QUESTION:
My boyfriend and I just bought a young male ferret. We got a cage that has 3 levels to it with tubes and slides and everything else. We also put a hammock in it for him to sleep in. At first he was sleeping in the hammock but now he has decided that his litter box is a more suitable place for him to sleep and so this has deterred him from using his litter box for the correct reasons. I have tried numerous ways to correct this but can not seem to get him to change. Any suggestions? Should I try different litter or even a different box? I'm all out of answers.

ANSWER:
First of all what kind of litter are you using and what shape is his litter box? If it is a corner style they very rarely work, simply because of the male's anatomy, when he urinates it wets the area in front and then he does not want to step in it! Get a box that goes from side to side and use a litter such as Yesterday's News. You might want to provide him with a bed and a blanket that he can sleep in a hammock does not afford him a place to hide. Ferrets are den animals, in the wild they sleep in rabbit holes or tunnels and like complete darkness, take a look at some of the beds on my site to get an idea. Let me know how he fares.

QUESTION:
I have a male ferret who is almost 3 years old, his name is Roscoe. Over the last few months his sleep habits have changed. He used to sleep between the hours that are considered normal for ferrets, but now he doesn't sleep a whole lot. Most of the time when we go into the room he sleeps in he wakes up, or we can hear him scratching at his cage to get out. When he is out to play lots of times he will play in my dresser and end up falling asleep in it. After his playtime, which ranges anywhere from 2-3hrs we put him in his cage and he will get in one of his hammocks or under his blanket to sleep and then he wakes back up within the next hour or two. Then throughout the night he gets up to eat or to scratch at his cage. Sometimes we let him out when he does this to see if he will run around and tire himself out but he goes in the dresser to sleep. So my question is...Is there anything I can do to get him to sleep through the night?

ANSWER:
I wasn't aware that ferrets had 'normal' sleep hours! Ferrets usually adapt to the schedule of their owners. If you have a specific time to let ROSCOE out, then try to stick to this time, as they do much better with a routine.

Perhaps he likes sleeping in your drawer better, can you put one or two of the items from the drawer in his cage, then he may feel more comfortable. If you are letting him out because he scratches/bites at the cage, he has now learnt that this is the way to get your attention to get out!

The thing that concerns me is, he could also have a health problem and maybe he is trying to tell you. How are his eating/drinking habits? Some ferrets that develop INSULINOMA do exactly what you are describing. They have (hypoglycemia) low blood sugar caused by tumors on the pancreas, a quick 'blood fasting glucose test' will tell you if this is the problem.

For now, until you get the test done, it would be good to give him 3-4 teaspoons of CHICKEN/TURKEY BABYFOOD, twice a day, it will bring his glucose level up and stabilize it. It is a good healthy snack and will help him feel a whole lot better.

Please try to get him to a ferret knowledgeable vet for a check up and perhaps put him in another room while you sleep, making sure he has had the extra protein before he goes to bed at night, you will both sleep better.

QUESTION:
I was wondering what I'm supposed to do with my ferret... she won't sleep at night, she keeps me awake all night.. digging at her cage, half breaking her teeth off trying to escape.Nno matter where I put her in the house, she makes enough noise that it keeps me up no matter what. I've had her since December, 2004... she only started doing this within the past 2 months.

ANSWER:
Are you letting her out for excercise at the same time each day, as ferrets do need to have a routine and once that energy is spent she should sleep most of the time. If you are waking her at different times day or night to play, then her body signals
could be out of whack!

Has she had a check up at the vet lately? You might want to do some blood work to make sure everything is okay, I have had several ferrets that did what you are describing because their blood sugar was very low. Also a ferret with adrenal disease will often be extremely hyper due to the imbalance in hormones, you will need a ferret knowledgable vet.