The holidays are coming and all good little ferrets are dreaming of toys and treats under the tree. As a ferret parent, how do you choose the right toys for your pet? Are the toys safe? Does your ferret like them? How can you tell?
Ferret Safety Comes First
To determine if a toy is safe for your ferret, examine it carefully before you buy it. Don’t buy toys that have small pieces that can be chewed off and swallowed. Rubber toys are especially dangerous for ferrets. Chunks that seem likely to pass through the intestine often don’t because the rubber reacts with the strong acids in the ferret’s stomach and swell up to almost twice their original size, making surgery the only option to get them out. A determined ferret can destroy even hard English rubber.
If it is a plush toy, watch out for plastic eyes or noses that are sewn or glued on. Ferrets can easily chew these off. If these parts are swallowed, they can cause an obstruction in the stomach or intestines and your ferret may need surgery to remove the pieces. Make sure that all of the seams are well-sewn and that the toy is made from a durable fabric.
If your ferret is prone to chewing on fabric, then hard plastic toys are your best bet. In addition to toys made specifically for ferrets, try giving your ferret hard plastic jingle balls, whiffle golf balls, baby rattles and even Ping-Pong balls. These can be a lot of fun for your pet and not break the bank. A word of caution though, some toys labeled for ferrets are might not be as safe for your pet as they should be. Use the same criteria in picking a toy labeled for ferrets as you would any other pet toy.
Picking Out Ferret Toys
If your ferret has had toys before, then you probably already know some of its likes and dislikes. If this is your first holiday together, then buy a variety of toys so that your ferret has a choice. Some ferrets like toys that they can carry around. Small, sturdy stuffed animals or plush dog toys are great for this type of ferret.
Other ferrets like toys that they can chase, such as balls or self-propelled toys. If you choose a self-propelled toy, make sure it isn’t too powerful so it the toy doesn’t injure your ferret.
Some ferrets like toys that make noise. Toys with jingle bells inside them or toys that talk or make sounds can be the perfect gift for this type of ferret.
Presenting The Gift To Your Ferret
Set the toy on the floor and see if your ferret shows any interest. Make sure that you do this after other family members are done opening their presents or your ferret may be too distracted to check out its new toy. If it doesn’t come over on its own to check the toy out, gently toss the toy in front of your ferret, but not right to it. This way it will not perceive the toy as a threat.
Eventually, your ferret’s curiosity should kick in and it will inspect its new toy. Roll or toss the toy a few more times to show your ferret what the new toy can do. If your ferret still doesn’t show any interest, don’t despair. Your ferret just might not be in the mood to play at this time. If your ferret still doesn’t show interest within a couple of days, put the toy aside and try again at a later date.
Rotating Toys Versus Buying New Toys
Just like children, ferrets get bored with their toys. If you see that your ferret has stopped playing with some of its toys, take them away and store them in a box or bag. Get your ferret some new toys and let your ferret play with those until it gets tired of them, then switch back to the old toys.
You can also do things to the old toys to make your ferret think that they are new. Try putting a scented candle in the box with the old toys. The toys will pick up some of the scent of the candles and pique your ferret’s interest. Floral or sweet scents are best. Don’t use anything spicy. Never spray your ferret's toys with air freshener or liquid fragrances. Many air fresheners and scented oils can be toxic if your ferret licks the toys and ingests the product. A safe alternative is to rub your ferret’s toys with some powdered bouillon or toss a couple of dog treats in the bag or box where you store your ferret’s toys.
Time To Toss A Toy
Most toys wear out after a while and must be tossed out. Any toys that have been excessively chewed, have parts falling off, have exposed stuffing or are cracked can be hazardous to your pet. Even if it is your ferret’s favorite toy, toss it. You can usually find a similar toy to replace it. If your ferret shows intense interest in a toy when you first buy it, go buy an extra one so you have a replacement toy ready for when the time comes to toss the first one.
