A few years back, my mother made a toy for the ferrets that we call a
"blanket maze."  It is still the most popular toy in the house, ranking
right up there with clear plastic tubes and our much beloved and chewwed-up
Paddington doll.
 
Making a blanket maze does require some sewing ability.  Take two
rectangular pieces of polar fleece, each about 2 feet by 4 feet in size.
Lay the two pieces together with their edges touching, as if they were the
top and bottom layers of a quilt.  Sew them together around the edges,
leaving three entrance holes.  Then sew them together in the middle to form
a maze.  Your maze design may vary, but here's the one my mother used:
 
 
        .        ...................        .
        :                          :        :
        ...................        .        .
        :                          :        :
        ..........        ..........        .
        :                                   :
        .        .        ..........        .
        :        :                 :        :
        .        .                 .        .
        :        :                 :        :
        .        ..........        .        .
        :                                   :
        ..........        ...................
        :                                   :
        .        ...................        .
        :                                   :
        ..........                 ..........
 
The blanket maze is especially good for "big ferrets" who can't fit through
the clear plastic tubes.  Even though the polar fleece is not see-through
like the tubes, we humans can tell exactly what's going on by following the
progress of the lumps in the blanket.  Best of all, when the ferrets get
tired out while playing in the maze, they can simply curl up and fall
asleep!
 
Happy ferretting!
Julie
[Posted in FML issue 2993]