Raising a ferret certainly brings lots of fun and lasting memories. From having a loyal companion who is always by your side, to sharing many experiences that you have with your pet ferret soon becomes an important part of your life. However, owning a ferret involves responsibilities and proper toilet training your ferret is one of the most important things that need your attention.
Ferrets are among the cutest pets. However, your pet can be a nuisance – smells foul, lacks hygiene, and pee or poo here and there – unless he is potty trained. This makes toilet training a key responsibility of a ferret owner. To make your task easier a lot easier, there are proven and effective ways to properly toilet train your ferret. Follow these steps correctly and you will never need to bother about accidentally stepping on your pet’s poop scattered on the floor.
Start Early
You can start toilet training your pet anytime. However, it is highly recommended that you should begin the house training as soon as possible. As soon as you bring home a new ferret, it starts looking for an area in your house immediately and marks the area as his territory by peeing or pooping. Unfortunately, the next time it needs to eliminate, it will look for a different spot to mark. When you are unable to control this behavior, you need to wither a smelly house that is full of crap.
However, such behavior does not mean that ferrets are incapable of practicing proper hygiene and learn toilet manners. The fact is, all you need to do is to invest some time and effort in training it.
Using a Litter Pan
This is an effective way to encourage your ferret to learn and practice proper toilet habit. When you see the pet eliminating in any part of your house, immediately scoop the poop and place it in a pan. After doing so, give it some time to smell and investigate the pan with poop. Do it every time it eliminates. Practicing this repeatedly let your pet slowly but surely learn that the pan is the right place to eliminate and he should not do it anywhere else.
For the first few days, expect your pet to fail this test. However, refrain from showing anger or frustration, as this is a natural considering the fact that ferrets are harder to train than other domesticated animals, such as dogs and cats. They need time to learn your instructions and follow them.
Accidents are likely during this learning period. However, never scold your pet or show anger for not obeying your command properly. Doing this will only makes the ferret more indifferent toward potty training. Instead, be prepared to have lots of patience and understanding. When it finally gets the idea and starts to use the pan, make sure to give it a reward or incentive, such as treats, admiration, or even a simple pat on its back, to encourage.
Using Several Litter Boxes
If you diligently follow toilet training using a litter pan and still get unfavorable results, you can try the next method – using several litter boxes. The trick is to scatter several litter boxes inside your house, especially on areas frequented by your pet. However, don’t expect immediate success with this method. It may take time, as is the previous one. In fact, your pet may need several days or weeks before he is able to learn and follow the practice.
When your pet successfully uses one of the litter boxes, immediately give it a reward or prize. Even if he becomes a regular, you may need a few more days of supervision to make sure that your pet has mastered this toilet training method.
Limit the Area When Toilet Training Your Ferret
If all methods to toilet training your ferret fails, your last resort is to limit your pet’s area. Restrain or confine him whenever you see signs indicting his readiness to eliminate. Doing so will force it to eliminate on the litter box or pan you have prepared. Although it may seem a little harsh confining a ferret to a smaller place, you can allow him to roam freely again inside the house once he learns proper toilet habits.
However, when doing this, make sure to clean the discharge immediately to prevent potential health and hygiene issues. Because of the small space, bacteria and germs from poop can easily transfer to your pet’s food and water.