Buying duplicate toys can also be helpful if two or more of your ferrets like the same toy. They will still try to steal the toys from each other, but at least there are better odds of appeasing everybody.
I have never seen ferrets actually fight over a regular toy, but I have seen them sneak toys back and forth from each other. The only toys that I have seen ferrets fight over are edible toys, such as Cheweasels and Foamy Fries. Don’t expect your ferrets to share these. Either cut the treat into pieces and give a piece to each ferret or give each ferret a whole one to chew on; otherwise you will not have any peace in your home.
Some ferrets like hard chew toys like Nylabones. The Petite Nylabones and the chew rings are safe for ferrets and never seem to wear out.
Here’s wishing you a very Happy Holiday and a New Year full of fun, family and ferrets, and below there is more about ferret games and playtime for your ferrety friends.
No matter how many toys you get for your ferret, one of his favorite toys is always going to be you, his owner. There are a variety of fun activities and games that you and your ferret can engage in to make playtimes even more fun. The best games are those that stimulate his instincts and innate abilities and encourage his natural behaviors.
The games that ferrets love to play are somewhat similar to those that a toddler would like - chase, hide-and-seek, exploring new places and things, and other similar activities. If given the chance, ferrets love games and activities that allow them to make a mess, such as digging and rolling in dirt, sand, and other materials. They also enjoy mock combat and tug-of-war. Many of their games end with their playthings being stashed in their "secret" toy spot, whether the plaything is a jingle ball or your car keys!
But what do all of these games tell us about our ferrets?
- Chase and hide-and-seek games mimic their hunting, predatory behavior in the wild.
- Exploring new places and things caters to their need for variety and stimulates their curiosity.
- Digging and rolling around in the dirt is similar to their natural tunneling behaviors.
- Mock combat and tug-of-war games stimulate your ferret's natural hunting behaviors.
So what are some specific games you can play with your ferret? Here are a few examples that will give you a place to start gathering ideas for fun games of your own.
A-Maze-ing Fun
You can purchase a playground kit or glue a bunch of cardboard boxes together and cut holes between them. Once you have your maze, hide treats and toys throughout the maze, and then place your ferret in the maze.
Snorkeling for Toys
Fill your ferret's digging box with his favorite materials (long grain rice, shredded paper, dirt, etc) and hide toys in it. As he uncovers the toys, he'll get even more excited searching for more.
Fishing for Ferrets
Use a toy like the Da Bird Feather Toy that has a fun toy suspended from a plastic stick by a string, and drag it slowly across the floor, teasing your ferret. Watch his hunting instinct go into overdrive as he chases, attacks, and tries to carry off his "prey!"
Tag
Chase your ferret around the room and "tag" him, then turn and make him chase you. Once he catches you, turn around to chase him again. If you can, get down on your hands and knees so you can be at his level when you do this.
The Towel Game
This refers to two different kinds of games. The first way to play with towels is to use it for tug-of-war with your ferrets. Rope toys can also be used. They will have a blast trying to pull the towel away from you so they can stash it with the rest of their prizes and toys.
Another version of the towel game involves getting your ferret interested in the towel by waving it around his head and teasing him with it, then waiting until he jumps on it and drags it around the room. Ferrets love this game, and you can either give them rides around the room or pull them a short way and then flip them off the towel. We guarantee they'll come back war dancing!
Seasonal Fun
This is a variation of the snorkeling for toys game, and it's a great way to pull in ferrets' need for new scents and experiences. If it snows in your area, bring some snow inside in a big plastic tub, and let them snorkel in it. You can also hide toys if you'd like. Another way to give them some seasonal fun is to bring in some fallen leaves during the autumn and allow them to dig, tunnel and throw them around. You can also place tubing, like the Super Thru Way, inside the box.
