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10
Nov
Actual stray ferret still on the loose in Knaresborough furniture store
A real live stray ferret was spotted at a Knaresborough furniture store this morning – and is believed to be still on the loose.
The dark brown creature was seen running around the showroom at Barker & Stonehouse on Saint James Retail Park, but has since made itself scarce.
Assistant manager Dana Cairns told us:
We only saw it briefly, because it kept running behind the sofas – it must have been terrified. Then it went into a storeroom at the back of the shop and we haven't seen it since.
There are holes in the wall, so it might have escaped, but apparently they sleep for up to 18 hours a day, so it could just be having a rest.
Ms Cairns put out an appeal on Facebook asking if anyone had lost a ferret, and a York man hotfooted it to the showroom, spending three hours in the backroom looking for the animal.
Martin Pyne told us he thought it could well be Neo, a ferret his daughter Alice gave him for Father's Day. Neo, who was last seen on Saturday, is two years old, large, friendly and dark brown with a white chin – a description that staff at Barker & Stonehouse said perfectly matched their 'secret shopper'.
Mr Pyne said:
They didn't manage to take any pictures, but it does sound like Neo. He's a sable cross and his colouring is very unusual – he was the only one to look like that out of a litter of eight.
If it is Neo, we don't really know how he got all the way to Knaresborough, but he may have hitched a ride in a furniture lorry.
Mr Pyne intends to return to the furniture store and resume the search tomorrow. In the meantime, he has left Neo's carrier in the storeroom with some food in it, in the hope that he will come 'home'.
He added:
He's going to be very hungry by now, so I'm hoping he comes out for something to eat.
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