>From:    Jean Halbur <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Homemade
>
>Hi, does anyone know some good toys to make for ferrets?
 
OH Boy!  Homemade toys!
 
Lets see I consider myself the queen of cheap.  I love brightly colored
stuff from the store but I like to do things myself too.
 
1. Dryer hose.  You can special order clear dryer hose from most hardware
or home improvement stores.  Even the white hose is tons of fun!  I used
to buy dozens of feet of it and let the fuzzbutts have an a-maze-ing time
running around inside it!  LOL!  What a giggle!
 
2. Bean Box.  My friend bought a 50# bag of pinto beans and put it in a
clear Rubbermaid box for her ferts to dig in, surf in, or just spaz!  My
guys go to her house for baby-sitting and they love it very much!
 
3. Socks.  Some of my guys love playing tug of war with socks.
 
4. Plastic grocery bags.  These have the potential to be dangerous so
watch your fuzzies carefully.  But after a grocery trip, I throw all the
bags on the living room floor, watch every head in the cage pick up and
swivel, (like some sort of military drill!), and stare fixedly at that
compulsive crackling sound.  Then I turn them loose.  With four big guys,
its a real chore to make sure no one makes off with a bag for their stash.
 
5. Plastic Easter Eggs.  Put a couple of dimes (better sound I think) in
an egg and tape it shut, or glue it and let the good times begin.  They
have a hard time picking up such a smooth object.
 
6. Tennis balls, OMG!!  One of my guys has a real tennis ball fetish.  I
would think that any sort of ball would do, but this guy really prefers
tennis balls.
 
7. Poster tubes.  I get poster tubes for advertising at my work, and my
guys love dashing through their rabbit tunnels looking for something to
kill!
 
8. Cut offs.  Jean cut offs make great hanging tunnels.
 
9. Keys.  Most of us have keys lying around that we have no idea what they
go to or why we keep them.  I put a bunch on a plastic bungie ring, and
attached it to their cage, they went nuts!
 
10. Feathers on a Stick.  The old cat toy.  A short dowel rod, a bit of
leather or an old shoe string, with some colored feathers attached, and you
have the perfect "kill it" toy!  Or you can attach a fake mouse or real
mouse for that matter, (but I wouldn't think very much of you if you used a
real mouse! <G>!!!)
 
11. Live fish.  This is not for the squeamish But my ferts have a
fascination with my aquariums, so I have a couple of times bought a couple
of feeder gold fish and put them in a water dish.  Out of curiosity mostly.
My guys went nuts, and they actually ate a couple.  The others that lived
went into the aquarium.  This also mostly for those that feed BARF diets.
Its a kinda supplement, thats fun for your ferrets, if not so much fun for
you.
 
12. Water.  I have three ferrets seriously into water play.  Even though
they all hate baths, they will snorkel and sit in any small container of
water!  I use a shallow pie tin or a wide rubber maid container for
surfing.
 
13. Hair ties.  Ok this one is hysterical.  I have these wide fabric with
elastic inside hair ties (twisties?) anyway, sometimes I slip one over a
ferrets head or around his tummy for great show!  What a dance!  LOL!
Winds up looking kinda like a Tutu!
 
14. Shoe box.  Put a ferret in a cardboard shoe box and see how long it
takes him to get out.  (some boxes fit more tightly than others, so choose
carefully).  With shoeboxes from a bigger person, (I've been using my kids)
you could cut holes in the sides and run the dryer tube into and out of it,
for additional maze fun.
 
15. Sewer drain pipe.  A 4 inch pipe with two sets of holes running its
length.  You can buy this pipe and saw it into different sized pieces to
make your own ferret play land.  You can buy elbows, T - connectors, Y-s,
etc. to make a really versatile playground for your ferts!
 
Ok, I think thats long enough!
 
Good luck!
 
Sharon
[Posted in FML issue 3393]