Ferrets are naturally clean animals. They usually do their business in a specific area of their cage, but to train them properly, you may need a little patience because it can take some time before it works.
To start litter training your ferret, begin inside the cage before expanding to the rest of the house. There’s no need to rush the process. Pet stores sell litter boxes specifically designed for ferrets, often triangular with at least one low side for easy access. Fill the box with a suitable litter, such as recycled paper (e.g., Yesterday’s News), hardwood shavings (e.g., aspen), or newspaper.
The first step is to place your ferret in the litter box every time it wakes up, as they tend to relieve themselves within 15 minutes of waking. Ferrets often choose a favorite spot for this, so placing the litter box in that location will encourage use.
If you notice your ferret preparing to go outside the litter box—typically backing up with its tail raised—gently pick it up and place it in the box immediately. If your ferret doesn’t understand at first, avoid yelling, scolding, or punishing, as this will only create stress and confusion.
Instead, use positive reinforcement. Offer verbal praise like “Bravo!” and occasional treats, such as a small piece of chicken or beef, each time your ferret successfully uses the litter box. With patience and consistency, your ferret will learn proper litter habits.
A complementary element to all this is that it is possible to place stools in the litter box at any time during training so that he understands that this is the precise place he must go. The litter box must be large enough for the animal to enter completely and to be able to turn around easily.
Once your ferret consistently uses the litter box in its cage, you can begin allowing supervised access to the house. We recommend placing a litter box in each room your ferret has access to. If you notice your ferret retreating to a corner, place a litter box there to ensure easy and quick access when needed.
If you have multiple ferrets, additional litter boxes will be necessary. Ferrets can be quite particular about their litter box preferences, sometimes rejecting a box due to its location, contents, material (wood, plastic), entrance design, or even color. Because of this, you may need to experiment with different options to find what works best for your pet.
Finally, it is also important to clean the litter boxes frequently to keep them clean.
If your ferret is sick or experiencing diarrhea, it may not be able to reach the litter box in time and could have accidents elsewhere. This doesn’t mean your ferret has forgotten its training—it’s likely a sign of an underlying health issue. In this case, it's important to consult a veterinarian from the AnimaPlus team to diagnose the problem and determine the best treatment.