:: A whizzing sound is heard up above and you look up through falling snowflakes to see a red blaze. As it approaches the motor of the flying vehicle seems to sound more like someone blowing rasberries. You shake your head momentarily in disbelief. Then hovering right before you, in a little red radio flyer wagon, is the great ferret Oracle:: "Puppets, I have come with presents for you this evening. Yes. Let me look in my wagon for them". ::She tosses out cans of bush beans, and flips out white depends all over the ground:: "Hmm, seemed like they were here before... Well that's all right. I can make due." ::The robed one walks up to you, stops, stomps her gnarly staff on the ground, does a little dance and spin, then waves her staff in the air with a great hair ball trailing behind:: "There puppets......... there..... games to play with your ferrets!" - towel riding (drag a towel behind you and your ferret will jump on for a ride) - peek a boo (wave a towel up and down on your ferret) - bowling (roll your ferret on its back on a linoleum floor, then give a gentle push sending your ferret flying across the floor. to make it more fun, bowl them into other ferrets, or toys) - face snorkeling (put out a pan of water, and even toss an ice cube or toy in for fun ... watch your ferret snorkel. Flick you fingers in there to increase their fun) - soccer (get ping pong balls and bounce them in the room, and watch your ferret fly trying to chase them. or just get one ball and flick it back and forth with your ferret) - hand wrestling (a big favorite. use you hand to flip and pin your ferret on its back and tickle it..... then back off and let your ferret get you and pin your hand) - butt grabbing (a fav of ferrets. roll them onto their backs, then grab their butt lifting it up in the air so that they can bite their back piggies. They will try to bite your hand and fingers, so wiggle and shake the butt all around so that they can't.) - horseplay (the rougher the better. These guys love to be physical) - cup tipping (set up tons of plastic cups, and put a toy or treat in one or two of them.... this can get exhausting for you however lol) - tubing (get corrugated black tubing from Lowes, etc for a couple bucks that has air holes. run your finger nails on the ribs of the tube and watch your ferret take off through the other end of the tube to get your hand. Toss a ball in there for your ferret to push through) - rice boxing (get a box and fill it with rice, starch packing peanuts, or shredded paper, and bury your hand in it for your ferret to dig up. also let it 'rain' on your ferret) - igloo spinning (if you have a small plastic igloo, put your ferret in it on its back and GENTLY spin him for a few second at a time) - ferret fishing (my favorite. Get a stick, or an actual little fishing pole, and tie a toy mouse on the end of it..... especially one of those little fake ones with the fur in the pet store.... and cast it out by your ferret in the room, then drag the mouse across the carpet. Your ferret will instantly turn into predator and be faster than you've ever seen him. when he has a good hold of the mouse, reel him in to play with him. Repeat. make sure that you supervise your ferret with this toy, and that you keep close check on the toy to make sure your ferret isn't 'eating' some of it) - baby toys (get some durable light up or noisy toys that are activated by interaction. play with them with your ferret) - paper bagging (get paper bags from grocery shopping, open them up, put them on all over the room, on their sides, etc, put a treat or toy in one.....play with your ferret through the bags) - teach your ferret tricks (are you bored? well train your ferret to come to flashing room lights, or to roll over, beg, or to jump to you. pick a trick..... then be consistent and patient.... they'll learn) - make your bed with your ferret (nothing makes a ferret happier than to be let out in the morning when they are the most energetic and to help you get read for you day. They love being there when you dress, put on makeup, brush your teeth, go potty, and especially when you make your bed. Keep tossing your ferret on the bed as you make it) ::A spent Oracle sways from exhaustion from projecting such creativity upon you. She wipes her brow, puts her staff in her robe like a knight sheaths his sword, mounts her little wagon, smiles at you...... then with great speed whizzes away into the night air. As you watch her leave, you squint your eyes, because you could swear..... that you saw two tiny eyes peeking out from behind her robes at you.:: Wolfy [Posted in FML issue 4349]