This is perhaps one of the simplest enrichments to do, and one that is
possibly the most appreciated by the ferret.  Ferrets are extremely odor
oriented, so much so that saying they "see" in scent would be somewhat
accurate.  Blind ferrets cope very well just using a combination of
tactile (whiskers) and olfactory (odor) clues--so much so it is sometimes
difficult to recognize that they have lost their sight.  Polecats have
been recorded locating and digging up frogs buried under more than a foot
of mud where the ONLY clue is scent; not even a bloodhound can do that!
 
Look carefully at the photo, [see next post.  BIG] and you can see the
area dedicated to smell (orange region) nearly equals the interior of
the cranial vault (pink and blue regions), and occupies a third of the
interior of the skull; ample evidence the ferret is an animal designed
for sniffing out their prey.  This makes ferrets an animal designed to
detect odors, so using scents as a part of an enrichment program is like
speaking the ferret's language.
 
1. Sponge Draggin': Soak a small (1 inch by 1 inch) section of sponge in
the scent of your choice (mine like diluted chicken baby food, but yours
may be different), tie a string to it, then drag it around the room,
ending at a treat location.  Change the ending point or the ferrets will
just run over and eat rather than sniff out the location.
 
2. Stink Bomb: Take a pair of well-used socks, and soak them in a small
amount of water.  The resulting fluid is loaded with that lovely foot
odor that makes locker rooms so pleasant, but is ambrosia to scent-hungry
ferrets.  Put the sock-smell into a spray bottle, then soak down a fluffy
toy, drop it in with your ferrets, and watch the fun!
 
3. Dirty Ferrets: Buy several different brands of potting soil (or take
a drive and collect your own) and place a few handfuls in a gallon-size
ziplock bag.  Zip inside (with the dirt) a small towel or washcloth.
After a couple of days, toss the cloth in with the ferrets and enjoy.
 
4. Dirty, Stinkin' Ferrets: Take what soil (from above) is NOT placed in
the ziplock bag, and pour in on a tray or inside a plastic box.  Just let
your ferrets roll around in the dirt.  I love it when they have their
noses in the dirt and make that snorting sound.
 
5. Take A Walk on the Wild Side: One of the best olfactory enrichments
is to simply take your ferret out on a walk in the woods or along a
lakeside area.  TAKE YOUR TIME, and let your ferret spend as much time
as they want soaking up the smells.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4205]