How do I stop them using corners as a toilet?

[Madcowz 0]

I have just opened up the Ferret Skyway to the ferts which consists of lots of lengths of drainage pipe connecting all of the shelves up together into one big playground. (Pictures coming soon).

 

I originally spent an hour connecting the high shelves together and stood back with me 7 year old boy and said what do you think son, feeling proud as punch with my efforts, clever dad and all that. He then pointed out that there was no way for them to get up to that level as I hadn't connected it to the lower shelves.

 

A bit of hasty cutting of pipe and slipping of stanley knife into skin between thumb and finger, blade was brand new and very sharp so at least it was clean, if razor bloody sharp, and I had it all sorted, looked good if you didn't look at the blood pissing down my hand and all over the floor. This is where painting the floor dark red comes in handy!

 

Anyway, a few steri strips sorted the cut and I was able to bring the ferts back in. They went mental and spent ages running about having loads of fun while we stood in the middle watching them appear at different shelves and then dart down another pipe.

 

But...

 

came in this morning to find they had crapped and pissed in the corners of two of these shelves and then trod this all the way through the pipes.

 

One of these shelves even had a food bowl on it to try and stop them from using it as a toilet, as I heard that they don't like to go to the toilet close to their food. Well mine hadn't read that book and crapped up the side of the food dish.

 

I have cleaned and bleached and washed and scrubbed and left some enzyme solution to try and remove the smell. Are there any other tricks you guys use to stop them shitting places? Don't really want them to turn the Ferret Skyway into a Crapway.

 

thanks,

 

 

/Mad

[mole trapper 1,693]

I have kept ferrets 30+ years now, in coops cages sheds courts, and they have all had one thing in common, wherever the ferrets decide they want to shit that is where it will stay, really wazzes me off, willrennyferreters suggestion might work if you only have one or two and you are on hand everytime they go to take a dump, Unfortunatly it is not a viable option for me as i have i think around thirty at the moment, and well, lifes to short, just keep cleaning it up.

You try to make places lovely for them and this is how they show their appreciation.

[stubby 175]

put sign up saying, 10p a crap..........

 

 

 

 

well, where would they get the money from????

[gibby 0]

put sign up saying, 10p a crap..........

 

 

 

 

well, where would they get the money from????

[ferret15 0]

make their court round

[Neal 1,873]

No offence, but I'm really pleased to read about your problem as for the last seven years I thought it was only me who had dirty ferrets who crap everywhere. I tried putting a brick in one particular corner once as they seemed to prefer going on a higher area; it sort of worked but I kept getting it all over my hand every time I tried to lift it out to clean it . Other than that I've found the best way to avoid it slightly is as somebody said above ie keep shifting it all on to your preffered site(s). It works to some extent but still not perfect.

[sniffer 167]

im in the same boat lazy little shitter's

[jultaylor1972 2]

Corners seem to be the favorite place for ALL ferrets and THEY choose the corner not you You could try what willrennyferreter said and also try putting obstacles in their way in the corners until they poo somewhere else? Its a long, frustrating process so good luck

[Hob&Jill 258]

Unfortunatly you normally have to work around them

 

Stubbord little b*****ds...

[Malt 379]

In my experience, ferts ALWAYS back up into a corner or against a wall and dump! It's like asking one of us to start using the cupboard instead of the toilet! They like to do it as far away from their food as they can, so I've read, so thats probably why they choose the corners.

[Guest ARTEMIS]

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Edited August 18, 2007 by ARTEMIS

[Madcowz 0]

Thanks for the sensible (and not so sensible replies) guys!

 

Here are some pics of the Skyway

 

aww so cute

 

Rabbits eye view

 

looking towards the main 'junction'

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the 'Skyway', Will do tomorrow

 

 

/Mad

[Guest ARTEMIS]

d

Edited August 18, 2007 by ARTEMIS

[ferret15 0]

looking fantastic i always said it would be a palace not a court. im i would keep moving the shit to where you want it and using the emsmine (spelling) to remove the sent from where you dont. in time they might cotton on. another thing you could try is only having one route from there sleeping area that leads straight to the litter try. this is what i have and they shit in the nearest corner to the end of the tube almost every time.

[bullsmilk 2]

this is a idea i herd about when some one had a problem with there ferrets shitting in there sleeping box.....what you do is get some very thin ply wood and bend it into the corners witch then makes them a curved area not a corner and the ferrets dont seem to like shitting there...hope this helps bulls