STILL not using box outside cage

[Deleted]

What the title says. I did the litter box boot camp for a few weeks, maybe a month. Inside the cage, they are practically little angels now. I do have a senior who has issues getting to the box just because she can't hold it, but I have a box right by where she sleeps and she makes it just about every time now.

BUT.

Outside of the cage??? ANYTHING GOES. They like to poop by our door, which makes it really fun getting in and out of the room. I've got down linoleum, I've put down a box right there, two boxes, moved the boxes, added paper, even had to go get accent rugs to put down to protect the carpet. They just don't care. As long as they hit the general vicinity of the door, they don't bother paying attention to where. ONE of my ferrets, the kit, is pretty good about using the box but even she isn't 100%. Now they're going in another corner too where I have linoleum but they're going IN FRONT OF THE FREAKING STUFF and not ON it.
?!?!?!

I put them physically in the box whenever I see them start to back up and reward them when they get out of the box but its not helping.

I have no idea what else to do at this point. It's exhausting to clean all that poo. Just bought some Natures' Miracle, going to try it out today. Do I really have to keep the ferrets away while it dries?

[Sherry]

I'm sorry to have to tell you, but only persistence pays off. And then sometimes not even then. I would gather you have tried just using newspaper in the chosen poopy spots instead of a box?
As for the nature's miracle- I wait with the carpet shampoo til it's dry, but not the spot cleaner.

[Deleted]

what kind of box are you using outside the cage?
mine prefer to run back to the cage box, maybe because it's dark and private? perhaps try a remote litter box in front of the door?

[Deleted]

Yes, I'm keeping at them on placing them in the bin every time they back up to go. I have put paper down but they don't pay attention to the surface so much as the location of the surface.

I did have a boy once who would go back in the cage to potty. He was awesome.

I got a big bottle of the NM that says you can pre-wash laundry with it, and you're not supposed to dilute it. Not sure which one this is?

[Sherry]

If it's carpet shampoo, it will say that(carpet shampoo). The other is more dilute than the shampoo.

[miamiferret2]

i gave up on those. my ferrets never used them.
i just put newspaper down now. i have tile now so its easy. but I once had carpet (never again) and i had to put down sticky clear contact paper down at the corners of the bedroom and i put the newspaper on top of it. that way, whatever leaked through the newspaper would not get onto the carpet. i would just wipe down the contact paper.
owning ferrets is such a challenge sometimes. you can't really train them, they just do whatever the heck they want and we have to modify our lives to accomodate them.
Sonny is very unreasonable. i bought him a corner litter pan and all he did was drag it around everywhere. so i returned it.
he rips apart his newspaper (after he pees on it)
he also has a little step ladder so that he can get on and off the bed. he uses the steps to get on. However, to get off, he enjoys sliding down from where the headboard is. its like a sport to him. so, when he needs to get off, he steps on my head. the ferret STEPS ON MY HEAD while i'm sleeping. one morning, i guess he was in a hurry and his foot slipped and went into my ear. ever get a ferret toe nail in your ear at 6 a.m.? ouch.

[Heather]

Isn't he just the pleasant wee beastie ;D I knew there was a reason why they're confined while a try and snatch a couple "z's. I'm presently working on "the" Minion....brat. I've never had a fuzz who just poops...he doesn't find a corner, he doesn't back up....he just runs down the hallway...and leaves a little trail. I could kill him, figuratively...not literally . He's got better in the cage, so he does know he's going (we will find out tonight as he's sharing his cage for the first time with Yuri) and has the whole ferret nation instead of just the ground floor. I sometimes wonder if he lacks sensation because of the prolapse.
ciao

[Deleted]

Boy... It just used to be easier in my old apartment, I guess. I had the whole place ferret proofed and they would run all over. I had plastic chair mats cut into the corners and they would go there, or back in the cage to poop. Never had this many issues. They just love pooping right in front of the freaking door. It's driving me nuts.

I guess I will pull up the linoleum and the accent rugs and just put down paper :\ Maybe I'll do that plastic contact paper, Miamiferret. And I'll set the box nearby for my one obedient girl!

[miamiferret2]

My male ferrets have always popped in front of exit doors. I think they are marking. Like they are telling strangers that this is their house. If I lock my dog in a room to let the ferret out to play, the ferret ALWAYS runs up to the door, sniffs, then goes potty in front of the door.
Sonny will sometimes let out a little tiny poop if we play too rough with him. He gets really excited, dancing dooking, and then we find a tiny little poop. LOL.
You can also use those plastic floor runners and cut them to size. But my ferret used to drag those off. The contact paper worked better for me.