Cage Accessories Guide for Ferrets

Ferret's crave activity. In fact, the overall health of your curious and highly intelligent ferret depends on the exercise and mental stimulation she receives each day. However, simply loading your ferret's cage or ferret-proofed play area with accessories and toys does little to satisfy her playful disposition. Your ferret may quickly bore if playthings are not carefully chosen and diligently rearranged. With a little planning, however, you can easily keep your ferret interested, active, exercised, and entertained.

Tips for choosing suitable ferret toys and cage accessories
It isn't always easy to offer toys and accessories that your ferret enjoys. Toys you think are great may garner barely a sniff from your ferret. Too often, ferret owners choose a product based on their own likes and dislikes, as opposed to what their ferret prefers or needs. Simply observe your pet's interactions with her toys and accessories and choose based on the following guidelines:

	Pique your ferret's personality - Every ferret is individual and unique. Some enjoy to frolic while others like to nap. At least one toy or accessory suited to your ferret's personality should be available at all times.
	Indulge your ferret's instincts - Instincts drive many, if not all, of your furry friend's behaviors. To satisfy them, always keep play and hiding toys available. Tunnels, shelves, beds, and suspended hammocks all cater to individual instincts, such as the need to tunnel or hide high in the cage top.
	Choose a variety of toys and accessories - Even if your ferret seems to prefer one activity or toy over another, no single style of toy or accessory should dominate her toy chest. Simply supplement a wide variety of your pet's favorite types of toys with a smattering of other accessories that cater to her instincts.

Simple ways to vary your ferret's environment
Keeping your ferret interested in her environment is no small task. Our curious fuzzies can quickly tire of even the most carefully chosen toy or accessory. However, there are simple ways to keep your ferret active and engaged:

	Moderate toy amounts - Don't overfill your ferret's cage or ferret-proofed play area. Though the initial plethora of objects to explore may excite some ferrets, the sensory overload it creates can be unhealthy. It is much better to choose and strategically place a few toys at a time than it is to fill every nook and cranny. This allows your pet to enjoy each toy or accessory to its full potential without the added stress of feeling crowded.
	Rotate toy selections - Rotate individual toys amongst each other a few times a month. This helps keep each toy familiar to your pet without allowing her to completely lose interest or wear them out.
	Rearrange the cage often - The simplest way to liven your ferret's surroundings is to continually rearrange the toys and accessories within her cage. And the easiest time to rearrange her cage is when you clean it. It can be as simple as moving a shelf to the other side of the cage, or as complex as a complete rearrangement of everything inside your pet's home.