PLAYING FERRETS

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Most ferrets enjoy mock combat, chase, tug-o'-war, hide-and-seek, and so forth, with each other or with you. Ours love to play hide-and-seek behind the pillows of our sofa, dance on plastic bags, and attack each other through the throw rugs. They like to explore new things and places, sniff new smells, dig and roll in the dirt. Most of them love human interaction and will gladly include you in their play if you make the time for them. It may take you a little while to learn what each ferret's favorite games are, but soon you'll be one of their best playmates.
Ferrets also love to swipe things and drag them into the most inaccessible location possible. Protect your keys and wallet.
If your ferret jumps back and forth in front of you or tugs on your pants leg, he wants to play. An appropriate response would be to get down on your hands and knees and chase him around, or to dangle a washcloth in front of him and start a tugging game, for instance. If he dances around, chuckling and dooking and bouncing off the walls, he's having fun.
SOME IDEAS: -Tunneling to Alaska: Fill the bathtub or a big bowl or pot full of snow, put it somewhere that can get wet, and let your ferrets dig in it. Warmer than standing outside watching them tunnel in the drifts there. Try burying a few toys or raisins as you fill the bowl. -Making the bed: Put the ferrets on the bed and watch them dance and tunnel as you shake out the sheets, toss on a few blankets, and fluff the pillows. A good game for busy mornings. -Unpacking game: Whenever coming back from a trip, put your luggage on the bed and the fuzzies next it it as you unpack. They monsters will be of great assistance in helping open up all the zippers, pockets, etc. and dragging out the neat stuff. Hidden in the Pillow: Pick up fuzzie and stick him/her in the bottom of your pillowcase and watch them explore, turn the pillow over or around in circles periodically to confuse them. -Bag O' Ferrets: Put several ferrets in a large bag: a trash bag, canvas tote bag, duffel bag, whatever. Play peek-a-boo, opening and closing the top. Rattle the plastic, gently poke the outsides, drag the bag around on the floor... just watch out for nips through the bag from overexcited woozles. -Semi-truck: With ferret's back on carpet, drive him around like a toy truck, making truck noises if you are not too proud. Note: some ferrets love this, some don't like it a bit. On hardwood floors, you can slide ferrets on their backs, or spin them around with a finger on the chest. Some like this more than others. -Knit a Sweater: Take a ball of yarn. Keeping one end near you, toss it toward a group of ferrets. Many of them will have a great time rolling in it and trying to unwind it all. When finished, simply roll it back up; don't worry about the knots.