From:
shelterwoman.yahoo.com
Date: 2002-07-03 23:50:13 UTC
Subject: Re: Cataracts
Hello Mary,
It would be good to check the ferret's eyes to make sure that what you are seeing is cataracts and not some injury or disease. However if he does have cataracts there is not a great deal that you can do, the eyes of a ferret are so tiny and most eye specialists will not even try!
Ferrets that are blind do very well without sight, once he gets used to the sounds and the environment that he is in, there should not be a problem for him to navigate his way around. There have been some excellent posts on how to prepare your home for a blind ferret, I am sure you can find them in the archives.
Since he is new to your home, just make sure that you speak to him and hold him often, to reassure him that he is welcome there! Plus always put him down in the same familiar spot with the same familiar ferret(s) until he gets to know his way around. I have several blind ferrets and they are little different to any of the others, unless a stranger comes into their midst or something new is placed in their environment, they know right away, their sense of smell and hearing is more acute, to make up for their loss of sight!---Angela.