Ferret Trampoline
Place your ferrets on your bed, and use the blankets, sheets and pillows to toss your ferrets in the air, cover them up, flip them over, and in general roughhouse with them. This is an especially fun game when you have two humans and multiple ferrets, as you can really get a trampoline effect going on with the sheets!
Pillow-fight
Gently drop a small pillow on top of your ferret so he can kick it up in the air and throw it around. You can also slide your ferret into the pillowcase and play with him through it. Just be careful that you don't get any nips if he gets a little overexcited!
The Ferret Indy 500
If you have remote control cars, your ferrets will have a blast chasing them around the room, knocking them over, and attacking them. Just be sure to check them before playtimes for any loose parts or things that your ferrets could ingest so you can remove them.
Happy Human War Dance
Many of you probably know that your ferret does a little dance called the "happy weasel war dance" during which he jumps back and forth, dooking and trying to get you to play with him. But did you know that you can do this dance as well? You can, as long as you don't mind getting strange looks from your neighbors. Simply jump back and forth, making little dooking noises with your mouth and waving your arms around, and watch your ferret come after you!
These are just a few examples of games that you can play with your ferret; there are so many more that you can come up with as you spend more time with your ferret and see what he likes to play with the most. Just remember, no matter what the activity, make sure it involves his natural instincts and abilities, and you two will have a great time playing!
The reasons I don’t want a rabbit indoors is because it will smell. We don’t have a lot of room so we cannot fit a cage inside. As a child we had a bunny in a hutch, and that’s how it always was, the rabbit was Fine. I don’t understand this idea of “house rabbits” and free rein rabbits. Could you please explain to me why you guys insist on indoor rabbits? How is it bad to keep rabbits outdoors?
Hi Meg,
There are a few reasons why rabbits do not fare very well outside in a hutch. The first factor is that outdoor rabbits are more vulnerable to predators and weather. The second factor, which you may not have considered, concerns the social aspect. Rabbits are very intelligent, social creatures. They crave interaction with other rabbits and their human families. (This is why when people house their rabbits indoors, we recommend they place them in a fairly central location.)
Another consideration is that when rabbits live within the house with you, there is a less likely chance that they will be neglected. When the rabbit is constantly amidst your family’s daily activities, there will always be someone to notice the rabbit’s behavior (you need to pay close attention to their behavior to detect health issues), provide enrichment, ensure the rabbit has exercise time, and make sure the hay box and water bowls are fresh and filled and the litterboxes clean.
Ooh- What a lovely ring. Perfect for Bunny lovers!
16 Responses to “World’s Fluffiest Bunny”
I don’t believe rabbits are good pets. my neighbor has a bunny in her house and she uses this website. I don’t have any pets so I am not exactly biased, but dogs and cats, even ferrets make better pets. Ferrets are sure smelly,
but a friend at my college had one and they are affectionate. My neighbors rabbit sleeps in a sort of dog bed at night and the rabbit runs loose! Not even in a cage. The litterBox is smelly, and he act so dumb. when I came in the door he ran from me. My neighbor
is trying to persuade me to get one, but it seems kind of weird (actually REALLLY weird)to be so obsessed with them like that and going around with rabbit t-shirts screaming, “I love House rabbits” and all that.
Now my nieghbor is telling Me I can’t get a bunny for my 5y/o niece for her birthday because “rabbits are sensitive creatures…only for adults…blah ble”
My niece wants a rabbit and even though I hate rabbits my brother (her dad) says I should get one for her. She’s cute and who cares what my nieghbor says.
I went on here to see if there was any info about the fact “that rabbits don’t make good pets for kids.” I don’t even know why I’m listening to someone who lets a destructive creature
Run around their house! They chew and poop, an destroy everything you own, are stupid in my opinion, but my brother insists I should get one for her. So what would you say? Anything about angoras cuz If I gave this rabbit to my niece she would love this huge….I don’t even know what the heck this big fluffy thing is…. Big, bunny. She would love to cuddle on this. Anyways, this is a good format on the website….(coming from a bunny-hater) and I guess some people really are crazy about bunnies. I saw your rabbits photos too…. Gross you just let them run around like that, and no, they do not have personalities. Duhh! rabbits are meant to be hunted and stuff like that, not left to destroy and chew on baseboards in your home. I don’t know how you stand the smell and all those stains on the carpet.
