Ferret breeds, types and colours

Are there different ferret breeds?

No, not in the way there are dog or rabbit breeds. The American Ferret Association has a single breed standard for the domestic ferret, and its position is that anything outside the norm, and selective breeding of traits not normally found in the species, is discouraged. So the "types" you see for sale are one animal in different coats.

The differences that do exist come in four layers: colour, pattern, coat length and body type. A ferret is described by putting them together, for example "a chocolate mitt" or "a sable blaze". None of them changes how you care for a ferret. Diet, space, company and vet care are the same for all of them, as set out in our ferret care guide.

Ferret colours

The American Ferret Association standard lists the colours below. Colour here means the guard hairs (the long top coat), the undercoat, the eyes and the nose.

VCA also names cinnamon and butterscotch, and the British Veterinary Nursing Association lists silver, sterling silver and black-eyed (onyx-eyed) white. In the UK you will hear older names more often. The RSPCA lists five main colours: fitch (sable), albino (also called the English ferret), silver, sandy and dew. "Polecat" is the usual UK word for a sable, because it looks like its wild ancestor.

Ferret patterns

Pattern describes how the colour is spread. Any of the colours above can come in any pattern, according to the American Ferret Association standard.

Pet shops and breeders also use their own names, such as "silver mitt", "cinnamon" or "butterscotch". These are usually a colour and pattern pair under a friendlier name.

Do white-marked ferrets have health problems?

They are more likely to be deaf. In an American Ferret Association article, a breeder and judge reports a vet geneticist's warning that ferrets with heavy white markings, such as blazes, pandas and dark-eyed whites, more often carry genes linked to deafness (Waardenburg syndrome) and to cleft palates and head deformities in kits. The advice to breeders was to pair them, if at all, with ferrets that have no white marks.

A deaf ferret can live a full, happy life. It startles more easily, so approach where it can see you, wake it by touch rather than noise, and tell visitors. If you are choosing a blaze or panda kit, ask the breeder about deafness in the line, and test by clapping out of sight while the kit is awake.

Angora ferrets: what they are and where to find one

An angora is a ferret with a long, fluffy coat. VCA lists it as a coat variation, and it can come in any colour. Angoras are uncommon, so you are most likely to find one through a specialist breeder.

Long hair is not part of the American Ferret Association breed standard, which discourages breeding for traits not normally found in the species. We found no welfare charity or vet guide that sets out angora health in detail, so here is what follows from what we know:

• The long coat tangles and traps litter and food, so plan for regular combing
• Ask the breeder how long they have bred angoras and what health problems the line has had
• Ask to see the parents and check the kit is alert, with clear eyes and nose and a clean bottom
• Kits should stay with their mother until about 12 weeks, as the British Veterinary Nursing Association advises

We have not found a published price we could check, so we do not quote one. Our ferret cost guide covers what you will spend after you bring one home, and where to get a ferret explains how to judge a breeder.

Giant ferret breeds and bulldog ferrets

There is no giant ferret breed. Size depends mostly on sex, neutering and diet. The MSD Veterinary Manual gives adult weights of up to 2 kg (4.4 lb) for males (hobs) and up to 1.2 kg (2.5 lb) for females (jills), so a big hob can be almost twice the size of a jill.

Neutering age matters too. The American Ferret Association standard explains that ferrets neutered before maturity, and especially before 12 weeks, grow with less bone and muscle than ferrets neutered later or left entire. That is why an entire breeder ferret, or one neutered after it matured, can look much heavier than a ferret neutered as a young kit. It is not a separate breed.

"Bulldog" describes head shape, not a breed. The standard allows two head types:

The standard says neither is preferred. A bulldog-headed ferret from a breeder is simply a stockier look within the same species.

European ferrets and polecat ferrets

The American Ferret Association says the domestic ferret was almost certainly domesticated from the European polecat, Mustela putorius. When people talk about "European" ferrets, they usually mean ferrets from UK or European working and show lines. Any extra size comes from sex, diet and neutering age, as above, not from a different kind of ferret. Polecat-coloured ferrets look like the wild animal, but they are still domestic ferrets.

Ferrets have been kept for more than 2,000 years, first for hunting rabbits and controlling pests, according to VCA. Our ferret facts page has more on their history.

How to find a good ferret breeder

Start with a rescue: many ferrets of every colour need homes. If you want a particular colour, coat or a young kit, look for a breeder who puts health first.

1. Use a club list. In the US, the American Ferret Association publishes a list of breeder members and runs a registered ferretry name scheme so lines can be traced. In the UK, ask local ferret clubs and rescues who they trust.
2. Visit and meet the parents. Look for alert, curious, calm adults in clean, roomy housing.
3. Ask about health. Ask about deafness in white-marked lines, adrenal disease, insulinoma and any kits born with problems.
4. Check age and vaccines. Kits should be about 12 weeks old and have had their first distemper vaccine.
5. Ask what happens if it does not work out. A good breeder takes ferrets back at any age.

Once your ferret is home, our list of ferret names has ideas for every colour.