A young woman has described life with 21 ferrets at a rescue centre she runs from her garden.
24-year-old Jayy Walters, who runs, Marley's Ferret Rescue and Rehoming, is on the hunt for more land so she can take on dozens more of the animals.
But she said she is struggling to find the size she wants - less than an acre - which would enable her to house at least 50 of the animals.
Jayy, of Watnall, said: “It's so rewarding to see how they develop.
“Ferrets are very misunderstood but I describe them as a mix between a dog and a cat. You can take them for walks but they’re independent but they love human attention.
“I’ve had every animal under the sun but you don’t get the same interaction with others as you do with ferrets.
"I've had quite a few who have been abused and to see them go from hating human interaction to being able to kiss them is amazing.
“I have my own ferrets in with the rescues. I get kisses from them and they do a little happy dance when they want you to pick them up.
“All my free time goes to them and it is definitely worth it.”
When Jayy cared for her mum’s ferret Marley while she was away, she fell in love with him and they became “best friends”.
At the time, she was volunteering for another animal rescue centre and decided she would start rescuing ferrets.
The ferrets stay in a “big shed” in the garden and other hutches nearby - but Jayy’s dream is to move the rescue centre out of her garden and into its own space. She said she will consider anywhere in Nottingham for the land.
Jayy, who works at a newsagents alongside her degree in animal biology at Nottingham Trent, said she would eventually like to turn the rescue centre into a full-time job.
She said: “We’ve got all the forms in progress to be a charity but I need the land before I can do that.
“The demand is only getting bigger so I want to be able to take more animals on and build bigger enclosures.
“I’ve been looking for around a month but because we only need a small amount of land there isn’t much being advertised out there. I am happy to pay for it but not extortionate prices.
“We rely on donations to keep going. Eventually, I want to get volunteers and open it up properly to the public.
“People are getting behind it because there's nothing like it in Nottingham.”
Jayy said: “People will contact me if they have a ferret they need to give up. Also, local vets will ring me when a ferret needs a home.
"If possible we try to rehome them but if they have a health condition they will stay with me.
“I wouldn't do anything else!"
You can view the rescue centre's Facebook page here.
