Ferrety Vision

Here we are again. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was working on ferrety Friday. And while I�m certainly happy to be working on yet another one, I�m a little startled that I�ve hardly added any other posts this week. I hope that as we head closer to spring, my writer�s block (the worst I�ve ever had in years) ends.

That being said, let�s get on with this week�s ferrety post, which will focus on ferrety vision. The question of the week is:

�How well do ferrets see?�

And the answer is: �Not very�

From what I�ve discovered (and apparently what studies have shown), ferrets have very poor vision when it comes to seeing objects far away from them. On the other hand, at close range (a couple of feet in front of them), a ferret�s eyes see detail better than you, and even better than a cat. I guess this would make these little fuzzies nearsighted.

Photo from SXC

Furthermore, their peripheral vision is said to be much better than their frontal vision, which would explain why they often bump into objects. And to top it all off, most of these little furballs have very little depth perception, so they�ll happily walk off a table or counter with no hesitation since they probably can�t see just how far down the floor is.

A few other things I learned:

1) Ferrets see much better at dawn and dusk
2) Their eyes have trouble adjusting to bright light
3) They do not see very well when it�s pitch black
4) Domesticated ferrets can only see red; everything else is just shades of gray
5) Ferrets lose their eyesight as they age

Interesting, no?

Well, I kind of felt bad that Bailey has poor eyesight, so I decided to try and help her.

Hey Bailey, what do you think of the cool frames?


I think you look great. They even make you look really smart.

By the way, don�t try this (putting glasses on your ferret) at home kids!