Pet ferrets love to play, frolic and bounce around. There’s no doubt about it.
And this playfulness is one of their best qualities — just ask any ferret owner, and they’ll all tell you that playtime is one of the reasons they can’t imagine their lives without their furry cat snake.
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However, there’s a dark side…
Ferrets can be incredibly mischievous and destructive when they get bored.
They’ll deny it, but don’t believe those adorable faces; it’s 100% true.
Luckily, you can do something to save your home from their adorable wrath.
At a glance, the 9 best ferret toys featured in this article…
- KONG Small Animal Toy
- Marshall Pet Products Ferret Swiming Pool
- Living World Teach-N-Treat Toy
- Niteangel Small Animal Fun Tunnel
- Ferret Nation & Critter Nation Accessories Kit
- Niteangel Activity Toy for Small Animals, Ferret Cotton Rope Net
- Marshall Pet Products Pop-N-Play Ball Pit
- Niteangel Activity Toy for Small Animals, Ferret Cotton Rope Net
- Marshall Pet Products Alligator Hide-N-Sleep
Note: Clicking the above links will take you to further information, current prices and customer reviews on Amazon.
You can get your ferrets a wide range of high-quality toys and accessories to ensure they always have something fun, colorful, and mentally stimulating to play with.
Let’s explore the best options available online pronto!
The Nine Best Ferret Toys
KONG Small Animal Toy
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Dog owners are undoubtedly familiar with the KONG Small Animal Toy.
But guess what?
It’s not just for dogs — its extra-small version also works wonders for ferrets.
We’re talking about a sturdy hollow rubber toy that’s a joy to play with because it bounces and moves in totally unpredictable ways (a bit like your furry ferret).
Your ferret will chase it, chew on it (which is excellent for a ferret’s teeth and gums), and hide their treats inside of it.
P.S. You can take part in the fun by filling the KONG with your ferret’s favorite treat and using it as a bouncy food puzzle.
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- XS Puppies (Up to 5 lbs): This KONG Puppy toy is 1.5" by 2.25"; made of a soft rubber formula for a growing puppy's baby teeth and gums - WHEN YOUR PUPPY TURN 9 MONTHS, SWITCH TO KONG CLASSIC OR KONG EXTREME
- Fetch and Chew Toy: The KONG Puppy's bounce makes for games of fetch & is an ideal chew toy for the puppy's teeth and gums
- Stuffing: The stuffable KONG Puppy is more enticing when filled with KONG Puppy Easy Treat and KONG Snacks. For an added challenge, freeze stuffed KONG for 4-6 hours before giving to your dog. (Dishwasher safe for easy clean up)
- Vet Recommended: Veterinarians and trainers worldwide recommend the KONG Puppy as one of the best durable puppy toys available
- Made in the USA. Globally Sourced Materials
Pros
- Fun to play with thanks to its unpredictable bounce
- Stuffable with treats
- Soft yet durable
- Protects against dental disease
- Dishwasher safe
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Hidden treats might spoil if you aren’t vigilant
Marshall Pet Products Ferret Swiming Pool
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Most ferrets adore swimming.
And that’s why Marshall’s Ferret Swimming Pool is number two on our list (and pretty much a mandatory addition to any list of essential ferret supplies).
This great toy has the potential to keep your ferret entertained for hours on end, especially if you transform it into a ball pit (by filling it with hard plastic balls) or a dig pool (by adding dirt or long grain rice) when your ferrets aren’t bathing.
Plus, it doubles nicely as a bathtub when you need to bathe your ferrets. Just remember to use a ferret-safe, fragrance-free shampoo and only wash your furry friends when it’s strictly necessary, as bathing strips the natural oils from their skin and coat and results in a more pungent ferret smell.
We highly recommend it to every single ferret owner — it’s that good.
Manufacturers Specs and Features
Pros
- Affordable
- Built from durable, heavy-duty materials
- Sturdy walls
- Perfectly sized for ferrets
- Foldable (and hence portable)
- Versatile (the same toys can double as a ball pit, a dig pool, and a bathtub)
Cons
- Requires supervision
- Not all ferrets like water
Living World Teach-N-Treat Toy
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The Living World Teach-N-Treat Toy is one of our all-time favorite ferret toys.
