Looking for the best ferret litter? We asked our community of over 60,000 ferret owners to give us their top recommendations. We will continue to update our product recommendations as new products come out.
In this article you will learn what qualities make the best ferret litter, what litter is actually dangerous, and our top product choices. Want to see what we use in our own home? Scroll to the bottom of this article.
Are you new to ferrets? Check out our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets to learn everything you need to know about this amazing and often misunderstood pet.
What Makes a Good Ferret Litter?
Here is the criteria we used to judge the most popular ferret litters available:
Safe for Ferrets
Helps Control Odor
Easy to Clean
Affordable
Litter That is Dangerous for Ferrets:
The best ferret litter is safe for ferrets. It does not contain any toxic chemicals or produce any harmful dust they can breathe in. Litter made of wood shavings (like cedar and pine) can contain essentials oils which are extremely harmful to ferrets. Silica-based litter (the crystal cat litter) can also cause respiratory issues so we recommend staying away from it as well. Clay litter is harmful to ferrets because it can get stuck on their paws and in their eyes (and it also contains silica). Corn based litters and rabbit food pellets are a risk because your ferret may try to eat them and end up getting an intestinal blockage.
Clay
Wood Shavings
Silica
Corn
Rabbit food
^Why are some of these ‘dangerous’ litters safe for cats but not ferrets? Ferrets are much smaller and therefore lower to the ground, so they are much more susceptible to inhaling and ingesting litter material. Also, ferrets like to dig so they are likely to play with their litter (so it needs to be as safe as possible).
Best Cat Litter for Ferrets
After asking our entire community of ferret owners across social media, here are the top choices:
*All the litters listed below are safe for ferrets in our opinion. Please reach out to us if you disagree.*
“We use this. Also around $6 for 40lbs but can be found all year round. We scoop twice a day if needed and clean out and wash their boxes every week or two.” -Linda
“It works well and lasts pretty long too.” -Josh
“I also use and recommend this.” -Ashley
“I think the pellets absorb better, last longer and are way cheaper!”
“I’ve been using this for like 2 years and although it helps with the smell somewhat I hate how all the dust gets everywhere and I think my ferrets are allergic to it because they keep sneezing.” -Joanne
“I use stove pellets from Lowe’s. $6 for 40 pound bag. They leave sawdust on the blankets which I don’t like but it’s SO cheap.” -Nicole
What We Use with Our Ferrets Instead
Many ferret owners are very happy with the options we listed above. In fact, one of those may be the perfect choice for you.
However, after we tried pretty much everything on the market ourselves (from paper pellets to pine pellets) we got sick of the odor and the constant scooping (especially with three ferrets). Even after you scoop out the poop and pee, the litter box still smells dirty! It’s only when you fully empty the litter box and disinfect it, do you get a break from the underlying potty smell. We only deep cleaned our ferret litter box once per week so the smell in between cleaning became too much for us. Not to mention the ferrets tracking litter throughout our carpeted apartment (!!!)… That is why we switched to potty pads.
Credit: @zuzipelmeshka and Christine Demand
Puppy Potty Pads have been a lifesaver in our home with our three ferrets. This product is incredibly easy to use and every time we replace a dirty potty pad for a clean one, the odor is completely gone. Some ferret owners even use them with litter by placing the potty pad underneath the pellets, on top of the litter tray. We also love to pack them in our emergency travel backpack in case we need to leave on short notice.
P.S. This is the litter tray we use with our potty pads: litter tray
Pros: Easy to use, great for traveling with ferrets, hassle free, no dust, no tracking throughout the house
Cons: Not biodegradable (but hopefully some day!)
Conclusion
Finding the best ferret litter ever can actually be quite difficult! We hope this article helped you learn about some great choices. As long as you remember which products to avoid (clay, silica, wood shavings) you can spend this time experimenting with any of the products listed above. Here they are again if you want to check out more reviews on Amazon:
I encourage everyone who read this article to please comment below what litter you use for your ferret and which ones you have tried in the past. You will help first time ferret owners that find this page. We will continue to update this article as new products come out.
I currently use the recycled paper in pellet form. I’m getting tired of so much going to waste each time I scoop. I’m confused on the recommendation of the Tractor Supply pine pellet bedding as it’s clearly made of pine. Pine & cedar are not recommended for use with ferrets. I’m going to give the potty pads a try & hope I don’t regret it.
How did you train them to not crawl under the pee pad? Even if I have the kind that sticks to the floor, they always manage to weasel their way under it
Your training tips are so helpful! I just adopted two deaf ferrets and was so glad I found your YouTube channel on training and bonding. I opted for potty pads but my guy and gal wants to play with them when they are fresh! (Even when I put a little bit of poop in the corner so they know it’s where to go). In their cage they crawl underneath the pad and poop in the corner and it somehow shoots all over the bars and onto the floor, I’m not sure what to do. Would you get a high walled container and modify it? Have your ferrets ever done this? I knew it would be a lot of cleaning but this is insane!
