)
Ferrets have a tendency toward lung problems, so it's important to use a
litter with very little dust. When you pour litter into the pan, make
sure the ferret isn't around. It is better not to use a clumping cat
litter. I use recycled paper litter or horse pine pellets.
Cleanliness is extremely important. Ferrets generally won’t use a litter
box, pad or newspaper if there is a smell. Keeping the areas clean will
make the ferret use it more. The litter box must be scooped at least
twice a day and newspaper changed twice a day or fresh newspaper laid on
top of the soiled paper.
Ferrets nearly always back into a corner to do their business. You
should have every possible corner either set up with a litter box, pad
or newspaper or blocked so the ferret can’t or doesn’t want to use the
corner. I have newspaper or pads in nearly every corner of my home where
the ferrets have access. The areas that don’t have newspaper or pads
have something blocking the areas, like a blanket thrown in the corner.
Any time you see the ferret actually doing its business away from the
litter box, pad or newspaper, pick up the ferret and put it in the
litter box or on the pad or newspaper.
If you don't see the ferret having an accident outside the litter box,
just clean it up. Don't bother scolding, because it will not comprehend
what it is being scolded for and may make it more likely to misbehave.
When the ferret does use the litter box, pad or newspaper, praise and
pet it. Do this every time the ferret uses the litter box (or every time
you can). It will eventually come to realize using the litter box is a
good thing and results in good attention. Working it from the positive
and good for the ferret standpoint is much more effective.
As you're home and the ferret is up, occasionally take the ferret over
to the litter box, pads or newspaper to constantly reinforce this is the
place to go.
Since ferrets usually need to go soon after awakening, if you see the
ferret awaken, take it to the litter box as more reinforcement of where
to go. You can actually stay with the ferret and keep putting it in the
litter box until it goes, which really reinforces this is the place to
go. Occasionally the ferret doesn’t need to go right after awakening.
So, if the ferret hasn’t gone within a couple of minutes, just keep an
eye on it and don’t keep trying to put it in a litter box or on newspaper.
If the litter pan is on slick flooring, consider putting a towel,
newspaper, pee pad, etc. under it. Sometimes slick flooring makes a
ferret feel like it’s going to slip and it may avoid a litter box where
it feels unsafe. Also, the ferret nearly always has a couple of drops of
urine that will get on the floor, and having a towel there keeps things
cleaner.
Again, you must have newspaper and/or litter boxes in many corners in
the areas where the ferret is running loose. It will seldom go back to
the cage or another room to do its business.
|
|
