List of all Ferret Breeds- And What Ferret

Should I Get?
Upon deciding to buy a pet ferret, I was perplexed on which breed I should get. This article
contains all my research on the subject.
So, which ferret breed is the best? Ferrets do not have different breeds but can be
categorized into more than 20 types based on color, size, and types of coat.
As they are one breed, they generally do not vary in their habits, but some
types like Albino, Blaze, and Panda are more prone to deafness than others.
In this article, we will dive into detail on all the different types of ferrets and their
characteristics which would help you decide on which type to buy.
Ferret types are usually divided based on color and can have a mixture of two or more
hues in their fur. Some of these types are:
• Albino
• Black Sable
• Black Sable Mitts
• Regular Sable
• Regular Sable Mitts
• Blaze
• Champagne
• Chocolate
• Chocolate Mitts
• Cinnamon
• Cinnamon Mitts
• Dalmatian
• Heavy Silver or Pewter
• Panda
• Light pattern
• Medium pattern
• Siamese
• Siamese Mitts
• Striped White
• Dark-eyed White (DEW)

Ferrets can also be categorized in terms of size as well as the length of hair on their bodies.
This variety makes the selection even more interesting, yet difficult. Keep in mind that
since ferrets only have a single breed, that’s w9hy they are simultaneously a different type
according to color, size, and hair length. Without further ado, let’s jump into each type
and discuss it in detail.

Types of ferrets based on color:

Ferrets come in a variety of different colors and shades which makes this beautiful animal
even more interesting. These colors include black, white, chocolate brown, light brown,
golden, and silver, among others. A few famous types are listed below.

Albino:
Albinism is a recessive trait found in mammals that fail to produce any pigments in their
bodies. It means that they are essentially white all over. Albino ferrets have a solid white
coat with pink to red eyes and a cute pink nose. They are the lightest type of ferrets and
are more prone to deafness than the regular ferret, yet they are highly adaptive and tend
to learn how to live with this handicap easily. (This article contains a section on how to
tell if your ferret is deaf and mentions some care techniques if it is.) Often, they are used
as therapy pets for the elderly and children. Albino ferrets are usually energetic in the
morning and like to take naps in the afternoon.

Black Sable:
These ferrets are deep black in color and have a white or creamy undercoat, which is the
fur on their lower side. Ferrets also have guard hairs of varying colors that secrete oil and
keep the fur smooth. In this case, the guard hairs are blackish brown in color. This type
has a hood-like mark on its head that seems to descend down to its nose. Black Sables are
known to have Black or dark brown eyes and a nose that usually matches the same shade.

Black Sable Mitts:

This type is essentially the same as Black Sable, except that their feet are white instead of
blackish brown. This gives them an appearance as if they are wearing mitts, hence the
name. These mitts are usually present from the toes up till two-thirds of their feet as if
they were wearing cute little boots! They have genuinely black guard hairs and a white bib
on their chest. The color of their eyes and nose is usually black.
Blaze:
This counts for one catchy name, doesn’t it! The blaze ferrets get their name from the line
of white fur that moves down their head, over their back, and often descends into their
furry little tail. This “blaze” often traces the backbone of the animal. Blaze ferrets have a
coat of varied colors (almost all ferret colors except white.) They also have a white stripe
running from their eyes to the neck. This type supports a chest of white hair that is known
as its bib and has mitts as well. Often, you’ll find color rings around their eyes which adds
to their cuteness and makes them irresistible! Unfortunately, Blaze ferrets have a 75%
deafness ratio due to Waardenburg Syndrome.

Champagne:
The name says it all; this one is literally a party animal! On a serious note, the name
“Champagne” ferret comes from its milky chocolate brown color deriving from its guard
hairs. This type is extraordinarily cute due to its attractive color that factors into its high
sales as a pet. It has a white or slightly golden undercoat, with pink eyes and a rather beige
outline. One can also find a hint of color rings around its eyes which give them a cute and
harmless look.

Chocolate:
Chocolate ferrets might sound like a delicacy, but it is actually a common type of ferret. It
is almost the same as sable except it has dark brown legs and tail. This dark brown
chocolaty color derives this type’s name as “Chocolate.” They have dark brown guard hairs
and a contrasting undercoat with a cream or wheat color. Their eyes are fascinatingly deep
with a black color that looks ruby-red at times. Chocolate ferrets have a nose which can
be any shade from brown to pink.

