Pet ferret survives going through full wash cycle

Bandit the ferret suffered a collapsed lung and bruising

The pet survived a 100-minute long wash  (PA)

A pet ferret has made a ‘miraculous’ recovery after it survived going through a full cycle in its owners’ washing machine.

The two-year-old pet, named Bandit, crawled unnoticed into Josh Crosse and Jackie Redfern's washing machine, but instead of having a peaceful nap, found himself stuck in a 100-minute wash.

Veterinary surgeon David Massey, from Vets4Pets in Leeds Colton, called his recovery “miraculous” after the ferret was given a one per cent chance of survival.

Mr Massey described the moment the ferret came into the practice saying he was: “in a pretty bad way.”

The vet added: "Amazingly, within four hours of being admitted he took a few gentle steps, which is when we started to become confident that he would make a good, and miraculous, recovery."

The ferret spent the night in a nearby vet hospital, having suffered a collapsed lung and bruising. He has subsequently made a full recovery.

His owners were praised by vet Mr Massey for their “quick-thinking.” The vet said that it helped ensure a “tragedy” could be prevented.

One of Bandit’s owners, Ms Redfern, explained that time had passed very slowly for the few hours they spent waiting to hear if Bandit might recover.

The owner pointed out that the event had also upset Bandit’s brother Mikey, who was quiet for the two days Bandit was gone.

She added: “As soon as Bandit was back, he (Mikey) immediately perked up and seemed to want to take care of his sibling and was constantly by his side."

Mr Massey called the situation “extremely rare” but pointed out: “Washing machines and tumble dryers can often be a place our furry friends can seek out, particularly during colder weather when they might be looking for a cosy place to curl up."