Choosing Toys for Your Pet Ferret

Series Summary

The ferret is a member of the mustelid family, which also includes weasels, stoats, and martens. Ferrets have been domesticated pets for thousands of years, possibly as far back as 1500 BCE. The long and lean stature of the ferret gives it the ability to get down holes and chase out burrowing creatures, such as rabbits and rodents. This skill has made them a very popular hunting companion, and ferrets were often employed to help protect grain in the U.S. as recently as World War II. By the 1970s ferrets became popular household pets in America. And because our pets are much more to us than just animals, knowing how to give them the proper care is essential. We have domesticated these animals from the wild and taught them to expect to have their needs met by humans. In order for the pet-human relationship to work, we have to do our part.

Ferrets love playing with toys as much as children, and in these free video clips, you'll learn how to find the best toys for your pet ferret. Animal lover and expert veterinarian Fran Freedman offers tips on the various toys available for your ferret, including different types of plastic toys and soft toys. She demonstrates how to set up an exercise pin for your ferret with tubes and baby toys, and a digging area for your ferret to play in. She also offers tips on what types of toys ferrets like best, what types are safest for your pet, and some safety guidelines for children playing with toys and ferrets. Following the advice in these free video clips will help you maintain a happy, playful and frisky ferret for many years to come.

Video Transcript

"Hi! I’m Fran Friedman with Morning Store Sanctuary and I would like to just discuss toys for ferrets on behalf of expertvillage.com. Ferrets need toys for stimulation. They especially love toys that make noise, toys that have lights, pretty anything that a young child would like having 2 year olds, so they are definitely in that toy category. Ferret toys are available at ferretdepot.com., the ferretstore.com, E-bay has all kinds of ferret toys for sale. They have chew toys; they have shaky toys, toys that light up, toys that they can chew on, toys they can grab and toys that they just like to stick in a corner and kind of have as their own. Definitely toys for ferrets; lot of toys. You want to stimulate your ferret and keep him busy so that you are not the big toy all the time. Definitely get your ferret lots of toys. Baby toys, rattles; you can get at garage sales. Make sure that the plastic is solid. They don’t always have to be expensive from a store. If you see any nice clean baby toys that are usually used for babies from 1 month to 1 year, probably your ferret is going to like that. So toys are definitely on top of the list for ferrets. "