I have a small white "tribble" for lack of a better term that I gave to
Rune when I first got her at some 6 weeks of age.  She loved the squeek.
She would pounce on and tackle the thing and tear it back and forth with
her head and drag it off and then I would move it and she would pounce
again and tear to make sure it was dead.
 
Hm.  Well my oldest ferret Cerridwen had a different reaction.  She would
come running at the sound of it and look about.  Seeing how she once
reacted around a small mouse that turned up in the house (she is normally
a quiet lazy lap ferret but the seeing the mouse triggered some 50000
volts through her elder body) I have to believe that some ferrets hear that
certain squeeky sound and think that its a rodent (ie.  food/plaything) in
trouble or pain.  Cos thats similar to the sound they make.
 
(just my two cents)
 
Jingly bells and other toys: I havent found very many toys my ferrets like.
The jingly balls for cats that I have gotten that have worked best are
rubber ones with tiny holes in it that they can get their teeth into and
drag off to they hidey holes.  They have to make that specific jingle sound
though.  I have tried others with different pitches, and my neurotic little
Trill wont go near them.  She had 5 of her special ones and gets disraught
when she cant find all five (yes she can count,her toys at least) and has
even been playing fetch with me on occassion.  I will toss the ball out, she
will grab it and come bounding back to the cage and I will put my hand out
and hold the ball, she will release it and I will toss it again.  (granted
this also only works for a limited time before she gets fed up and just
wants to put the thing away in her hidey hole cos her stupid two legs keeps
taking the blasted thing when all she wants to do is go hide it)
 
Thanks for listening
Dave and the ferret gurlz
[Posted in FML issue 2334]