From your description (White with black stripe) It sounds like you have a marked white. I have a darkeyed white (DEW) who has a white body and black eyes. My vet told me that dark-eyed whites are often deaf becuase the reason they are white is that they have half of an albino gene so their genetics are not quite normal. My DEW is definitely not deaf nor mute. When we first brought her home she chattered for two days almost nonstop at the other ferrets. If yours is deaf be careful as deaf ferrets can be bad biters because they don't hear you coming and it may startle then when you are not careful in handling them. Good luck with your new edition. Keitha Pearce & Smith & Wesson & Sugar & Beretta & Magnum & StarDust [Posted in FML issue 2613]