The question of how to quickly accustom a ferret to a litter tray and do it correctly worries many animal owners. The animal can be trained, but the owner needs to be patient. If you follow specific methods, the learning process will go smoothly. Ferrets, a domesticated species of the mustelid family, are distinguished by their cleanliness. Females, as well as babies, get used to relieving themselves in the toilet more easily.
Reasons why a ferret shits in corners
It is recommended to begin training immediately after placing the ferrets in new conditions. Training sometimes stretches out. It is important to understand why ferrets do not want to use the litter box.
Common reasons:
- The container chosen as a place to relieve oneself is not washed thoroughly enough.
- Your ferret doesn't like the smell of litter.
- The tray is located far from the cage.
- The animal is in a state of stress.
- The pet is unhappy about something.
Owners are advised to closely observe the ferret to detect a problem. Sometimes even an animal trained to use the litter box goes to the toilet in another place. Most often this happens when you are scared.
Types of trays
Manufacturers offer several types of trays for pets:
| Kinds | Design Features |
| Standard, which is usually purchased for cats | Container with mesh. This toilet remains dry due to the tray into which the liquid flows. The urine collector is washed frequently because animals do not like dirt. The downside is that ferrets huddle in a corner during defecation and do not always get into the litter box. |
| With filler | Ferrets do not always accept cat litter products. Granules containing clay or wood shavings stick to the paws and cause skin irritation in mustelids. Some owners prefer to wash the device frequently and do not use filler. |
| Angular | The container is suitable for ferrets because the sides are quite high and the front is low. The bottom is lined with paper or cloth. Bedding is changed frequently. When cleaning, avoid using detergents. Ferrets find the toilet based on their smell. |
When choosing a tray, it is important to remember:
- About the correspondence of the container to the size of the animal.
- Sawdust is poured into the toilet only under the net, otherwise the animal will spread the filler throughout the room.
- The sides of the frying pan should be able to climb over without effort. High altitude will stop the animal.
- Trays are placed throughout the apartment or house.Litter boxes must be designed to match the container installed in the ferret cage.
When distributing trays for excrement in the room, they focus on the places where the ferret has already left piles of excrement. Such beacons will tell the owners the best way to place them.
How to litter train a ferret at home
They begin to train a ferret when the animal is not yet walking around the apartment. To train a litter box, different bedding is placed in the cage, leaving an area for excrement.
Sequencing:
- The container is placed away from the feeder, preferably in different corners.
- Leave some feces or urine in the pot.
- After sleep, the ferret is taken out of the cage. When the animal begins to worry, it is placed in a tray.
- Reward the animal with a treat after emptying into the pan.
- If the pet runs away and relieves itself outside the toilet, the feces are transferred to a potty.
- During the first days, attempts to place the animal in the tray are repeated every half hour.
Gradually, ferrets get used to defecating in one place. Clean animals do not dirty the territory for playing, eating or resting.
In the second stage, ferrets are trained to use the litter box indoors. For this:
- A new tray is placed in the cage, and the pot from the cage is placed in the corner of the room.
- After eating, the ferret is allowed out for short walks under the supervision of the owner.
- They try to direct the animal to the toilet when characteristic signs appear.
- For incorrect actions, the animals are scolded and put in a tray. Successful behavior is rewarded with a piece of tasty food.
Contaminated areas outside the toilet are thoroughly treated with disinfectants. Having consolidated the skills in one room, they repeat the training in rooms where the ferret is allowed to play.
How to stop a ferret from crapping in the apartment
If the ferret does not use the litter box without a cage and has chosen another place for the toilet, the owner must wean the pet from the bad habit.
There are several techniques:
- The animal is punished for every attempt to defecate outside the potty. To do this, the ferret is taken by the withers, spoken sternly, shaken a little and then put in the toilet. The ferret is scolded only after a mistake, so that incorrect actions are associated with the owner's dissatisfaction. Dipping the muzzle into a puddle of urine is not recommended, so as not to damage the fragile bones of the nose.
- Contaminated areas are washed.
- The places that the animal has chosen for the toilet are covered with a cloth with the smell of the animal.
If you don't scold your ferret for making a mistake, he will very quickly get used to going to the toilet in the wrong place.
Sometimes various tricks help correct the situation:
- When the animal begins to settle in some corner, loud noises distract its attention.
- Rusting objects or toys are left at the crime scene.
- Cover the area that the ferret has designated for the toilet with pepper or wipe with acetic acid.
- Cover the area with an old fur coat or a piece of fur.
Some ferrets do not use litter boxes even after persistent attempts by their owners to correct the situation. In this case, the area under the toilet is covered with moisture-proof material and newspapers are placed on top. All strategically important points are arranged in a similar way.
It is recommended to place several trays in each room where the ferret is allowed to roam. Digestive processes in animals proceed quickly. Impatient ferrets will not look for a toilet for long and will leave a bunch in an inappropriate place.
Common mistakes
Taming is considered complete if it is successful in 90% of cases. Owners should not expect more from their pets.
Excessive demands are one of the common misconceptions of owners. Sometimes you will have to clean the apartment from puddles or other manifestations of animal activity. Other errors:
- Rarely wash trays. Some people believe that it is easier to find a dirty pan by smell. But a ferret will not use a soiled container as a toilet. The spirit inherent in animals will remain in the tray even after rinsing with water.
- Ferrets that are not potty trained are immediately released into the room. First, the pet must learn to find the tray in the cage, and only then can it be walked indoors, first under the supervision of the owner.
- As ferrets grow older, they make attempts to prove their leadership. This behavior is characteristic of males. Attempts are stopped calmly and firmly. Each time the animal is put in a tray if it behaves restlessly.
Sometimes animals forget learned skills. In this case, the process of accustoming to the tray begins again. The second time around, learning goes much faster. It takes patience to raise a ferret and stop it from defecating outside of designated areas. Observing the behavior of the animal will help you understand what does not suit or frightens your pet. Consistent action and rewarding good behavior will speed up the process.