Why?
Three reasons:
- It’s a fantastic way to stimulate your ferret’s brain
- It slows down the snacking habits of a heavy eater
- It’s both affordably priced and highly durable
But the best thing about this toy is that it has three difficulty levels, so you can start simple and slowly increase the difficulty of the puzzle to avoid your ferret immediately figuring it out and getting bored.
If you like the idea of the Teach-N-Treat but aren’t sure your ferret will engage with it, you should also check out the TRIXIE Snack Board — it’s a cheaper product you can use to test what happens when your ferret sees a food puzzle.
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Interactive and rewarding toy
- Helps teach pets to search for treats
- Stimulating and educational
- Three levels to provide the optimal learning experience
- Keeps your pet healthy and alert
Pros
- Highly interactive, stimulating, and rewarding
- Ideal for training your ferret
- Three difficulty levels
- Keeps your ferret’s mind active and alert
- Made from durable plastic
- Great for other small pets, i.e., guinea pigs, rabbits, and rats
Cons
- Some inpatient ferrets lose interest quickly
Niteangel Small Animal Fun Tunnel
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Ferrets love tunnels. And ferrets love hanging tubes.
It’s that simple. It’s in their blood.
And that’s why if you show your ferret one of Niteangel’s Fun Tunnels, they’ll dive straight into it.
These colorful tunnels provide your ferrets with a special place to exercise, play, and hide. No wonder they make for such fun toys!
We can’t get enough of watching as our ferret runs through his tunnels over and over, getting hours of entertainment out of such a humble (and budget-friendly) toy.
What if you need more than one tunnel and don’t want to get two of the same?
Either pick a different color (as the Fun Tunnel comes in six different colors) or take a look at the Living World Hagen Pet Tunnel to see if you like the way it complements your Niteangel one.
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- An excellent way to interact with your pet and satisfy their natural tunneling instinct.
- Expandable plastic allows the tunnel to expand up to 39 inches and contract.
- Encourages exercise and play in a fun design.
- Made of durable, stain resistant plastic.
- Suitable for Ferrets and Rats, but not Rabbits.
Pros
- Encourages exercise and healthy play habits
- Satisfies your ferret’s natural tunneling instincts
- Expands up to 39″ (99 cm) in length
- Contracts for easy storage
- Made from durable, stain-resistant plastic
- Suitable for other small pets
Cons
- Hard to clean
- Some ferrets confuse it for a chew toy
Ferret Nation & Critter Nation Accessories Kit
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Are you the proud owner of a Ferret Nation or a Critter Nation cage from MidWest?
Then you’re in luck.
Not only do you own the best ferret cage on the market, but you also have an unparalleled selection of MidWest-branded ferret supplies and accessories to pick from.
One of the best ones out there is the Ferret Nation & Critter Nation Accessories Kit. It contains:
- One cozy cube
- One hide & seek tunnel
- One busy body blankie
- One hammock hideaway
Sound like the perfect mixture of ferret toys for your little cat snake?
That’s because it is!
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Ferret Nation accessory kit 3| Ferret Nation or critter Nation kit for small animals includes 1 cozy cube, 1 busy body blankie, 1 hide & seek Tunnel, 1 hammock hideaway | Cage not included
- Small animal kits compatible with all Ferret Nation and critter Nation habitats (models 181, 182, 183, 161, 162, 163) | pet cage is not included
- Comfortable and attractive Ferret accessories in a polyester microsuede material in purple and teal colors
- Easy maintenance Small animal accessories | All small animal accessories are machine washable and dryer friendly
Pros
- An all-in-one kit for your ferret’s cage
- Made from comfy and attractive polyester microsuede material
- Also excellent for other types of small animals
- Machine washable and dryer friendly
- Comes in two designs (Blue & Purple and Designer Diamond Print)
- Sold with a 1-year MidWest manufacturer warranty
Cons
- Missing a chew toy
- Toys don’t last forever
- Expensive (if not on discount)
Niteangel Activity Toy for Small Animals, Ferret Cotton Rope Net
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If you’re searching for ferret toys that’ll keep your ferret active and entertained for ages, the Niteangel Small Animal Activity Toy deserves your attention.
