mouth things, collect things, protect toys, seek out soft things to touch, play in water, taste things, and watch their world in what looks to be such thoughtful ways. They explore their world with all their senses.
My husband and I fill our deaf ferrets’ world with smells. Smell is highly important even to hearing ferrets. I think that this sense above all paints pictures of their surroundings for them. You can well imagine how important it is to a deaf ferret.
A little quirk many owners report to me is that their ferrets love to flip their heads back when they hold them, as if they want to watch their world upside down. Who knows why. Possibly this may have to do with a different development of the vestibular system (part of the inner ear responsible for the sense of balance) in their ear. I like to think it is another way to see the world and stimulate the other keen senses they have.
5) One thing to beware of is that a deaf ferret cannot hear another ferret cry “surrender,” so they can be quite rough on other ferrets (and their owners). A deaf ferret can learn what is appropriate and what is not from its group, but it takes lots of time and socialization.
Deafness As A Good Thing
“One of the best things about my deaf ferret is when I take her outdoors,” said Melissa Smith of Ontario, Canada. “Her hearing sister, Okojo, finds the trucks and cars outside our apartment highly disturbing. Itachi, on the other hand, is calm, relaxed, and enjoys herself outside. Unbothered by worries of noisy vehicles and people, she happily putters around in the grass and bushes, in a silent world of her own. Also, unlike many deaf ferrets, Chi has been trained to be undisturbed by being approached or picked up suddenly, though she has this perpetually surprised look on her face [like] ‘Oh, what’s happening now?’ In spite of her deafness, she is a great little ferret and I’m glad we have her.”
Many times deaf ferrets do better outside their homes than hearing ferrets. Jack Smith loves telling others about his outside adventures with his deaf ferret, Beethoven. He describes his ferret as “Having intense focus, making him a great problem solver.” This hyper-focusing may come across as the animal being very stubborn. Smith also describes him as having “a very expressive face.” I hear about this extra spark, focus, persistence and expressiveness all the time from other deaf ferret owners. The disability is more of an ability in these cases.
Research For The Future
What does the future hold for these animals? Researchers at many universities are studying deafness in humans and other mammals. Some of them study the ferret’s hearing in order to learn about our own hearing, such as at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. This information can benefit both species.
But most exciting is the work being done at the Center for Human Genetics at the Boston University School of Medicine. Since 1992, groundbreaking studies have occurred there concerning Waardenburg syndrome, deafness, neural crest defects, and genes associated with them. Their triumphs include independently discovering the Waardenburg syndrome type I PAX3 gene and a mutation of the MITF gene in some forms of Waardenburg syndrome.
Such studies benefit our understanding of human genetics, and may also improve our understanding of other mammal’s genetics, such as ferrets. Locating and identifying genes opens the door to genetic engineering, which could lead to a treatment or cure, if desired.
However, being deaf is not a disabling problem for ferrets. “Granted owning a deaf ferret can have its drawbacks, and it can take a bit of work,” said Vickie McKimmey, a private breeder and American Ferret Association committee member. “But a deaf ferret can still live a long, healthy life just like fully hearing ferrets.”
Rebecca Stout resides in rural Tennessee with her husband, two sons and beloved pets. Ferrets have been in her heart and life for 35 years. She also enjoys writing, photography, animals and being a strong advocate for her autistic son. Visit her website.