"THIS is Kevin."
A wriggly albino ferret was held up; it peered inquisitively at me, bottle-brush tail swishing.
He was then put down and immediately started running, snuffling at my shoes and trouser legs.
In a shed behind a house in Moreton Road, Ongar, 59 others scamper to and fro. It was noisy and chaotic – fur and tails everywhere you looked.
It's a familiar scene for the founder of the Essex Ferret Welfare Society, Wendy Brett, 53.
"Each one has its own personality. They can be cheeky, cuddly or playful, and there are also ones with attitude," she said.
One jumped out of the open cage door and on to the floor.
"They're a lot like toddlers," said Ms Brett, who also works as a lollipop lady. "They like to cause mischief and have fun doing it."
The society, originally founded in 1980 to use ferrets to chase rabbits out of their warrens, is a big part of her life.
Now a place that re-homes the curious animals, each year the shed houses more than 200 ferrets brought in by the RSPCA, animal wardens, vets and worried owners.
"It's a lot of work and commitment – but satisfying to see a very ill ferret recover and be given a good home," added Ms Brett.
About 40 volunteers from all over the county support Ms Brett and her husband, Alan, in their task.
They visit beer festivals, schools, and fairs to show off the critters.
One volunteer, Hazel Chester, has owned ferrets for years.
"There's a lot of personality in such a small package, they can be fearless," she said, adding that she takes her ferrets out on specially designed leads for "meandering walks".
Ms Brett said: "One owner we knew had a ferret that used to lick people's ears. It's actually a compliment because ferrets are very sociable and groom each other – it's a way of looking after you."
Ferrets have their have their own foibles and are very much domesticated animals.
"If you see one in the street, for example, and it runs up to you, it's probably looking for help," Ms Brett said.
"If it runs up to you, it's tame – it might need reassuring.
"Talk to it, pick it up gently, stick it in your rucksack and bring it here."
Many of the society's ferrets have been maltreated. Ms Brett recalls two large ferrets in a box on her doorstep, abandoned; another was found in a closed box, terrified and covered in mud on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
She said: "It's all about education and common sense. Find out exactly what they are, they're different to cats and dogs.
"A lot of it is about changing the language we use. There's a lot of casual cruelty around nowadays."
"Changing the language helps. We say 'people belong to ferrets' and 'people care for them'."
This is all part of the practical re-education at the heart of what the society does, helping owners understand their pet's behaviour, building up confidence that helps both them and their cuddly creature.
Ms Brett smiled as she recounted when an owner rang her upset, stating that their ferret was having a fit, confused that it was jumping around and moving in circles.
She told the panicking owner: "It's playing."
Around Easter is the society's busiest time, due to ferrets escaping to mate – often producing litters of seven or eight kits.
"If you've got a ferret, we urge you to either get them neutered or spayed," said Ms Brett, who had her first ferret when she was 15.
Despite her passion for animals, however, she believes people must come first.
"A child versus an animal – it's the child, no question," she said.
For more information, call 01277 364115 or visit www.essexferret welfaresociety.org.uk
