How to Help Your Young Ferret Learn to Be Polite

Many people who have not attempted to train a young ferret may assume it is a smelly animal that pees everywhere and nips people. Young ferrets need and should be trained to be "polite", just as we train puppies and kittens to be behaved.

First you must decide a few things. Do you want to litter train your ferret? Ferrets do not litter train as easily as cats. Still if you let out your ferret to play supervised in a contained area daily, you do not need to train litter train your ferret. Simply, put the contained play area on a surface that is easy to clean and clean up after your daily play sessions. If you walk you ferret outside do so an area where it is appropriate for the ferret to 'do his business."

First you will want to provide a sturdy litter pan that can be easily attached and removed from your ferret's housing. If you can make sure the litter pan is in a small enclosed area of the cage so the ferret is forced to use it, and not find some other space in the enclosure to use as a bathroom. This can be done by using different sized cage dividers or simply start your ferret out in a smaller cage than you plan for them to use on a regular basis.

The pan should be low in the front to give the ferret easy access and high in the back so when the ferret backs into the pan they do not overshot the top of the pan when peeing. Keep the pan clean, but leave a little feces or urine in the pan to remind the young ferret what the pan is for. Cleanup up all accidents in other parts of the cage to make sure your ferret associates the litter pan with a bathroom area. Place the ferret in the pan before you take them out and play with them. This will give the ferret the idea that they are to use the bathroom before leaving the cage.

Once the ferret has managed the litter box in the cage try placing the litter box in the play area. If the ferret has an accident in the wrong place immediately place the ferret in the litter box. You might want to clean the area the ferret had the accident in then feed them in it. Ferrets will not go to the bathroom in places they think they should eat.

It takes time, but a young ferret can be trained to use a litter box. You will want to keep the litter box very clean once you have trained your ferret. Ferrets will become fastidious about their litter boxes and refuse to use excessively dirty ones.

Nipping

Like young cats and dogs ferrets do nip. Nipping is a behavior you can correct. When a young ferret nips you clap your hands loudly and say no. Stop playing with the ferret. It will take a while, but a young ferret will associate loss of a play session with nipping. Make sure you are paying attention to your young ferret and handling it often. Most ferrets will cease nipping behavior. Yes, you can still get nipped if the family ferret is being agitated by the family dog and you pick them up. This is a kind of accidental nipping that you can avoid by learning when your ferret may be feeling defensive.

Some people advocate using bitter substances on the surfaces your young ferret likes to nip like your toes.
These bitter substances usually made to stop nipping and chewing in dogs; can cause gastrointestinal problems in ferrets if used too much. They should be a last resort. Try telling your young ferret no when they attack your feet and putting them back in their cage. The association of loss of attention will cause most ferrets to cease the nipping behavior.

If you wish to train your ferret to do certain tricks there are websites that can give you hints to teach your ferret to do things like roll over. Most ferrets are so entertaining on their own they do not need to learn a great deal of tricks. Still your ferret loves your attention and training your ferret to do tricks is a great way for you and your ferret to bond.

Sources:

http://www.life123.com/parenting/pets/ferrets/ferret-training.shtml#STS=g15c8qi6.hl0

http://caringforyourpetsinfo.com/ferret-training-are-you-looking-for-answers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBVpVXW9_Fs

Ferrets for Dummies By Kim Schilling