I’ve taken to using binder clips to keep the pads in place in their cage, and masking tape for keeping them down in the corners of the room. They still get underneath but the poop doesn’t go anywhere when the do, and because the pad is on top of them, they’re unlikely to poop underneath.
Corn *COB* based litters can cause blockages. AFA and many other sources say that corn based litters are just fine. World’s Best Cat Litter a corn based litter is just fine. The granules are ground and compressed and will not cause a blockage.
I got tired of my ferret’s going directly in front of the plastic small pet litter boxes you see in stores, so I made my own that are three walls shaped like a corner. No stepping into it. I use newspaper with it but it’s a bit slippery, so potty pads would probably be better. Potty pads would be good underneath it, too, because newspaper doesn’t absorb super quickly. The only other issue is once a ferret uses it, the next time he doesn’t want to back in as far because the paper is wet and poopy. It doesn’t hide smell, either, so needs to be changed often.
Mairin, Ferret litter boxes sold in pet stores are terrible! I totally agree! They are too small and the lips are way too high. I’m glad your DIY solution is working better. We have the same issue with ferrets not wanting to back up and step on old poo in the litter box. One way we’ve done it that’s helped is we use a very large potty pad and roll it up a little each time they use it so that it appears clean to them. Perhaps this could work with newspaper? I’m still trying to figure out how to mask the odor of ferret poop and pee (because they don’t cover it like cats). Hopefully one day we can figure it out! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Hope to see you on this page again!
Best Ferret Litter Ever
Looking for the best ferret litter? We asked our community of over 60,000 ferret owners to give us their top recommendations. We will continue to update our product recommendations as new products come out.
In this article you will learn what qualities make the best ferret litter, what litter is actually dangerous, and our top product choices. Want to see what we use in our own home? Scroll to the bottom of this article.
Are you new to ferrets? Check out our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Ferrets to learn everything you need to know about this amazing and often misunderstood pet.
What Makes a Good Ferret Litter?
Here is the criteria we used to judge the most popular ferret litters available:
Litter That is Dangerous for Ferrets:
The best ferret litter is safe for ferrets. It does not contain any toxic chemicals or produce any harmful dust they can breathe in. Litter made of wood shavings (like cedar and pine) can contain essentials oils which are extremely harmful to ferrets. Silica-based litter (the crystal cat litter) can also cause respiratory issues so we recommend staying away from it as well. Clay litter is harmful to ferrets because it can get stuck on their paws and in their eyes (and it also contains silica). Corn based litters and rabbit food pellets are a risk because your ferret may try to eat them and end up getting an intestinal blockage.
^Why are some of these ‘dangerous’ litters safe for cats but not ferrets? Ferrets are much smaller and therefore lower to the ground, so they are much more susceptible to inhaling and ingesting litter material. Also, ferrets like to dig so they are likely to play with their litter (so it needs to be as safe as possible).
Best Cat Litter for Ferrets
After asking our entire community of ferret owners across social media, here are the top choices:
*All the litters listed below are safe for ferrets in our opinion. Please reach out to us if you disagree.*
sWheat Scoop Multi-Cat Litter is a wheat-based litter that contains no dyes or perfumes and is biodegradable.
Price: $18 for 25lbs
Pros: Flushable
Cons: Easily tracks throughout the house, smells like sawdust
Quotes from real ferret owners in The Modern Ferret community Facebook page:
“Been really happy with this.” -Lily
“It is made out of wheat, so no dust.” -Niki
Purina Yesterday’s News Cat Litter is made out of paper pellets and contains zero added perfumes or chemicals (if you purchase the unscented one).
Price: $19 for 30lbs
Pros: Bigger litter pieces so very little is tracked throughout the house, dust free
Cons: Some ferrets do not like to step on it (ours didn’t)
Quotes from real ferret owners in The Modern Ferret community Facebook page:
“Newspaper pellets for cats. Works for everyone. Works for us. No dust. Not much smell.” -Deidra
“I adore Yesterday’s News and my ferrets like using it too.” -Jessica
HARTZ Multi-Cat Lightweight Recycled Clumping Paper Cat Litter is one of the only clumping paper litters available.
Price: $4.99 for 4lbs
Pros: low dust, clumps, does not track throughout house
Cons: a little more expensive per lb. than other options
Quotes from real ferret owners in The Modern Ferret community Facebook page:
“This litter clumps well and keeps the odor down. And it’s good value.” -Bret
“This is amazing! No dust. Lightweight. Clumps for easy scoops. Kills odor!” -Stacey
Best Cheap Ferret Litter
Tractor Supply Pine Pellet Stall Bedding is a very popular option in the ferret community. We ourselves used it for years before we ultimately made the switch to potty pads.
