On a TV monitor beside my painting easel, two playful stoats bound about. Far from a distraction, these happy animals lift my spirits as I finish a new art collection for Christmas.

I have known and cared for both since they were tiny kits and even hand-reared one. A female, she was just four weeks when she arrived. Her eyes were yet to open, and she could barely hold her own head up. As she wobbled about on the palm of my hand, squeaking feebly, she was so quiet I named her Whisper.

Feeding a stoat kit this young requires considerable skill. Just a drop of milk on the lungs could drown her.

I used a syringe, pushing the plunger in with the palm of my hand rather than my thumb so I was able to control the flow of milk better. Sometimes, however, milk ran down her chin and I had to wipe it for her!

It was also important to keep her warm. Stoat kits are normally born into litters of up to seven or eight and curl up together to share body heat, but Whisper had to make do with a sleeping bag designed for small pets.

Whisper had been found alone, possibly dropped by her mother. By five weeks old she was getting stronger. Her eyes opened one by one: the first eye a whole day before the second so that for a while she looked like a mini stoat pirate.

It was good to see her put on weight and by seven weeks her tail had developed its distinctive black tip and she became quite ‘stoaty’, biting and testing everything with her mouth.

What she really lacked was a playmate. I added tree branches to her enclosure and began tugging soft toys along to interact with her, but this was no substitute. Then I was contacted by some people who had a stoat kit the same age that needed rehabilitating.

The new stoat was also female – which was amusing since the people who rescued it had named her Stuart.

She arrived in a woollen hat which acted as a sleeping bag like Whisper’s and ensured she felt safe in her new home.

At first both kits were wary and Whisper squeaked noisily, but within in half an hour they had settled down to play.

By 10 weeks old both stoat kits were ready to take the next step towards release. They were climbing, fighting, and playing with increasing confidence and so I moved them to an outdoor enclosure.

After their move outdoors, I became hands-off, just leaving food for the kits without intruding and only monitoring their progress via hidden cameras.

It is now almost time to release the kits. I will miss watching them on the monitors, but luckily, I have plenty of photographs and film studies to paint a portrait.

Robert Fuller will be exhibiting a new collection of wildlife art paintings at his gallery in Thixendale throughout November until Christmas Eve. Visits are by pre-booked timeslots. Bookings can be made at robertefuller.com