Friday, June 27, 2008

Easy and Fun Ways to Make Your Ferrets Happy

By Ellen Tayana

More and more Americans are opting to have pets than children. Perhaps this is because keeping pets also gives you the benefits of companionship without the many hassles that raising children bring. Many people are too caught up with their career and social life to fully commit in a serious relationship, much less embark on child-rearing. Pets are a great alternative to honing your parenting skills and improve your sense of responsibility, as pets require dutiful attention and time.

One of the more fun pets available in pet shops, eager and ready to have a new home, are ferrets. If you don't have one yet, it is suggested that you find out more about them before you take one home.

Ferrets are one of the most active pets around. They are playful by nature and can become anxious enough to actually hurt themselves when they have no one around to play with for most of the day. If you're thinking of getting one, make sure that you will have enough time to shower them with attention and play time for most part of every day, or that you can have someone around to do this for you. (Also, ferrets are banned from some cities, so find out first if your city allows you to keep one.)

Once you can assure that you will have the time to take care of your ferret, you need not worry about how to make them happy. There are many ways with which you can make your ferrets happy, and information on the subject abound on the internet.

The first thing you have to do after you buy a ferret is to get him a huge cage. Ferrets really like to move around a lot; a large space that doubles as a play area can help curb his boredom. Consequently, you'll need to provide with a lot of toys that he can play with. Most toys for ferrets include all sorts of knick-knacks, such as balls, stuffed animals, socks, towels, hammocks, and even squeaky objects. Ferrets also like to go through tunnels and run in mazes. You can readily find these in online pet shops and on eBay.

Browsing through different websites that are information on ferrets can also lead you to articles written by real ferret owners that give away more detailed instructions on how to make your ferrets happy. For example, one ferret owner listed steps that you have to perform in order to do a certain dance which, he claims, never fails to get a dook - the laughing sound that ferrets make - out of his ferret. Another gave advice on the many things you can do with the toys, like dropping the socks on your ferret or making tunnels out of the towels.

It is important that your ferret gets time out of the cage. You can take your pet on walks (you can use a leash) to help him develop his bones properly and to expose him to fresh air and natural light. Some ferrets like water; if yours does, you can take him swimming for additional exercise.

If you own a cat or a dog, they can serve as playmates for your ferret. Ferrets usually get along with these other domestic creatures. You also have the option to buy another ferret (and another one and another one) and they can keep each other company.

For more information on ferrets - and how you can make and keep them happy, visit http://ferrets-guide.info

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