York youngster’s pet ferret catches eye of experts (From York Press)

Ferret fancier Cailean Newbould, 11, earns place at Chatsworth Country Fair

10:13am Thursday 31st May 2012 in News By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

A YOUNG ferret fancier from York has earned a place at a prestigious national show only a year after getting his first pet.

Cailean Newbould, 11, of Huntington, will take his prize-winning pet Teddy to the huge Chatsworth Country Fair, in Derbyshire, in August, where the “best of the best” in the ferret world will be competing.

Cailean’s mother, Collette, said: “It was a hobby which started as a bit of fun. He was given a ferret about a year-and-half ago by a friend, and now we have six.

“Last year we went to the Pickering Game Show and he took his ferret, Fresco, with him for the day out and a judge said to him, ‘do you realise you have a lovely silver hob – a male ferret – there?’”

After receiving advice on grooming and care of the animals, Cailean showed Teddy, his best ferret, at the Pickering Game fair earlier this month and picked up several rosettes, including “best overall”. His latest victory at Sunday’s Yorkshire Game and Country Fair secured a place for Teddy and Cailean at the Chats-worth show.

Collette said: “I think it’s about the way he looks after them. He brushes them every day and takes them for walks.”

Cailean, a pupil at Huntington Primary School, said he got funny looks when walking his animals down the street, but ferrets made great pets. Once you get to know them they have a lot of personality,” he said.

“They don’t take a lot of looking after, just three-quarters of an hour every day.

“They eat a lot of stuff like cat food, cat pellets and chicken.

“When I’m out walking them everybody comes over for a look. A few people have recognised them as ferrets but most people don’t know what they are.”