Albino Ferret Pooping Everywhere. How To Stop It
Have you recently adopted an albino ferret who won’t stop pooping everywhere? You are not alone in this struggle. Many pet owners are dealing with inappropriate elimination which can be quite a tussle.
However, you should not panic as you will be able to correct this issue by litter training your ferret. You will need to be very keen throughout this process. One thing I can tell you for sure is that you may need a lot of patience during litter training.
You have brought home an adorable albino ferret but your house has started stinking, despite providing a litterbox. Below, I am going to highlight three factors that could be contributing to the litterbox avoidance.
Why is my albino ferret pooping everywhere?
Well, this question can have different answers. For instance, has your ferret ever been litter trained? Also, the location of the litterbox could be a problem. Several factors will contribute to inappropriate elimination in ferrets. These include:
- Location of the litterbox
- Availability of the litterbox
- Cleanliness of the box
The location of the litter box
In most cases, you will need to put the litterbox in your ferret’s cage. However, unlike cats, ferrets love it when they get to choose the litterbox area.
You may prepare his cage with a litterbox and your ferret will end up using another corner of the cage. It only means that your ferret does not like where you initially placed the litter box.
Availability of the litterbox
Litter training is not going to be a process, as I had suggested above. However, you must make sure that the litterboxes are readily available. Understand that due to their small size, ferrets have a fast metabolism rate.
This makes it difficult for you to schedule bathroom breaks. Concentrate on litter training your ferret from inside the cage. If you have a multi-level cage for your albino ferret, I suggest you provide a box on each level for his convenience.
Cleanliness of the litterbox
Your ferret will probably refuse to go to a dirty litter box. This is especially crucial because the litterbox is in his cage, where he sleeps and eats from. It would be very depressing to spend his entire day with a dirty litterbox.
Provide clean a litterbox every day and scoop every time your ferret eliminates. A dirty litterbox will discourage your ferret from using it completely.
How to stop an albino ferret from pooping everywhere
If there is something most ferret owners dread is the smell of their pet’s poop in the house. However, if you fail to train your ferret on how to use a litterbox, you are going to have a problem.
While most of us want to let our ferrets run around the house, litterbox training out of the cage is going to be challenging. Therefore, if you are afraid that your ferret is pooping around, it is time to begin training.
I suggest that you start this training immediately you bring your ferret home. Below, we are going to look at a step by step guide to litter training a ferret.
Step I Confine him in his cage strictly
Step II Let him choose the litter box area
Step III Get appropriate litterboxes
Step IV Clean up accidents
Step V Reward to reinforce training
Step VI Refrain from punishing your ferret
Step I Confine him in his cage strictly
Litter training your ferret is going to take some time, as with most pets. The only upside is that ferrets are highly intelligent and possess great communication skills. This makes them trainable and with the time you will no longer have to deal with poop smell in the house.
However, during this training period, you will need to confine him strictly to the cage. after all, training him out of the cage will be quite challenging.
It is possible that your ferret will get distracted and start running around the house. Well, ferret owners can tell you about the excitement that comes with letting them out of the cage. In the case he has the urge to poop, he may not get to the litterbox. Your cute albino ferret might end up pooping everywhere.
I suggest you purchase a bigger cage for your furry friend now that he is going to be spending his days in the cage. Make sure that it has a sleeping and feeding area, away from the litterbox area. He would not be comfortable eating or sleeping close to where he poops.
Step II Let him choose the litterbox area
As I mentioned above, your ferret might be a little rebellious when it comes to the appropriate corner for the litterbox. I mean, you can prepare the litterbox area and he can choose to poop anywhere else.
Ferrets are known for choosing their pooping place. If he poops in another corner, I suggest you get him out of the cage and clean up. Put the litterbox in the area that your ferret chose earlier. It is unlikely that he will fail to use the litterbox this time.
