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Pet Ferret Care Tips
and Information
By Mary R. Shefferman & Eric Shefferman & Gabby, the ferret
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Title: Thinking Outside the Ferret Cage: How to Keep Your Ferrets Having Fun and Reduce Unwanted Behaviors - Part I
Date: July 8, 2002
By: Eric Shefferman

==> Thinking Outside the Ferret Cage:
How to Keep Your Ferret Having Fun and
Reduce Unwanted Behaviors - Part I
by Eric Shefferman

If you're like many ferret owners, your ferrets
spend a lot of the day in their cage. It's one of the
easiest ways to be sure your ferrets are safe and not
getting into trouble while you're out of your home.

This makes it all the more important that when you
let them out for their daily play that you do your
best to provide them with exercise and intellectual
stimulation.

Many unwanted ferret behaviors stem from boredom.
Your ferrets don't know what to do and they settle
on something that annoys you. By keeping your ferrets
active and intellectually stimulated you'll have
sleepy, contented ferrets at the end of the day.

-- Time:
Your ferrets should ideally have time to play until
they go to sleep on their own. For some ferrets that
will be 3 or 4 hours every day; for other ferrets that
will be an hour or 2 each day. For the most part,
ferrets will do all right if they have at least 2
hours out each day, but the more time you can give
them free run, the less likely they will be to resort
to undesirable behaviors due to boredom. If they get a
short run *occasionally* that's OK. But don't make
brief playtimes a habit, as this will lead to
undesired behavior.

-- New toys:
Ferrets will be interested in nearly anything for
about 10 seconds. Some will find new things more
interesting than that -- and some will find them
more interesting when you actually play with them
with the new toy. Use your judgment to find new
things for them that will be safe (avoid things they
can easily chew off a piece of, foam rubber, latex,
etc.) and then supervise the interactions.

Some cheap things that work as new toys or games:
- paper grocery store bag
Some ferrets just love the crinkly sound and love
jumping in and out.

- empty shoebox or other open-top box
Our Gabrielle loves it when you cover her with the
box for a few seconds and then lift it quickly
with a "Peek a Boo!"

- dangle a towel or blanket and let them chase it

- drag a towel or blanket along the floor and let
them ride it or chase it

- remove the label from an empty soda bottle and
let them push it around

- use your imagination!
Think about what your ferrets might find fun or
interesting and give it a try!


Again - always supervise how your ferrets play
with their toys - especially new toys.


Your ferrets count on you to keep them entertained.
And if you take care of them, they'll keep you
entertained too!

Stay tuned for part II of this article next week!

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thinking outside the ferret cage?

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