As i was playing with the kids last night, i thought that it might not be a
bad idea to include a 'games (toys) for ferrets' section in the new revision
of the Ferret FAQ, as it's often a question new owners ask, and all of us
could use new games ideas for our ferrets.
 
What i'm thinking of is collecting lists and short descriptions of games or
toys that dont require any purchases - simple and safe household fun.  And
since each of us undoubtedly has a dozen different methods we use to play
with our kids, it'd be a nice thing to refer to to get a new idea for
playtime when, as they always do, your weasels stop thinking that chasing
you around a beanbag is the coolest thing since living in Petromalt Land.
 
Pam, would you be interested in such an addition to the list?  Some examples
of what i'm thinking of are as follows:
 
The towel game: Ferrets love towels.  Take one corner of a towel, sit on the
floor, and swirl it around and over your ferret - they usually go nuts.
This can be low-impact or raucous tumbling fun for ferrets of all
sensibilities.
 
Dryer hose under a bean bag: one of our all-time favorites.  Better than
just dryer hose - stretch the hose out so both ends are sticking out either
side of the bag.  Keeps up to five ferrets busy at once!  They go over,
under, to either side of the hose under the bag, around, and through.
Killer amusement to watch, too.  :)
 
The ping-pong ball: take strong thread and fasten a ping-pong ball to the
end.  Tie the thread to the ceiling, leaving the ball about two inches above
the floor.  For most amusing results, if you can spare the room, hang it in
a doorway - it bounces off the door to hilarious effect.  Keeps ferrets
active for HOURS.
 
The ping-pong ball in a stewpot: Fill pot halfway with water, drop the ball
in.  Hint: put a towel under the pot.  Ferrets get frustrated fast trying to
get the ball out, but have fun getting wet.
 
...etc.  I'd love to know of other home-grown methods, and i'd love to
collect games for a FAQ summary or my own archive for everyone to use.
Please feel free to email me with lengthy descriptions of the games you play
and the props used.  Let me know if you're interested!  We can even rate
them by owner participation - 0 for 'self-sustaining' or 5 for 'you're
getting a better workout than the ferret.' Hee.
 
Melissa
[Posted in FML issue 1725]