Fun Ferret Show is taking place in Rutland

Judges will have their weighing scales and tape measures out for an pet show with a difference.

The Fun Ferret Show, organised by members of Rutland Ferret Club, features ‘serious’ classes for fanciers to enter, alongside ‘fun’ classes including finding the fluffiest, and fancy dress.

Lucy Butler, one of the organisers of the event, said in previous years they have welcomed up to about 100 ferrets to the competition, and this year they again hoped for a good turnout.

“We’ll be ‘ring judging’ this year, which means there will be no steward handing the animals - just their owners,” she said.

“They will be looking at the ferrets’ teeth, eyes, nails and coat, and temperament comes into it too. Ferrets can be eliminated if they bite the judge!”

The main classes are polecat, sandy, albino, silver, angora, coloured, kit and veteran. Fun classes will be longest and shortest tail, mismatched pairs, best rescue, heaviest and lightest, fluffiest, fancy dress, most handsome hob (male) and prettiest jill (female).

The judges will also recognise the best junior and senior handlers, a ‘best in show’ ferret, and a reserve.

Lucy, who has six ferrets - Sergei, Storm, Frankie, Eliza, Angelica and Peggy, says their appeal as pets is that they are ‘easier to keep than a dog’, can be toilet trained, and live outdoors or indoors. She feels they ‘never grow up’ and retain a cheeky nature throughout their five to 10-year lifespan.

Ferrets, like humans, can catch and become ill with coronavirus, and although there is no evidence of humans catching the virus from ferrets, ferrets are vulnerable to Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

They are also capable of passing it to one another, and as a result the club will not hold ferret races this year, and equipment such as weighing scales will be disinfected in between measuring ferrets.

The fun ferret show takes place from 11am to 3pm on Sunday, June 8, outside Pets Corner at Rutland Garden Village in Ashwell Road, Oakham.

Entry to each of the classes costs £1 and people need to book in by 10.45am on the morning.