Ferret Proofing - the never ending job

"A dog owner may work from sun to sun, but a ferret owner's work is never done." Ok, so that might not be quite the way that that saying goes, but, when it comes to one aspect of ferret ownership, it is most definitely accurate - the task of ferret-proofing is never done. Just when you think that you've got it all under control, your fuzzy will find new things to get into, or new ways to get into old things that you thought were safe. So what exactly IS ferret-proofing and how is it done? Ferret-proofing is the task of making your home and your ferret's play area as hazard free as possible. Ferrets are like tiny toddlers - they get into everything and put everything in their mouthes. The main difference, of course, is that toddlers, unlike ferrets, are not small enough to fit in inch wide spaces and are not covered in fuzz. Now that we know WHAT ferret-proofing is, it is time to tackle the tough task of explaining HOW to ferret proof your home. Because each room in the house presents a unique set of hazards, and we want to avoid a single 16 page blog entry, the different rooms in the house will be covered by different blog entries.

Checkered Ferrets? Official Names for Ferret Patterns

Now, to go with the previous post of ferret colours... ferret patterns! Patterns are how you describe colour concentrations and markings on a ferret. Here are the main ferret patterns:


Blaze: Rather than full masks, blaze ferrets have smudges or partial masks on their faces and a white ‘line’ or blaze running from their heads down onto their necks and sometimes shoulders.



Hooded: The mask extends onto the ferrets head without a break in colour, giving the mask the appearance of a hood. (Two sable ferrets, the one on the bottom is hooded, the one on the top is siamese with a V shaped mask - notice the break in the mask on the siamese coloured ferret.)




Mitts: Look like well, white mitts. Ferrets with mitts have four white feet and a white bib or throat and chest.





Panda: This pattern is denoted by a white head, chest, throat, neck and mitts, a pink nose and rings or smudges around the eyes.




Point (aka Siamese): Have legs and tails darker than the rest of their bodies and masks shaped like a thin V (though some colours like champaign may not have masks at all)





Solid: A solid coloured ferret is more uniform in colour than the average ferret (whose legs and tail are generally at little bit darker than the rest of his body, but less dark that a siamese).





Standard: Your average ferret! Their legs and tail are slightly darker than the rest of their bodies, and their mask is thick and T shaped.



Now you are ready the proper colour and pattern names together and describe your ferrets like an expert! My last pair of ferrets, for example, were a silver blaze and a standard sable... see how much more ‘professional’ that sounds? Have fun colour coding your ferrets!

Colour me ferret - technical names for ferret colours

Ever wonder what colour your ferret is? (In terms of official classification anyways). Just as dogs and cats have special names for their unique colour combinations and patterns, ferrets have names for their colour combinations and patterns too. Before we can dive into colour names, we must first dismantle the ferret’s coat. It is important to note that ferret coats have two layers. The outermost layer is called full of coarse, thick, longer hairs that are meant to help repel water. These hairs are called guard hairs. The second layer is a shorter, fuzzier layer meant to help keep the ferret warm. This layer is called the undercoat. The guard hairs are often different colours than the undercoat and knowing the difference between the two layers is essential for being able to colour code your fuzzy. Without further ado - the colour designations:


Albino: Albino ferrets have a white or off-white undercoat with matching white or off-white guard hairs and pinkish or red eyes. For showing purposes (yes, there are ferret shows), a pure white ferret with ruby red eyes is preferred.



Dark Eyed White (DEW): DEW ferrets are similar in colour to albinos, but while Albinos have red eyes, DEW ferrets have dark burgundy eyes. Also unlike Albinos, DEW ferrets do not have to be entirely white. DEW undercoats must be white, but a few coloured guard hairs are acceptable so long as the coloured guard hairs are less than 10% of the coat. Neither Albinos nor DEW can have smudges or masks.

Roan: Formerly known as silver, these ferrets have a mixture of white and black guard hairs making them appear silver in colour. The ideally, the mixture should be between 50 and 60% black and 40-50% white, with the amount of black guard hairs determining how dark the nose and mask should be. Like DEW ferrets, Roan ferrets hard dark burgundy eyes.


Champagne: Champagne ferrets have light tan coloured guard hairs white or cream coloured undercoats, a pink nose with a beige T outline and burgundy eyes.


Cinnamon: Cinnamon ferrets have light, cinnamon coloured guard hairs with a light gold or off-white undercoat, burgundy eyes and a brick coloured or brick outlined nose.





Chocolate: Chocolate ferrets have light brown or chocolate coloured guard hairs, and a gold or white undercoat. Their noses are pink or brick coloured and may have a brown T outline. (Chocolate on right)




Sable: Probably the most common colour of ferret, these fuzzies have dark brown guard hairs, a white or cream coloured undercoat, a dark brown or brown spotted nose and dark brown eyes.




Black Sable: The eyes and undercoat of the black sable ferret is the same colour as a sable, but black sables have guard hairs that are so thick and dark that the undercoat barely shows through. Their noses are black or specked with black.



Black: Black ferrets are not very common. Their guard hairs are black (not simply dark brown) and their undercoat is white or light gold. The eyes are black or near black and the nose is black or black speckled.