by Zofia Zbiegiel

Created on: February 23, 2009

Fining a suitably fun toy for a ferret can be quite a challenge. Each ferret has its own tastes, and unfortunately for most ferret owners, these tastes can change rapidly and unexpectedly. There are plenty of ferret toys available to buy, all touting themselves to be the most interesting, with the best colors, or squeakers, or shiny crinkle material. The fact remains, however, that most of these toys also cost a pretty penny, and not all of them will keep your ferret occupied for much of the time. Most of the time these toys are bright colored, with flash decorations and extravagant setups, but there are ways you can create just as entertaining toys yourself, in your own home, for much cheaper than it would take to buy up all the ferret toys you think you would need.

Tubes

Tubes are the basis of all ferret fun. Ferrets come from a long line of den-dwelling creatures, and they feel safe and secure in anything that reminds their instinctual brain of a den. Play tubes are the best substitutes we have in the human for natural dens, and having plenty of play tubes around will lead to happy and excited ferrets, all year round. The best kind of tubes are flexible plastic dryer duct tubes, and the 4 inch diameter size will allow multiple ferrets to happily play inside, and even bypass each other inside the tube. Clear plastic tubes will let you see what is going on inside, good for when you want to watch what your fuzzy friends are doing, but likewise also good for finding any ferrets that have decided to take a snooze inside the tubes.

The best diameter for tubes is 4 inches, and you can go as long as you like. On-line ferret stores and pet stores have tubes from many different companies, but they all cost a lot, and although they are supposed to be "ferret proof", for the most part they are no better than regular dryer duct tubes. Vinyl and plastic tubing is a must, and it can be found in many hardware stores for very cheap, especially when compared to the prices of special ferret tubing. Most stores do not always offer prices on-line, however, and going to the store is the best way to get a good deal. Often times you will be able to get a tube close to 10 feet long for around five dollars, and have it be much more sturdy than the ferret-specific tubes. Remember to always check the edges of the tubing for any protruding wires, and tape those with heavey-duty duct tape. Try to keep the tape as smooth as possible, in case your ferret decides it wants to be a tape-chewer.

Boxes

Tubes

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