Bill Killian queried the show classes/colours advertised at the NFWS
fothcoming Christmas show.
 
I'll deal with the veteran first ferrets - 6 years and over.  It is
generally up to the show organisers what age the kits are, (I seem to
remember showing in December 1993 and the kit class was for ferrets born in
1992!) the NFWS only have a kit class at their Christmas Show, we never hold
a kit class at our summer show as we don't want young kits subjected to the
stress and strain.
 
Polecat as you rightly say is sable.
Sandy is cinnamon, at least that's how Debra Scott described Fritz when
she saw him.
Albino we all agree on - pink/red eyed white.
Coloured is anything that isn't albino, sandy or polecat - we just don't
split classes up to that extent.
 
We only got the sandies split from the coloured because I offered to put up
a trophy for the best in class, and I don't think putting sandies up against
silvers, DEWs, silver mitts etc is really fair to them.  The judges eye is
probably taken with the more attractive colouring of the other ferrets
especially if the sandy is on equall marks and it's a case of slececting the
best one.
 
I believe that some ferret societies have split the polecat classes into
polecat and pastel polecat - the pastels being poleys with pink noses!  Some
judges mark a poley down if it has a light nose.
 
In the coloured class you will find Siamese, silver mitts (I have some
silver mitts which I believe would be referred to as sable mitts!!  in the
US), silvers, DEW, BEW and any other colours.
 
The albino classes are generally the largest at our shows.  We would welcome
any suggestions as to how to split them up into smaller classes.  On the
whole a ferret with tips broken off its fangs will not be penalised, most
judges in the UK will look at a ferret as a working animal and mark
accordingly.  I won't deduct points for a chipped tooth, if the teeth are
clean and the bite is correct that'll do me.
 
I would be interested in having a list of all the different colours of US
ferrets along with a brief discription, if anyone could oblige I'd be very
grateful.
 
Sheila
 
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http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm
Bolton Ferret Welfare & Newsletter Editor of the
National Ferret Welfare Society of the UK
The opinions expressed by me are not necessarily those of the NFWS
[Posted in FML issue 1763]