How to Successfully Litter Train Ferrets

Ferret owners often refer to their ferrets as "permanent 2-year-olds"; however, training your little guy to use a litter box does not have to be as challenging as teaching a toddler to use a potty. In fact, most ferrets can be litter-box trained relatively quickly. After successfully training your pet to use a litter box, cleanup time will become a breeze.

Things You'll Need

  • Ferret, cat, or small animal litter box
  • Litter
Show More

Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Invest in litter boxes. There are many different styles and sizes to choose from. Ideally, you should purchase litter boxes that are large enough for the ferret to fit comfortably inside. The litter box should also have a wide entrance that is shallow enough for the ferret to easily climb in. If the litter box is too small for the ferret or if the perimeter of the entrance is too high, the ferret may decide against using the litter box. The style and size of litter box you should purchase will depend on the size of the cage, how many ferrets you own, and the size of the ferrets. However, generally, a litter box that is roughly 11-1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches should work nicely in either small or large cages.

    • 2

      Choose a litter for your ferret. Pelleted litter is the safest type of litter for your ferret. Pelleted litter can be made out of materials such as recycled paper and wood. A good alternative to pelleted litter is wood stove pellets, which is used for pellet stoves.

    • 3

      Close off areas of the cage--including the eating and sleeping areas--that you do not want your ferret to use as a bathroom. Depending on the setup of the cage, closing off certain areas of the cage can be as easy as removing ladders or blocking entrances.

    • 4

      Set up multiple litter boxes in different areas of the cage. By doing this, you increase the ferret's probability of successfully using a litter box. After a while, you will also see which areas the ferret prefers, and you can remove the unused litter boxes.

    • 5

      Place the ferret in the cage and observe the ferret until it starts showing signs that it needs to relieve itself. Knowing when a ferret needs to urinate or defecate is not difficult. When a ferret needs to go, it typically backs itself into a corner.

    • 6

      Scoop the ferret up and place it in a litter box as soon as it begins backing into a corner. The ferret may resist the litter box by jumping out of it over and over again. However, persistence is the key to success, so keep putting the ferret back in a litter box until it uses the box.

    • 7

      Repeat Steps 5 and 6 until the ferret uses the litter box on its own. Remember, accidents do happen and that a perfect success rate is rare.