Bunny people don’t care about that kind of stuff, huh?
Dan- rabbits definitely aren’t good pets for everyone, and by your own admission, they’re not the pet for you. That’s fine. But moving on to your second point, getting a rabbit for a child as a gift is never a good idea.
We have articles about this sort of thing:
http://myhouserabbit.com/tip_children.php
http://myhouserabbit.com/tip_thinking.php
http://myhouserabbit.com/tip_easter.php
But it seems like you already know it’s not a good idea.
Yikes! All I see is a furball with a nose! Where’s his ears, eyes, etc?
As for the first comment, I totally disagree with you! Rabbits are wonderful pets, can be litter box trained, (like a cat) Are much cleaner than cats, have marvelous personalities, are cute, cuddly, and affectionate!
And no, rabbits aren’t good pets for young children because:
They don’t know how to handle them properly, so they scare the bunny, they are very loud around them, so, again, scare the bunny, and when the novelty wears off, they abandon them! So Sad!
I could go on, but I won’t.
I certainly wouldn’t say I am crazy and “do not care about those kind of stuff” and in fact, yes, it is pretty gross to have stains and poop on your carpet – My bunnies don’t do that at all. I have two house rabbits that use litter boxes and we let them play around the house very often, those other times they live in large pens.
I’m done here.
DID YOU KNOW……?
The death of Spaz in 2004 brought to an end my four-and-a-half year long experiment with rabbits as pets. Although some people and organizations, such as the House Rabbit Society, might like you to believe that rabbits make great companions, I have determined that, while bunnies might look cute and cuddly, in reality they are ill-tempered, destructive, boring, unrewarding animals which, in my opinion, make poor pets.
My experience with rabbits revealed to me several reasons why they make poor pets.
First, they’re destructive. If you keep them indoors, they pull up carpet, gnaw on baseboards, chew on power cords, rip up books and nibble on clothing. They also urinate and leave droppings everywhere, even if you give them their own litter box to use. If you let them go outdoors, they dig holes and lay waste to your vegetable or flower garden. Even when I gave my rabbits pieces of cardboard to chew on, old newspapers to rip up or even entire bales of hay to dig through, they would still go after carpet, furniture, books and anything else they could sink their teeth into if given the opportunity. One time they even gnawed all the buttons off the remote control for our VCR!
While it’s true that dogs and cats can also have destructive tendencies, such as chewing or clawing, neither is as habitually destructive as a rabbit. Dogs and cats, after all, can be trained not to destroy stuff. Rabbits, I’ve learned, don’t take to training very well. Move their litter box to the corner of the room that they’ve been urinating and defecating in? They’ll just ignore the litter box and start doing their business in another corner of the same room. Yell “no!” to startle and disrupt them when they’re pulling up carpet fibers? They’ll just come back and start pulling up carpet fibers when you’re not looking.
Second, rabbits show no affection. One of the most important aspects of keeping a pet is the fondness it shows for you. Why, after all, keep an animal in your home if it doesn’t offer you its love and companionship? A dog will run to greet you, tail wagging, when you come home. A cat will rub your leg and sit in your lap. A rabbit will do none of these things; in fact, it will probably run away from you when you approach it and if you do manage to catch it it is liable to bite or scratch you. They tolerate being pet for only short periods of time and do not like being picked up. Even Nibblet, whom we handled as a pup and raised by hand after Nibbles died, did not enjoy being pet or show us any affection. She was, in fact, perhaps the meanest of the three rabbits we had.
