Ferret Colors & Patterns
Updated October 2026 · By the Adopt a Ferret team, raising ferrets since 2019
The American Ferret Association recognizes eight ferret colors: albino, black, black sable, sable, champagne, chocolate, cinnamon and dark-eyed white. On top of color, ferrets have patterns such as mitt, roan, blaze, panda and point. Color describes the fur itself; pattern describes where white markings and darker "points" appear.
Colors we have right now
These are the colors in our current litters. Each guide has close-up photos of our own ferrets and a live list of the ones looking for homes.
Color vs. pattern: what's the difference?
A ferret's color comes from its guard hairs (the long outer coat), its undercoat, its eyes and its nose. Its pattern describes how much white it has and where, and how strongly its legs, tail and mask contrast with its body. One ferret can be, for example, a black color in a roan mitt pattern.
| Pattern | What it looks like |
|---|
| Standard | Colored guard hairs with the lighter undercoat showing through, darker legs and tail, and a full or T-bar mask. |
| Solid | Guard hairs so dense the undercoat barely shows, so the ferret looks evenly dark. |
| Roan | White guard hairs mixed evenly through the colored ones, for a frosted look. |
| Point (Siamese) | A noticeably lighter body with darker legs and tail and a thin or V-shaped mask. |
| Mitt | White feet ("mitts"), often with a white bib. |
| Blaze | A white stripe from the forehead down the neck, white mitts and usually no mask. |
| Panda | A white head and neck on a colored body. |
Ferrets with large white head markings, such as blazes, pandas and dark-eyed whites, have a higher chance of being partly or fully deaf. It doesn't stop them being great pets, but it's worth knowing before you choose.
Do ferrets change color?
Yes, more than most pets. Kits are born with fine white fur, and their real color comes in over the first few weeks. Adults shed and regrow their coat about twice a year: the thicker winter coat often looks lighter because more undercoat shows, and the thinner summer coat can look darker or patchier. Many ferrets also lighten gradually with age, roans especially.
Colors we don't have at the moment
- Black sable: very dark, nearly black guard hairs with a cream undercoat; darker than sable.
- Champagne: a soft tan or beige, lighter than cinnamon and chocolate.
- Black: true black guard hairs and black eyes; uncommon.
- Angora: not a color but a long-haired coat type that can come in any color.
Does color affect personality or price?
Color has no effect on temperament; that comes from the parents and how a ferret is raised. Some sellers charge more for less common colors, but we don't: every ferret is $200, and a bonded pair is $350.