th 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.