DIY Ferret Toys: 9 Easy and Affordable Ideas Using Common Household Items

Budget-friendly Ferret Toys Made With Things Around the House

If you’re a ferret owner, you know how important it is to provide these curious and energetic animals with plenty of toys to keep them happy and out of trouble. Unfortunately, buying toys from pet stores can get expensive quickly. Thankfully, with a little creativity, you can easily find ways to make your own ferret toys with items you already have in your house! From cardboard tubes to old t-shirts, these ideas are fun and eco-friendly while being kind to your budget. Here’s a list of 9 easy and affordable DIY ferret toys that will provide your pets with endless hours of entertainment.

Ferret Toy Safety

You want to be careful anytime you give your animals new toys. Always closely supervise your ferrets the first few times you introduce a new item so you can make sure they don’t find a way to get hurt. This includes eating things they aren’t supposed to, getting stuck in a tight space, or getting injured on a sharp edge. Please regularly inspect their toys for any signs of wear and tear to help keep your animals safe.

DIY Ferret Toy Ideas

Enrichment is an important part of providing our animals with a good quality of life. Though there is way more to enrichment than just toys, they do play a big part in keeping your pets happy and healthy. It can be overwhelming walking into a pet store and looking at all of the price tags while trying to find the perfect toy. Luckily, finding toys that your ferrets will love doesn’t have to be expensive. You can easily find items that you already have to make your ferrets happy and keep them occupied for hours!

Cardboard   

Animals can have so much fun with cardboard boxes and tubes.  Larger tubes and tunnels can be made into mazes or even ‘buildings’. For Halloween, we made our ferrets a haunted castle. Smaller boxes and rolls make great Ferret Puzzles.

Pipes  

Do you have larger-sized left-over PVC or corrugated pipes from a plumbing project? These make great tunnels! Add a few connector pieces and have fun making different maze-like patterns for them to run through.

Pants  

I know what you’re thinking, PANTS?!?  Yes. Don’t throw away that old pair of pants. Ferrets will love crawling into pantlegs using them as tunnels and even sleeping in them. If it’s a pair of sweatpants- consider cutting the waistband off to use the drawstring like a cat teaser toy.  

Packing Paper  

Our ferrets love the sound of packing paper. They jump on it, hide under it, and will move it around the room as they see fit. You can also wrap treats up in it for them to find.

Tissue Paper    

Ferrets will have fun tearing tissue paper into pieces and stuffing it in different hidey-holes. Sometimes they’ll also use it to add a bit of flair to their litter box.

Bubble Wrap  

Who doesn’t love popping bubble wrap? Watch them have fun scratching away to pop the bubbles.

Mailing Envelopes 

These make great nooks and crannies to curl up in. Bonus if it has bubble wrap on the inside.

Cloth Materials and Pillowcases  

Think of materials like towels, curtains, and pillowcases as extra rooms or decorations for your ferrets. These items provide more things for them to burrow into and adjust to their liking.

Plastic Containers  

Plastic containers are another item that makes fun noises. Put a few rocks inside, leave empty, or use them to make more ferret puzzles.

Get Creative!

Creating your own ferret toys from things you already have around your house is a great way to save money while still providing your pets the enrichment they need to stay happy and healthy. Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for helping the environment by reducing waste! Have fun getting creative with these DIY ferret toy ideas and enjoy seeing which items your ferrets love the best!