A COUPLE has adopted nine ferrets from the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary, taking their current total to an impressive 15.

After looking after a friend’s ferret while they were on holiday six years ago, David and Gail McMylor, from Glossop, Derbyshire, were hooked.

The pair decided to adopt four of their own from another sanctuary, and their love affair with the furry friends continued to grow.

“We looked after that first ferret, and she was absolutely brilliant,” David, 44, said.

“We loved the first group of four, but the last one of those passed away last year, so we decided that we wanted some more.

“My wife found some from another Cheshire sanctuary, and then we took five females from Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary.

“The sanctuary got back in touch a few months later when they had four male ferrets available, and we decided to adopt them too.”

The family is used to looking after animals, with two border collies and a goldfish on top of their group of ferrets.

David and Gail run the ferrets in separate smaller groups, but insist they make the perfect pet for animal lovers.

“Ferrets have a brilliant character – they’re the only small animals that will actively come out to play with humans,” David said.

“They’re a bundle of fun, but the boys can also have a really lazy nature, and love to lounge around and be cuddled.

“The only thing I would say is that you have to hide your valuables from them – they love to stash things so they can play with them.

“If anyone was looking to adopt a small animal, I’d tell them to get a ferret every time.”

As firm supporters of the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary, David paid tribute to the work the charity does for vulnerable animals.

He said: “They do such fantastic work with the limited funding they have.

“Me and Gail are animal lovers, and their work really appealed to us when we were looking to adopt some ferrets.

“They neuter any animals they take in, so they cannot be given to breeders who are looking just to make money, they go to a loving home and that’s so important.”

Find the ferrets on their own Twitter account @MCFuzzies.