Rabbits are not just mean to humans; either. they’re also mean to other animals. Spaz and Nibblet had a habit of chasing our cats all over the place. It was actually comical to watch – one would expect that the cats, beig predators, would be the ones doing the chasing and the rabbits, being prey, would be the ones trying to escape. In fact, it was th other way around; the rabbits had no fear of our cats and regularly chased them away when they got too close.
Third, rabbits are rather uninteresting creatures. They don’t like to play. They don’t like to be handled. They don’t make any noise. They don’t make any expressions. They don’t attack balls of yarn or chase after Frisbees. They do little more than sit and stare. In fact, the only time I found I really enjoyed watching them is when were eating or when they were chasing our cats.
In my mind, there needs to be at least some sort of entertainment value to a pet – something an animal does that we find humorous, comforting or otherwise interesting. Dogs have it. Cats have it. Rabbits don’t. They are, in a word, boring.
Fourth, rabbits require a lot of maintenance. Consider everything that had to be ready for Nibbles and Spaz when I brought them home: cage with removable bottom, water bottle, food bowl, hay bin, salt wheel, absorbent wood chips, and even a litter box outside of their cage that they could use when I let them out to run around. I also provided them with mats to lay on and toys to play with and chew on. I kept their food bowl stocked with pellets and their hay bin stocked with hay. I even fed them fresh vegetables or fruit from time to time, as rabbit owners are supposed to do (interesting that I don’t have to feed my cats fresh meat from time to time – why do rabbits need such a varied diet when cats can survive just fine on a steady supply of Meow Mix?).
I also had to clean the rabbits’ cage on a regular basis; after all, it got rather stinky in a hurry. And, since I kept the rabbits in a cage, I had to let them outside often to run around. And when I let them outside, of course, I needed to watch them to make sure they didn’t relieve themselves on the carpet, gnaw on the leg of the coffee table or rip a hole in the upholstery of the couch.
To keep rabbits from destroying everything, in fact, we had to try to “rabbit-proof” our home. That meant buying even more stuff, such as urine guards to keep the rabbits from peeing outside of the cage or a long plastic sheet for the rabbits to lay on when they hopped underneath our couch so they wouldn’t relieve themselves or pull up carpet while they were under there. And even then, this “rabbit-proofing” didn’t keep the bunnies from wreaking their destructive ways.
Did I mention that rabbits need to be constantly groomed, too? They shed fur more than your average cat or dog. Almost every time I picked up one of my rabbits I would find myself covered with rabbit hair.
Simply put, rabbits require much more care than a dog or a cat. All the various needs of rabbits are listed on the House Rabbit Society’s various FAQs. The amount of stuff these small animals need in order to live is mind-boggling. (Interestingly, had I known about the House Rabbit Society’s website before I purchased the two rabbits, I probably wouldn’t have gotten them. I did attempt to do some due diligence by buying and reading a book about rabbit care before I got the actual rabbits, but the book turned out to be woefully inadequate.)
Finally, rabbits live short lives and die sudden deaths. Nibbles was only about seven months old when she passed away. Nibblet only lived two and a half years before I found her dead body sprawled in the hutch in my parents’ backyard. I don’t know why she died, but I’ve since discovered that something like 85% of female rabbits die of some sort of uterine cancer at about two years of age, and that all female rabbits should be spayed. And I thought I was doing Nibblet a favor when I spared her the knife and had Spaz neutered instead. (Also, some rabbit lovers claim that rabbits become less agressive or destructive when they’re spayed or neutered. This was definitely not the case with Spaz.)
Spaz lived the longest, dying in July 2004 after a very brief illness, but even then that’s a pretty short lifespan, compared to the dog that lives 12 years or the cat that lives 15 years. The House Rabbit Society claims that rabbits kept indoors can expect to live 9 to 12 years, but that rabbits who live outdoors usually only live half as long and that’s why rabbits should be kept indoors. Of course, keeping them indoors after we moved back to Houston really wasn’t an option due to their destructiveness.