At first sight, it might look like a simple rope net.
But if you take a closer look, you’ll see a sturdy, well-built jungle gym for your ferrets.
It comes with six metal clips, making it possible to get creative and hang it in a variety of positions:
- A hammock
- A platform
- A climbing ladder
- A ramp
And why not combine two or three of these nets and make a mega rope bridge (or ramp) for your little fellows?
They’ll love it, and not to mention that you’ll love watching them play.
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- A sturdy climbing activity toy made from cotton rope, two or more hamsters could play together on it.
- Encourage your pets to climb and do more exercise to prevent their overgrown nails, benefits to their health.
- Easily connects to most pet cages with metal clips.
- Use two or more together or combine with our rope bridge
- Dimension: 13.4 inches in length and 8.3 inches in width.
Pros
- Sturdy climbing toy
- Encourages climbing and exercising
- Prevents overgrown nails
- Easily connects to your ferret’s cage thanks to its metal clips
- Two or more nets can be connected to form a bridge or ramp
- Well-priced
- Comes in two colors (purple and green)
Cons
- Some ferrets take no interest in rope nets
- Hard to dry (so keep it away from the litter box)
Marshall Pet Products Pop-N-Play Ball Pit
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Ferrets love a good old-fashioned ball pit.
They can jump in and out of it. They can tunnel through the colorful balls. And they can have a blast rolling and wrestling around with their ferret buddies.
And that’s why Marshall’s Pop-N-Play Ball Pit was a natural choice for seventh place on our list of the top ferret toys of 2023.
You won’t be disappointed if you decide to add this product to your cart.
P.S. Do your ferrets also enjoy nibbling and chewing as they play in their ball pit?
Then don’t wait for them to start chewing at the walls and floors; instead, be proactive and throw some Niteangel Natural Chew Activity Toys into the pit to give them a few chew-friendly balls!
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- The Pop-N-Play Ball Pit is a fun and interactive toy for one or many ferrets
- Attach a Marshall Super Thru-Way to the Pop-N-Play Ball Pit for even more ferret fun
- The Pop-N-Play Ball Pit includes 35 plastic balls and is folds flat for easy storage.
- Pop-N-Play Ball Extra Ball Packs are sold seperately for even more digging fun
Pros
- Fun, interactive toy for one or more ferrets
- Connects with the Marshall Super Thru-Way to create a ferret playground
- Comes with 35 large ferret balls
- Folds flat for easy storage
- Very colorful
- Easy to wipe clean
- Extra Pop-N-Play Ball Packs available for purchase
Cons
- Not the best value-for-money
- Fabric tears too easily
Petco Brand – You & Me Ferret Fun Ball/ Wagon Wheel
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Is it a sure thing you’re looking for?
Then you can’t go wrong with the Petco You & Me Ferret Fun Ball/ Wagon Wheel.
We’ve never met a ferret that didn’t have a jolly good time frolicking with a toy ball that has a noisy bell inside.
And on of that, these are 100% safe toys — they’re made from rugged, non-toxic plastic, and they’ll last you for ages.
But what if they’re too simple?
We suggest you combine these rolly toys with the Marshall Bungee Ferret Toy (learn more here ) and prepare to have some serious fun with your pets!
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Plastic construction with little bells inside
- Provides hours of fun and exercise
- Colorful and lightweight
Pros
- Cat snakes adore these two ferret toys
- Durable plastic construction
- Little bells inside
- Colorful
- Lightweight and compact
- Non-toxic
- Also suited for other pets
Cons
- Only comes with two items
- Pricey
Marshall Pet Products Alligator Hide-N-Sleep
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The Marshall Hide-N-Sleep Alligator is a ridiculously soft toy that’ll make your ferret jump for joy, as it doubles as a fun playtime tunnel and a comfy place to nap.
