Discipline and pushing buttons

We are trying to teach Britney how to be respectful and to not talk back and listen to us when we say things. If she wants something, I may have to tell her to wait and to her that means absolutely nothing! I have taken some favorite things away from her to pick up her messes or to do a simple task for me. She gets them back once the task is complete. I am really at my witts end with her. Tonight, for example, she wanted to hold her ferret and I told her no. She turns around and kicks me! With that, I picked her up, kicking and screaming and placed her in time out. The little devil she is, she decided she would hide behind the couch. I found her and put her back in time out. She sat there for 4 minutes, all the while whining "momma" over and over and over! I was blocking her out and totally ignoring her. It worked and once the 4 minutes were up, I walked over to her and asked her if she knew why she was in time out. She did and she apologized. I "think" she knows better now that I REALLY do mean business and I am NOT going to stand for her antics any longer. She really knows how to push my buttons more than she does with Kevin. I need to nip this in the bud now before she becomes totally out of hand and a spoiled little brat!!!