Hi Ya'll,
 
Thought I might give you a run down on all the different toys we have around
here.  It is always interesting to me find a new one.
 
One of my favorite haunts is the infant departments in stores, or baby
stores.  If you check out the play toys and teethers for babies, you can
come up with a lot of wonderful and safe toys for the ferrets.
 
I often get small stuffed animals.  My Miss Esmerelda loves them.  She
carries them around, each has their own place.  Plus, with the infant type,
you can just toss them into the washer when they get dirty.
 
Also always a hit is the hard rubber teethers for babies.  They are often
red and as one of our resident experts has pointed out, ferrets can see red.
Miss Stella has a special drawer in the ferret dresser (yes, they have their
own dresser) that she stashes all the rubber toys in.  Second drawer, front
right corner.
 
Along the same lines are the Nylabones made for dogs.  I buy the petite
ones, with the little nubbies on them for the teeth.  Half as long as Miss
Stella, but they are stashed all over the house.  And these can be boiled to
clean.
 
I also buy colored ping pong balls for the guys, especially for my
"football" (soccer) player Miss Maisie.  She will entertain herself for half
an hour in the kitchen with a ping pong ball.  Chases it, drags it like an
egg.  It is really cute.
 
Any type of small plastic ball seems to go over well, I often buy the ones
made for cats with small noise makers in them.  DO NOT BUY THE SMALL RUBBER
ONES MADE OUT OF LOTS OF LITTLE PIECES!!!  They can chew these up in no time
flat.  Brock likes to chase anything resembling a ball, including plastic
Easter eggs.
 
A cheap toy is film cans.  I put a couple of pieces of kibble in them and
let the guys have at it.  They will eventually pry the lid off the film can
and get the treat inside.
 
Although I don't believe ferrets are affected by catnip, they do seem to
like the smell of it.  They regularly steal the cats stuffed catnip toys.
 
But, of course, the all time favorite thing is a 12 pack box from soft drink
cans.  I open one end and throw it on the floor.  It is a hidey hole, a
place to eat raisins, a sleeping place.  They are free and you can recycle
them.  And new ones always smell so different.  hehe.
 
Mo' Maggie and the 23 Mid Mo' Mustelid Mob of Mayhem
[Posted in FML issue 2220]