After all, just look at it.
We’re pretty sure you’d tunnel inside, too, if you were small enough to fit. 😉
Do you like the idea of an animal-shaped hideout and bed for your lanky furballs but absolutely hate alligators?
No problem at all.
Marshall Pet Products makes a similar toy with a different design — the Marshall Pet Products Octo-Play , a super-cute octopus!
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Provides hours of playtime fun for your pet Ferret
- It allows your pets to do something they enjoy naturally tunnel and hide
- Hanging bell toy inside
- Easily accommodates several ferrets
- Hand wash and flat dry
Pros
- Adorable design
- Super warm and cuddly
- Taps into your ferret’s tunneling and hiding instincts
- Makes for a fantastic hideout or comfy bed
- Fits several ferrets
- Hanging bell toy inside
Cons
- Not suitable for heavy chewers
- Requires supervision
Best Ferret Toys Buyer’s Guide + Ferret Toy Tips
Attention all ferret lovers:
Don’t rush off to buy some ferret playthings just yet!
Instead, spend five more minutes learning more about ferret toys by reading through four FAQs we literally hear over and over from novice and experienced owners alike.
We promise to keep it short and sweet.
Why Should You Get Your Ferret Toys?
They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
And more often than not, they’re right.
So let’s answer this question with a hilarious meme that perfectly sums up why you need to get your ferret their very own toys.
What Should You Consider When Buying Toys for Ferrets?
These are the seven factors we carefully examined (along with a few questions to help you better frame the issue at hand) when pulling together this ranking of the top ferret toys:
- Durability — Are your ferret’s toys built to last? Are they priced fairly considering the amount of playtime your pet will get out of them?
- Materials — Are the playthings made from quality materials? Are they safe and 100% non-toxic? Have other ferret owners had any health problems or scares?
- Versatility — Can a single toy be used for several purposes? Does it have universal hanging straps? Is it useful as a toy for the other species of pets you own?
- Size — Is it small enough for your ferrets to play with? Is it large enough not to be a safety hazard?
- Taste — What do your ferrets like? Are they fans of tunnel toys with crinkly material inside? Or would they prefer some chew toys?
- Variety — Will the toy be a good distraction tool for more than five minutes? Does it integrate well with your existing assortment of toys?
Pro tips: Regularly inspect toys and lay out some puppy pads in your ferret’s play area to avoid accidents.
Can I Make DIY Toys for My Ferrets? Like Cardboard Boxes or Old Cat Toys?
Absolutely.
DIY toys are a wonderful idea because constantly buying new toys can get expensive.
And that’s why veteran ferret parents usually make a portion of their pet’s playthings in-house to save a bit of hard-earned cash.
Here are a few ideas to try out:
- Recycle an old cat toy
- Make dig boxes, playgrounds, or ball pens from cardboard boxes and paper bags
- Fashion play tents and dangling toys out of soft cloth bags and old clothes
- Create a few tube mazes by turning turn cardboard mailing tubes or PVC pipes into nearly commercial ferret tubes
- Transform teething rings or other hard plastic toys made for human babies into ferret chew toys
What Types of Toys Should I Avoid Giving My Ferret?
We advise you to avoid toys with:
- Latex or soft rubber parts (most squeaky toys have these)
- Hazardous or toxic materials
- Wooden pieces (like hanging parrot toys)
- Tiny pieces they could choke on (choking is one of the most serious dangers ferrets face)
Pro tip: Teach your ferret that your shoes and other personal belongings are NOT toys!
Final Thoughts — Order the Right Toys Before Your Ferrets Get Rowdy
Are your ferrets getting restless in the background?
We feel their pain — we’re also itching for some entertainment after being cooped up all day writing this post.
So do them a big favor:
Start buying (or making) them a ferret toy now.
Still struggling with indecision?
Then take our advice and buy our 3 favorite toys as a little starter pack for your cat snake:
This bundle is a safe bet as these are all toys ferrets love.
But don’t forget to make playtime more fun by joining in for at least a couple of hours every day!
