Ferrets can be taken out into the whole home, so if you want the chase to span multiple rooms, be sure to remove obstacles from your planned path.
It’s best to use a toy that has a strong scent or one with food in it to entice your ferret to chase after you based on its sense of smell. If you just run away from it, it might not be interested. Make sure you don’t frighten your ferret. If your ferret has a nervous or anxious personality, chasing might not be a good option for play.
Be sure to watch your feet when playing tag. The goal with tag is to get up close and touch your pet, while chasing it is simply for the fun of running — getting into close contact with your ferret could mean accidentally stepping on its tail, so be careful.
A lot of ferrets will pick up on this game quickly and go hide as well. If your ferret jumps up on you and runs away quickly, this could be a sign that it’s your turn to be the seeker.
Don’t use rubber toys for tug of war as they are easily destroyed by ferrets and rubber can cause damage to its intestines if ingested. Pull gently but firmly on the towel. If you pull too hard, you could hurt your ferret’s teeth, but pull too soft and it won’t feel a challenge.
Hide the toy in a corner or in plain sight at first, and over time choose more difficult to find hiding spots, such as in between pillows or under an upturned bowl.
Always allow your ferret to catch the treat or toy at the end of the chase. If it doesn’t catch its target, your ferret will likely become frustrated. This is essentially a smaller version of chasing your ferret with a toy, but this way you don’t have to worry about accidentally stepping on it or getting nipped. Opt for a feather toy or a ball toy if your ferret is on a diet.
You can also do this with any other toy, but a ball is optimal as it bounces and rolls further than where it lands, making your ferret run and let out its energy. Ping pong balls are especially good for their bounciness!
Opt for an electric RC car rather than a gas powered one, as the fumes will gather in a small space. Gas-powered RC cars are only meant to be used outside.
Lift the blanket layers and play peek-a-boo with your ferret while it’s in the blanket fort. It’ll love the surprise and might even try to play a bit of hide and seek itself! You can also roughhouse with your ferret while it’s under all those blankets. Ferrets love to wrestle, but they sometimes nip or scratch people they wrestle with. Gently push around and wrestle with your ferret while it’s covered up, and be sure to give it plenty of love afterward.
You can also do this with a thin blanket if you don’t want to risk trapping your ferret. Place a thin blanket over your ferret on the bed and run your fingers down the creases to pique its curiosity. The reverse works as well — place the pillowcase or blanket over yourself and move around underneath the fabric. Your ferret will love investigating the mystery of what’s moving under the blanket![7] X Research source
A ferret might not understand that a flat pant leg can be crawled through, so consider opening up one side near its head to show that it can go inside and out the other end. Placing food inside the pant leg or shirt sleeve helps entice it in. You can use poster tubes if you can’t find any decent-sized cardboard tubes locally. You can find PVC pipe at your local hardware store.
This may sound like it requires a bit of cleanup, but as long as you use dried ingredients and your ferret doesn’t relieve itself in the tub, you can reuse it over and over again. Store it near the cage for easy access. You can use Styrofoam peanuts as well as rice beans and sand, but watch the tub closely to make sure your ferret doesn’t eat any.
