Dear Ferret Folks- I had forgotten how much fun a ferret can have on the cheap. Years ago I went to Wal-Mart and got my tribe a flexible dryer vent hose at the suggestion of someone on another list. I brought it home, stretched it out, and put it on the floor. The fuzzbutts loved it immediately, using it as play tunnel. Stretched out, the hoses are about five feet long. I got my ladies a new one last week. Sabrina has never been much for playing, but Switch the Kit is enthralled with it. It keeps her occupied for hours. The hoses also make good ladders that let ferrets safely make the climb to and from a cage that is high up off of the floor. Two or more hoses could easily be duct-taped together to make a really long tunnel. Best of all, they are very cheap. The wire and white vinyl model is about four dollars. The shiny aluminized vinyl and wire hose is about seven-fifty. (Wal-Mart prices.) The aluminized hose holds up better than the white one over time. I've looked longingly at the nice colored plastic ferret tunnel kits in pet stores, but they are just not in my budget. I freely admit to being a cheap Yankee. Sincerely, Alexandra in Massachusetts [Posted in FML issue 3671]