Having a covered rice box is great, and practical - we cover ours when the
ferrets are up and the cat has access to the room.  But sometimes leave the
lid off, and sit and play in the rice yourselves.  With the ferrets of
course!  Run your arm deep into the rice, and bring your fingers up, right
in front of a ferret.  He will probably sniff at your fingers, and if you
withdraw them - back into the rice, he will follow.  You can lead the
ferret through the tub, as he snorkles, head buried in the rice, and nose
following the retreating fingers.  It's wildly delightful.  No, I don't
know how they breath down there.  And I would think they have their eyes
closed, and are just following by scent and touch.
 
They also like to find and rescue their toys from the rice box.  We put
their Teletubbies and Seseme Street characters in the rice, and when they
find one, they take it over the side and put it 'away'.
 
I'm not a fan of dirt, so it's the last thing in the world I'd want to have
a box of in my house.  But since it's not about me, but the ferrets, who
has used rice, and dirt, and prefers dirt?  We tried sand, and that was
TERRIBLE.  Sand everywhere, and it was sticky.  A little rice on the floor
doesn't seem to be a problem, and it's easy to sweep up.
 
Once again, who is the person who 'invented' this great game?  His bag
ripping ferrets deserve a medal!  Hey fella, make yourself a button - "I'm
the guy who invented ferret rice digging"!
 
Georgia - the left coast one...
[Posted in FML issue 2717]