Price: $5.99 for 40lbs
Pros: Cheap! It also has a strong pine smell that masks odor pretty well
Cons: Does not clump, pellets turn to powder after they get wet which tracks throughout the house
Quotes from real ferret owners in The Modern Ferret community Facebook page:
“We use this. Also around $6 for 40lbs but can be found all year round. We scoop twice a day if needed and clean out and wash their boxes every week or two.” -Linda
“It works well and lasts pretty long too.” -Josh
“I also use and recommend this.” -Ashley
“I think the pellets absorb better, last longer and are way cheaper!”
“I’ve been using this for like 2 years and although it helps with the smell somewhat I hate how all the dust gets everywhere and I think my ferrets are allergic to it because they keep sneezing.” -Joanne
“I use stove pellets from Lowe’s. $6 for 40 pound bag. They leave sawdust on the blankets which I don’t like but it’s SO cheap.” -Nicole
What We Use with Our Ferrets Instead
Many ferret owners are very happy with the options we listed above. In fact, one of those may be the perfect choice for you.
However, after we tried pretty much everything on the market ourselves (from paper pellets to pine pellets) we got sick of the odor and the constant scooping (especially with three ferrets). Even after you scoop out the poop and pee, the litter box still smells dirty! It’s only when you fully empty the litter box and disinfect it, do you get a break from the underlying potty smell. We only deep cleaned our ferret litter box once per week so the smell in between cleaning became too much for us. Not to mention the ferrets tracking litter throughout our carpeted apartment (!!!)… That is why we switched to potty pads.
Puppy Potty Pads have been a lifesaver in our home with our three ferrets. This product is incredibly easy to use and every time we replace a dirty potty pad for a clean one, the odor is completely gone. Some ferret owners even use them with litter by placing the potty pad underneath the pellets, on top of the litter tray. We also love to pack them in our emergency travel backpack in case we need to leave on short notice.
P.S. This is the litter tray we use with our potty pads: litter tray
Price: $19.99 for 100 potty pads
Pros: Easy to use, great for traveling with ferrets, hassle free, no dust, no tracking throughout the house
Cons: Not biodegradable (but hopefully some day!)
Conclusion
Finding the best ferret litter ever can actually be quite difficult! We hope this article helped you learn about some great choices. As long as you remember which products to avoid (clay, silica, wood shavings) you can spend this time experimenting with any of the products listed above. Here they are again if you want to check out more reviews on Amazon:
I encourage everyone who read this article to please comment below what litter you use for your ferret and which ones you have tried in the past. You will help first time ferret owners that find this page. We will continue to update this article as new products come out.
8 replies to “Best Ferret Litter Ever”
Amy Phelps
I currently use the recycled paper in pellet form. I’m getting tired of so much going to waste each time I scoop. I’m confused on the recommendation of the Tractor Supply pine pellet bedding as it’s clearly made of pine. Pine & cedar are not recommended for use with ferrets. I’m going to give the potty pads a try & hope I don’t regret it.
Eddie
What is the best poop deterrent ?
Jasmine
How did you train them to not crawl under the pee pad? Even if I have the kind that sticks to the floor, they always manage to weasel their way under it
Zoe Turner
Your training tips are so helpful! I just adopted two deaf ferrets and was so glad I found your YouTube channel on training and bonding. I opted for potty pads but my guy and gal wants to play with them when they are fresh! (Even when I put a little bit of poop in the corner so they know it’s where to go). In their cage they crawl underneath the pad and poop in the corner and it somehow shoots all over the bars and onto the floor, I’m not sure what to do. Would you get a high walled container and modify it? Have your ferrets ever done this? I knew it would be a lot of cleaning but this is insane!
Claire
I’ve taken to using binder clips to keep the pads in place in their cage, and masking tape for keeping them down in the corners of the room. They still get underneath but the poop doesn’t go anywhere when the do, and because the pad is on top of them, they’re unlikely to poop underneath.
Grace
Corn *COB* based litters can cause blockages. AFA and many other sources say that corn based litters are just fine. World’s Best Cat Litter a corn based litter is just fine. The granules are ground and compressed and will not cause a blockage.
Mairin
I got tired of my ferret’s going directly in front of the plastic small pet litter boxes you see in stores, so I made my own that are three walls shaped like a corner. No stepping into it. I use newspaper with it but it’s a bit slippery, so potty pads would probably be better. Potty pads would be good underneath it, too, because newspaper doesn’t absorb super quickly. The only other issue is once a ferret uses it, the next time he doesn’t want to back in as far because the paper is wet and poopy. It doesn’t hide smell, either, so needs to be changed often.
Haley
Mairin,
Ferret litter boxes sold in pet stores are terrible! I totally agree! They are too small and the lips are way too high. I’m glad your DIY solution is working better. We have the same issue with ferrets not wanting to back up and step on old poo in the litter box. One way we’ve done it that’s helped is we use a very large potty pad and roll it up a little each time they use it so that it appears clean to them. Perhaps this could work with newspaper? I’m still trying to figure out how to mask the odor of ferret poop and pee (because they don’t cover it like cats). Hopefully one day we can figure it out! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Hope to see you on this page again!
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