I have recently thought of some great ideas for cheap ferret (and other
animal) toys.  Now, if this is old news, forgive me...I have only been
around here for about a year.
 
I buy soda in 24 can cubes.  But recently, I have noticed that instead of
the cardboard box carrier being tall like a cube, some are flatter (about
10 inches x 16 inches across the top and about 5 inches high..they look
like a rectangle on the top).  One day, as I was taking the soda out of
the "cubes" and into the fridge, I noticed that the ferrets LOVED them!
The perferrated hole, pre-manufactured to make the cans roll out easier,
made the perfect door for them!  My male even took his favorite cardboard
tube collection inside and promptly fell asleep as if to say, "AHHHHH....
cardboard heaven!" I put the two boxes side-by-side and my 2 fuzzies had
a great time with their fleece balls, blankets and tubes.  That's been
over 3 months ago and they still spend a lot of time there.  I think the
boxes were affiliated with Coke products, but other companies may make
the "flatter cube" now.
 
Another interesting idea I got from my Mother, who has a one-year-old
Standard Poodle(typical puppy).  One day, I went to her home and noticed
that many of the dog's chewing toys were baby toys!  Now, I am her
youngest at 25 years old, so I was hoping this wasn't any type of a
hint! : )  She said that she had gone down to a second-hand children's
clothing place to look for some things for the grandkids.  She noticed
that many of the children's stuffed animals and toys looked a lot like
what she was buying Chester (her dog) at Petsmart.  So, she stocked up on
things for him to chew on at a LARGE discount!  She came home with a BAG
of thigs for under $10!  And at those prices, GIVE EXTRAS TO YOUR NEAREST
SHELTER!  ESPECIALLY IF YOU FIND CHEAP BABY BLANKETS LIKE I DID.  THEY
ARE GREAT FOR THE FERRETS, AND SOMETIMES CHEAPER THAN MAKING YOUR OWN.
 
I think this is a great idea!  I even think just your garden variety
thrift store would be a good place to start looking.  As always....words
of caution.  Make sure that the toys are clean before giving them to any
animal.  Beware of small parts that may come off and into your pet's
mouth (or worse) their digestive system.  Usually, this isn't TOO much of
a problem considering they were made for babies in the first place!  But,
you never know!  And, as always, supervise play time.
 
Sorry so long.  Hope all is well with you and your fuzzies.  God Bless.
And as September rolls around again, let's remember the past 2 years and
the new sense of freedom and respect they have brought.
 
~Holly Riggs in Vegas~
        &
Delphi: "Mom says she is gonna put another box on top of mine & build me
a condo!"
 
Kabuto: "That's nothin'.  If Mom & Dad keep drinkin' soda like they do,
I'll have a hotel bigger than Caesar's Palace!"
[Posted in FML issue 4264]