Someone recently mentioned ferret fishing - this is a favorite game of
Odin's.  We have a thick shoelace tied up on the end of a long string.  He
loves to jump at it and go under his hidey-hole (a kitchen cart).  When he's
under there, I dangle it in front and he tries to get it, either in his
mouth or with his paws.  Then I try and drag him out from underneath.  He
loves being dragged across the floor on his back!  Then he lets go, rolls
over, bounces and dances back underneath to start again!
 
If I have it just out of reach, he'll do the "praying, pawing at the air"
movement half out of the cart, just begging me to put it in his reach!  It's
so cute!  And he's discovered that if he puts his paws on the edge of the
cart, I can't drag him out!  I'm not sure who has more fun "fishing for
ferrets" - me or him!  :^)
 
Many people here have talked about using dryer hose as a tunnel toy.  We
tried that, and it only lasted about three days before Odin had chewed holes
through it, and I started worrying about him eating pieces of it!  I have to
admit, it looked really funny seeing him sinking his teeth in the outside
and trying to drag it away (we had pvc pipe ends duct taped to the ends,
which were somewhat on the heavy side - especially for him!), not getting
very far.  But I didn't think chewing it up could be good for him, so we
ditched that and bought a 10' piece of 4" PVC pipe.  (He's so big he still
can only go one way through it - unless he backs all the way out, which I've
seen him do!)
 
This led to another new game - chasing the small plastic ball with the bell
in it through the tube.  We'll tease him in front of the tube, then shoot
the ball into the tube.  It has holes in it, so he gets it in his teeth,
takes it out of the pipe and runs under his hidey hole.  Eventually, he lets
the ball just slip out from underneath (he quickly learned we couldn't
easily come in after him and get it out!), where we grab it and entice him
out and into the tube again!
 
Always looking for new games....
 
Amy
----
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Amy Goldman
Dimensional Insight                   Voice: (617) 229-9111
111 South Bedford Street              Fax:   (617) 229-9113
Burlington, MA 01803
[Posted in FML issue 1544]