Ways to exercise more

What is the best way for a ferret to have fun and exercise?

I'm a new ferret owner. Tiko (my ferret) always wants to get out and play and run. But my house is not ferret proof. I put him in the the bathroom to run around, only to find he got out. So does anyone have any ideas on how to get a ferret out and not get into trouble?

Public Comments

1. I ferret-proofed my downstairs bedroom and then put up a ferret gate in front of the door. I just let the ferrets out in that room and let them play. I also ferret-proofed an area upstairs around a bathroom and closet that they can also play in.
2. You should think about ferret proofing at least one room in your house so Tiko can get to run around safely. A good place for him may be your hallway and stairs, but be warned - if he knows that bedroom/bathroom doors open he will dig at the doors to try and get in there, this will ruin any carpet you have. This has happened to me, I have 3 ferrets and my carpet is wrecked! Luckily my husband is a flooring contractor so we can repalce this easily and cheaply. Another good idea is to actually play with him yourself out of the cage, that way you can see what he's doing and keep him safe. I have old carpet tubes around my house for them to run and hide in, they also love me to shake cat teasers at them for them to try and catch, they love towel rides - shake a towel at him and watch him jump on for you to pull him along. Try teaching him tricks, this will keep him occupied and excercised whilst having fun - I have taught my 3 to come running at the sound of a squeaky toy, this is probably the best thing to teach because if Tiko decides to take a nap somewhere you can't find him or gets somewhere he shouldn't be, you will be able to attract him with the squeak. I have also taught mine to sit up and beg for a treat and to turn round in a circle for a treat (sooooo cute!) I hope these suggestions help but you should definitely try hard to ferret proof a room for your fur baby! Good luck xx
3. buy a huge playpen and get those big guinea pig tubes. or mabye get one og those HUGE balls to roll around in. just make sure you take him out alot and give him lots of love.
4. You should keep at least one room in your home ferret proofed. Your bedroom OR a spare bedroom would be perfect. If your ferret can slip under the door try attaching a door-sweep which can be purchased cheaply at any home improvement store. I'm surprised you only purchased one ferret! Have you done your researching??? Ferrets are species social and need a ferret buddy to stay happy and healthy, mentally and physically! Try putting aside 10 or 15 dollars a week until you have saved enough to buy or adopt another one. Tiko will really appreciate it! Make sure to offer plenty of ferret toys. Let your ferret have 10-12 hours of 'roaming time' in a ferret proofed room. Keeping a ferret in a cage for the majority of the day and only letting it out for 3 or 4 hours is cruel. Ferrets are just like cats and dogs...cages are BAD! Keep them out as long as possible. I hear the sad story all the time...'my ferret is so bad', 'my ferret is so destructive'...then I ask, "how long do you let them out?"...then they say 'a couple hours a day, but that's because they are so bad.' The ferrets are so bad because they are frustrated with no time to release energies and also no ferret friend to play with. Check out these sites for more info: http://www.ferretsr1.org http://www.ferretuniverse.com