Chocolate Mitts:
This type of ferret is the same as “Chocolate” but have mitts on all four limbs. If you think
mitts are cute, then you might want to prefer this type over the simple “Chocolate”, which,
in itself, is a super cute option as well!

Cinnamon:
By now, you must have guessed that the ferret-naming committee is obsessed with food
and the names of these animals highlight this interest of theirs! Cinnamon is actually the
rarest type of ferret so finding one would be a hard task, and buying it could mean that
your pocket gets significantly lighter after the purchase.
Cinnamon ferrets have reddish brown guard hairs and their tail and legs stand out darker
than rest of the animal. They have a cinnamon-colored mask and eyes with a burgundy
hue (some of them can have black eyes as well.) Their nose is usually pink in color and
has a brick-colored outline.

Cinnamon mitts:
The Cinnamon Mitts are the same as Cinnamon but have mitts present on all feet. Finding
a Cinnamon Mitt might be an even harder task, so good luck if you’re willing to try!

Dalmatian:
This type is named so due to their resemblance with the Dalmatian dog breed. They are
mostly white (though other colors might rarely be present) with dark-ruby or black
colored eyes. Black spots can be found scattered all over the animal’s fur or hair. The face
supports a cute pink nose as well. If you’re a fan of the Dalmatian dog breed, then this
type of ferret might interest you more than others.

Heavy Silver or Pewter:

This type has a rather fascinating appearance as it stands out in the group of other ferret
types. Heavy Silver ferrets have a grey “gunmetal” base with scattered black hair. Their
masks seem like a smeared spot under the eyes. The pewter has a pink nose which may
contain black spots scattered all over it.

Panda:
The name of this type can be rather misleading, but the panda ferret doesn’t really look
that much like a panda except that it has colored circles around its eyes. The panda ferret
has a peculiar saddle shape with a meaty hump right in the center of its body. It has a
white hue spread across its head and shoulders while rest of the body can have any color
except white. A white bib covers the underside of its body completely. Mitts are present
on all four limbs and a pink nose can be found in most cases. The tail of panda ferrets has
a white tip as if it was an after-thought of the creator.
The panda ferret usually has a stronger concentration of color around its shoulders and
hips and can have speckles scattered across its belly. Unfortunately, 75% of panda ferrets
are deaf due to Waardenburg Syndrome (same as the Blaze.)
Regular Sable:
The Regular Sable is the most common type of ferret that one can find. It has a dark coat
which is solid on the hind legs. Its undercoat is cream colored, dark or golden. Warm and
deep colored undercoat can be found. It has a black mottled nose with eyes which can be
any shade between dark brown and black.

Regular Sable Mitts:

They are the same as Regular Sable with an added trait of having mitts.

Siamese:
The Siamese ferret takes its name from the infamous cat breed and has an appearance
quite similar to it as well. It is usually a standard Chocolate, Cinnamon, or Sable ferret
with limbs that stand out with a darker coat than rest of the body. Their face has a mask
of dark hairs that form a V-shape. The lower side of a Siamese ferret is darker in color as
compared to rest of the animal.

Striped White:
The Striped White type has a white overall coat with a dark line running down the back of
the animal. (“Blaze” had a white line!) This line of dark hair usually traces the backbone
of the animal and often descends into the tail of the ferret. They often have a pink or black
nose and eyes varying from a dark ruby to pink shade.

Dark-eyed White (DEW):

The Dark-eyed White or DEW ferrets look quite similar to Albino ferrets but do not have
any disability of pigmentation in the body. They are overall white but have extremely
black eyes that make for a beautiful and mesmerizing combination. Sometimes, a few dark
hairs can be found in the backbone region of the animal. DEWs have a black or pink nose
and are also more prone to deafness than others.

Types of ferrets according to shape and size:

Just like ferrets can be categorized into different types depending on their color, they can
also be segregated into three broad groups depending on their shape and size. Remember
that a ferret can be classified simultaneously according to its color, size, and hair-length
(which we will discuss in the next section.)
The major types of ferrets according to size are:

Whippet: this is the most common size found in the United States. It is smaller than the
other types and usually has an elongated head that it likes to poke around anywhere it can
fit.
Standard: the standard-sized ferret is found most commonly and originates from
Europe. This is the type that was initially used for hunting rabbits; one of the major
reasons behind the domestication of this animal thousands of years ago.
Bulldog: this is the big guy with a puffy chest and a wide head. You might imagine it to
be hitting the gym, but it doesn’t. Often, its legs are quite short, supporting its otherwise
big body. The bulldog ferret is most common in Northern Europe.

