Yeah, sometimes I am accused of being over dramatic. Who would have thought? But, this is not being over dramatic this is serious. Certain toys can and will kill your pet. Don’t get me wrong the right toys are great items fro loads of ferret fun. The wrong toy can be a very costly vet bill at least, a dead ferret at most. Sometimes I poke fun at ferrets and ferrety things, but this is not one of them. I lost a ferret because of a toy that I did not notice had a loose piece. So I write this with a ferret named Smoky in mind. When I got my first ferret I wanted him to have everything. I bought toys galore. Not to mention the toys the ferret stole from my two children. I never had a problem with the ferret and any of the toys. When I started the shelter I was quick to buy toys and to keep an eye on them and throw them away as soon as they got a hole in them or showed signs of being harmful to the ferrets in my care. I was sure I was on top of things. Unfortunately, I was not. I bought a hard rubber chew toy that was designed for the dog and let them play with it. Smoky, chewed a piece off of it and it made her internally bleed to death before I could get her to the vet. She died in my arms on the way to the vet. I still remind myself of her when I buy any toy for my shelter. Over time I have learned what to look for when deciding what to buy for my shelter as far as toys. The list below is what to look for when buying toys for your ferret.
1. Do not buy rubber toys. Over time rubber toys get exposed to fluids from being cleaned and/or urine, these toys start to become less hard. Ferrets can and will chew on them and get pieces off of them that can be allowed.
2. I have had no problems with tennis balls. But I do throw them away with they become fuzzy or dirty.
3. Stay away from toys with little pieces. These piece can get swallowed. I do not do pieces that are smaller than their heads.
4. Soft plastic is a big no-no. They can chew on the plastic and chew through it.
5. Stuffed animals are great but keep an eye out for hard eyes and other hard areas that can come off and get swallowed. Also make sure that the seams are in good shape. They can swallow stuffing also.
6. The rubber toys you can put a treat in are dangerous and a ferret can chew the rubber off of them trying to get the treat out.
7. Before each play area check over your ferret’s toys and make sure to throw away any toys that become dangerous to your ferret. Toys over time can get broke seems, broken all together, and can become dangerous these toys need to be thrown away.
8. A cheap alternative to purchasing toys is to get them from thrift store, and/or yard sales.
9. A lot of Baby toys can be used for ferret toys, so keep your eyes open.
10. The best toy of all for your ferret is you, so make sure to spend time with your ferret playing. He will like you best if you do.