Some hints for heightening tactile stimulation for the ferret include:
1. Don't treat your ferret like an antique porcelain doll; ferrets are
   tough, so roughhouse!
2. Sometimes rough play causes a ferret to get so excited that play nips
   can escalate into painful bites; use diversions and toys to protect
   tender skin.
3. Sick ferrets can be carried in warm sacks so that touch enrichment
   can be administered frequently.
4. Touch isn't defined by human contact, but also by the textures of
   inanimate objects such as sandy dirt or gravel, toys, various
   fabrics, and leathers and fur.
5. Don't ignore a ferret's sensitive whiskers!
 
1. The Human Experience: Cuddle, stroke, rub, play, gently pull at the
fur, rub the chin, scratch, and otherwise fondle your ferret.  It's
cheap, the ferrets love it, and there isn't much enrichment that can
beat the human touch.
 
2. Hay There!: Fill a box with alfalfa, one with straw, and one with
grass trimmings or dried leaves, tape them together, and cut access
holes so a ferret can move from box to box without exiting the enclosure.
Seal the boxes, then cut a single access hole for ferrets to enter the
enrichment enclosure.  The materials can last for a couple weeks, but
only let the ferrets use it for a few hours so it remains an enrichment.
 
3. Painted Faces: Using a soft brush, "paint" the ferrets face, starting
at the nose and working towards the ears.  For heightened enrichment,
perfume the brush.  Don't let your ferret chew off the bristles as their
excitement builds.
 
4. Explore the Soft Tube: Cut a section of PVC pipe or dryer tubing
about 30 inches long.  Go to a fabric store and buy a yard each of
several different fabrics, ignoring color and concentrating on texture.
Roll up the fabric, pull it into the tube, and then fold down the edges
over the ends of the tube and duct tape in place.  Your ferrets will be
able to push through the fabric, and you can change the material
frequently, making it "new" each time.  Placing treats and smells inside
the fabric tubes can enhance the enrichment.
 
5. Dirty Little Ferrets: You can use the boxes from the "Hay There"
enrichment after removing the floral materials.  Fill each box with a
few inches of gravel, dirt, sand, marbles, sawdust, whatever.  This is
one of my ferrets' favorite enrichments.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4218]