Types of ferrets according to coat/hair-length:

We have already discussed the classification of ferrets according to color and size. Now,
we discuss their segregation according to the length of their hair.
There are 3 broad types of ferret according to hair-length. These are:

Short or mid-length: this is the most common type of ferret in terms of the coat. It is
historically narrated that many people kept the hair of their pet ferrets short so that it
wouldn’t hinder them in hunting rabbits.
Long hair: this type has longer hair which makes them look more fluffy and cuter than
the regular ferret.
Angora: there is a lot of debate as to whether the long-hair and angora ferret are two
names for the same type of ferret. If you ask me, then I would claim that they are actually
two different categories of the animal. Angora ferrets are actually a type created through
genetic mutation of the regular ferrets. Often, there is no undercoat present in this animal.
The hair-length is reported to often be between 2 to 4 inches.
As it is a genetic mutation, health risks are often present with this type. Jill (female
ferrets) angoras often do not produce enough milk for their kits to survive on. Regardless,
many breeders have taken up the raising of this type of ferret and they seem to be making
good sales. If you want one, I’d advise that you take into consideration any health issues
that the ferret might tackle along the way and devise a strategy to curtail the issues.
How can I determine if my ferret is deaf?
Deafness is a slightly common disability in ferrets, but it can be hard to tell since most of
the ferrets have shorter spans of attention while many never learn to respond to their
names despite not being deaf at all. Despite their being extremely adaptive animals that
easily learn to live with deafness, it is important for you to learn whether or not they are
deaf as it can be a life-saver in emergency situations. An example of this could be if you
let your ferret outside and it is being chased by a bigger animal. In this case, if it is deaf,
it would react quite slowly to this alarming situation and might stand a lesser chance at
escaping.
A simple for checking whether or not your ferret is suffering from deafness is to quietly
hold a bunch of keys behind the animal. Make sure that it can’t see you or the keys and
start jingling the bunch softly enough that it is audible but not unpleasant for the animal
that might get a heartache from this suddenness. If your ferret turns around to see where
the sound is coming from, then it can surely hear it. You might have to try this a few times
before establishing whether your ferret really is deaf since a lot of times, they are too busy
to even care what you’re doing!

How to care for a deaf ferret?

If your ferret is patient, you need to be a lot more patient with it as compared to a healthy
one. Many people often get frustrated when their ferret doesn’t respond to their voice or
when they repeatedly try teaching the ferret its name and it doesn’t seem to register it at
all. Give your ferret some time to learn how to live with this problem. Always make sure
you hold it from the front and not cause it to fret by coming suddenly from behind. Use
touch and tactile stimuli as much as you can to communicate. If you wish to train it, try
using hand gestures and touch to make it learn what you want it to. All of this will come
with time so make sure that you are patient and loving with your ferret and show utmost
faith in its ability to function normally.

Related Questions
How many colors of ferrets are there? The American Ferret Association identifies
8 colors of ferrets. All 8 of these are discussed in this article. These are Albino, Black,
Black Sable, Champagne, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Dark-Eyed White, and Sable. This
myriad of colors allows for a great diversity in options if you wish to buy a pet ferret.

What are black-footed ferrets? The black-footed ferret is an endangered type of this
animal and is the only one which is native to North-America. These ferrets were brought
close to extinction in the 20th century when their habitats were destroyed and widespread
diseases struck the population. As the name suggests, they have black feet in contrast to
their tan body. It was reported in 1986 that only 18 black-footed ferrets remained in the
world and all of them were kept in captivity. The population is slowly making its comeback
now and has reached a number which is somewhere in the hundreds.

Do ferrets see all colors? Ferrets don’t really have a strong vision and can only see the
color red. Rest of all the colors appear to them as varying shades of grey. Chances are that
if you’re standing still, your ferret might not be able to see you but detect your presence
once you start moving. Ferrets also do not have a great sense of depth and can often just
walk off the edge of a table or window sill. It’s better to ferret proof your house a bit if you
wish to buy one.