Wow. You used the “Rabbits Make Lousy Pets” article, huh? First of all, that is the only article in existence that claims rabbits make bad pets – you know why I hate that article? Because he basically took everything rabbits ARE and put the words “are ” and “not” in front of them. Plus, he disrespected the House Rabbit Society! Ugh, how I despise whoever wrote this.
“Second, rabbits show no affection. One of the most important aspects of keeping a pet is the fondness it shows for you. Why, after all, keep an animal in your home if it doesn’t offer you its love and companionship? A dog will run to greet you, tail wagging, when you come home. A cat will rub your leg and sit in your lap. A rabbit will do none of these things; in fact, it will probably run away from you when you approach it and if you do manage to catch it it is liable to bite or scratch you. They tolerate being pet for only short periods of time and do not like being picked up. Even Nibblet, whom we handled as a pup and raised by hand after Nibbles died, did not enjoy being pet or show us any affection. She was, in fact, perhaps the meanest of the three rabbits we had.”
Uninteresting creatures? Do you know what a binky is? Rabbits binky a lot, shaking in the air, almost like a hoppy rabbit dance. When a rabbit binkys, they feel happy and it is entertaining to watch. If you think that sounds boring, watch “rabbit Harlem Shake” actually here on My House Rabbit! They are funny, exciting, and agile. Don’t agree? Fine. You may never will until you adopt a bunny! (:
YES! Rabbits do require maintenance, but not as much as most animals, like dogs and cats like he keeps referring to. That’s another reason they don’t make good pets for KIDS!!!
Rabbits outdoors do live short lives. At this point I am shocked at the way he taunts HRS, they are right. Rabbits do need to be kept indoors. They are no pet if they aren’t.
Rabbits are good pets for men too! So, dan, if you think a rabbit will affect your “manliness,” then don’t think that. Rabbits make wonderful pets, and can be very sweet and affectionate if you give them the attention they need. They can also be litter trained !
I litter trained my bunny very easily. They can live to be approx. 8-10 years if cared for correctly. They are great pets, as long as your willing to do your part and care for them properly and provide them the love and attention they need 
That’s one FLUFFY bunny haha.
Omg that is a very big cotton ball of fluff. I don’t even think it’s real! I hope that poor bunny has no trouble living a normal life with all that… Fur.
oh and dan, I have a lot to say to you but I won’t! I agree with Julia and Nate & his rabbits and Hope: BUNNIES rule! 
:/
Just found out you can do smileys on here! Thanks “Nate” for showing me that
Let’s get up to 10 comments people! Yay I did it ookay I’m done here
… and that’s why our refrigerator failed … insides of the moving parts full of 8 years of accumulated rabbit fur!!!
That bunny certainly looks extremely huggable and pettable with all that fur. I agree with Joyce though, hope the sweet thing can live a normal life like that.
I’m so happy to hear others echoing my thoughts and sentiments regarding bunnies in the replies to try to set “Dan” straight. Although his rants were disrepectful to bunnies, their owners, and those who try to help rabbits, at least we know one bunny will be spared being a gift for a child that thinks they’re cute but probably would be totally unaware of the committment you must make if you want to have one of these sweet animals as a pet.
I was going to comment something else, but Nate & his rabbits and Julia-Daisy’s mom pretty much have it covered!
well well… i understand what you saying (Dan) about them being dirty but it is up too the person raising these pets in there house to maintain it..
i have 5 rabbits and the are kept cleaned and very smart in there own way… My rabbits take baths and are well kept groomed. they are also trained and know when I say something they do understand. my rabbits give me kisses and follow me around like a dog and cat would do. i also have a cat and dog and they are all good pets. they all know when I have had such a rough day.. they make me smile and feel much better!!
The picture of that big ball o fur.. you should keep it well groomed where it is able to see and hear!! that is a ball of mess!! Don’t you think the rabbit would love to see what hey are missing!!