However, in some cases, you might need to remind your ferret about the litterbox. If he does not seem to understand what the litterbox is for, you may put his poop from the soiled spot on the poop. As I have previously indicated, ferrets are highly intelligent creatures. He is going to understand the use of a litterbox.
Step III Get appropriate litterboxes
Now, getting the correct litterbox is going to be very crucial, and more so getting the right type of litter. The litter you use in the box could discourage your ferret from using it.
I suggest that you get low edged litterboxes as ferrets are small creatures. This will ensure that he can climb into and out of the litter box easily.
I suggest you get more than two litter boxes, especially if you have more than one ferret. Also, ensure that you get the right kind of litter for your ferret. Refrain from using cat litter in your ferret’s litterbox. Instead, use paper litter which is safer for them and enjoyable to dig.
Step IV Clean up accidents
When you are starting litter training, you need to be prepared to deal with accidents. As with everything else, this training is a process, and not always an easy one.
When your ferret poops on the floor or his beddings, you need to clean them up immediately. Scoop the waste and clean thoroughly to remove the smell of poop. The smell can encourage your ferret to keep soiling the floor or his beddings.
Do not scold him for pooping inappropriately. I insist that new owners should get baby albino ferrets as they will learn faster and stop pooping everywhere.
Once your furry buddy gets used to litter training, you will no longer have to keep cleaning up the floors because he has soiled them. However, you must keep the litterboxes clean at all times. Scoop the soiled litter immediately your ferret eliminates.
Step V Reward to reinforce training
Litter training a ferret is not always an easy task. However, with patience and commitment, you can stop your albino ferret from pooping everywhere in the house.
To reinforce each step of the training process, I suggest you get meaty treats for your friend. Only offer them a piece immediately they use their litterbox.
To train your ferret successfully, you should associate the act of using the box with a positive outcome. He will always expect a treat after appropriately using the litterbox.
Step VI Refrain from punishing your ferret
I have kept pets for decades now and if there is one thing I can tell you is that they do not understand the concept of punishment at all. This includes yelling, hitting or any other punishment methods we use.
For this reason, I emphasize not punishing your pet, especially not when you are litter training them. Instead, do not give them any rewards as it could be confusing. Do clean up and repeat the process over and over until your ferret can confidently use the litterbox.
Step VII Litter train him out of his cage
Supposing that your ferret is now well trained, it is time to do some more training. Once again, you do not have to worry as ferrets are quite trainable. He now understands the concept of using the litterbox and he sure knows what it is used for.
However, he cannot live in the cage forever. Instead, you should start introducing him to litter training out of the cage. For instance, let him out of the cage and into a small ferret proofed area.
Put a litterbox outside the cage but in the small room, preferably at a corner. Now, you must lead him to the litterbox out of his cage right before you initiate play or exercise.
Once again, your albino ferret might continue pooping everywhere if you leave him unsupervised. Therefore, watch out for any signs that he wants to poop during play.
For instance, most ferrets go towards a corner when they have the urge to eliminate. You can use his poop in the litterbox outside the cage to reinforce your litterbox training.
Quickly and gently pick him up and place him on the litterbox if he avoided it at first. When he eliminates successfully, you may present a treat to praise his good behavior.
Always lead him to the litterbox when you let him out of the cage and especially when he wakes up in the morning.
My final words
Albino ferrets are extremely adorable with their pink eyes and soft coats. However, one may not feel so when the ferret keeps soiling the house. The only effective solution is to initiate litter training immediately.
I suggest you get a baby ferret, maybe 1-2 years old as they are pretty easy to train. However, this does not mean that you cannot train an older ferret. It will only take some more time to get your albino ferret to stop pooping everywhere in his cage or house.
The key to successfully litter train your ferret is to remain patient and consistent. Of course, sometimes he is going to make a mess, and it is annoying but the good thing is that he is learning.
You will soon solve the poop problem with your new friend. Do not consider punishing or yelling at him for a few accidents. Also, it can be a lengthy and tiring process but giving up is not an option.
