Albino Ferrets
Albino Ferrets
Albino ferrets are an extremely popular breed of ferret to have as a pet. Albino ferrets have a very distinctive colouring that makes them a desirable breed. Their fur is completely white, devoid of any other colour, and their eyes are bright red and they all have a cute little pink nose. One of the reasons whyAlbino ferrets are popular is because they are really easy to see. Ferrets have a tendency to hide and crawl into dark spaces, ferrets with dark colours can be quite difficult to find when they are hiding, and this is not so much of a problem with Albino ferrets. White is not a great camouflage!
Albino ferrets take just as much caring for as any other type of ferret and they need constant amusement and a safe place in which to call their own. Ferret cages are a neccessity for any ferret owner as they provide shelter from the big, bad, scary world out there and a quiet place for your ferret to rest its little head.
There are several possible reasons why Albino ferrets are Albinos. The first could be due to a malfunction in the genes that create pigments meaning that no colour is created. Humans have pigment genes that decide what skin tone a person has if those genes don't work properly then a child will be born with white skin and red eyes, the same goes for ferrets.
Ferrets are known to have pretty poor eyesight and Albino ferrets suffer from worse eyesight than other ferret breeds. This does not matter to a ferret too much because they have fantastic senses of smell and exceptional hearing, so navigating their terrain is done by smell, hearing and touch. Ferrets also have a tendency to chew things that they find lying around so I think they use their sense of taste to help them navigate as well.
Getting hold of an Albino ferret is really quite easy due to their popularity. Ferret breeders will try to breed a few Albino ferrets for sale as they can be sold very easily. Animal shelters tend to have a few Albino ferrets available as well so buying one is easy.
Albino ferrets come from Sable ferrets. When a Sable ferret has the damaged pigment gene in its genetic structure it is possible for its babies to inherit that gene and for it to activate whilst in the womb. Breeders who attempt to breed Albino ferrets will sometimes breed an Albino with a Sable, what they end up with is an occasional Albino ferret in a litter. Although not all of the ferrets will be Albino, most of them will carry the gene and may themselves produce Albino babies.
Ferret breeders will not always know if their baby ferrets are Albino because all Sable babies are born white. Sable babies developed their colouring once they are a month old.
Not all Albino ferrets have red eyes, some of them have black eyes and some of them have blue eyes. Some people prefer not to own a red eyed ferret as they can look quite creepy and evil. This is an unfair judgement but it happens, people prefer cute pets not pets that look like they are demonically possessed.
Caring for an Albino ferret is exactly the same as the care you must give to any other breed of ferret. All ferrets require a nice safe cage for them to sleep in and to play in. Ferrets need constant entertainment when they are awake otherwise they can be quite destructive and damage your house.
Domesticated ferrets are very playful and social creatures so when they are awake they need to be entertained or they will become depressed and will become prone to illnesses. Look after your ferret and it will live a long and happy life.
