Skunks.

[RiverGod]

After being cleared as a suitable owner by the breeder I’m bringing home my first skunk this week. I’m very excited and my vets are all ready to meet him for his vaccinations.

Has anyone else got or had skunks?

I have seen videos of them and some look quite cuddly. I have ferrets and they are a bit smelly. Do they remove the skunks scent gland? Sounds like a lot of fun.

They're cute, but it's illegal to remove the scent gland in the UK (they do this for pet skunks in the US), so that...fragrance is always going to be a risk.

I have ferrets too. I’ll be getting him neutered but yes, he’ll still be able to spray.

Oh I would love a skunk

I’m on a reptile and exotic page and a lot of them have skunks. I’ve even seen a brown one!

They rarely spray unless very threatened. It takes a lot out of them to spray so it is a very much last resort. They look ever so much fun

Unlike the raccoons other people have got. Now they look fun but a menace

The boy I’m getting is a chocolate one. His feet will be my undoing, they’re like fat chubby baby feet.

Have you got a name in mind OP? Their little noses ❤️

Will it be in your house? They live wild where I live and we have a local one. He’s really cute, but holy Jesus the smell. Wakes you up through a closed window.

I’m calling him Milo. I’m very lucky that I have a good relationship with my wonderful vets and they’re happy to see him and I’m close to an exotic vet in case he needs any more specialist input. We’ve baby gated the wet room as an easily cleanable area in case of accidental sprays while he adjusts and he has a playpen bed next to mine so he’s nearby at night. I’m honestly so excited.

Pictures are a must!!

We live where skunks are wild. They spray all the time. As a previous poster said, it can wake you up through a closed window. We have been woken hundreds of times by skunks at night. They even wake us in our 8th floor apartment the smell is so bad.

The smell can fill the whole house. It truly reeks and smells disgusting.

Just yuck.

i know someone with a skunk. Hes very cute. Rarely ever sprays. Only at the vet usually

Well I’d better hope he doesn’t spray much then! With proper care and handling spraying should be at a minimum, only if he’s startled or annoyed.

Like I said, it takes a lot out of them to spray and once they do, it takes a long time to refill the glands, so it’s a very much a last resort for them

Wild skunks are going to spray more. They have to fight for territory and fight off predators

Domestic ones will only do it if very frightened and backed into a corner

I have never heard of a pet skunk that didn't have the spraying ability removed. My mind boggles.

I can't imagine any vet running the risk, either.
it can take weeks for the scent to dissipate.

Wild ones don't like to spray, either, they go thru a long set of warning behaviours before they do -- except when run over. But that's involuntary. You have to be some kind of true idiot to not realise what's happening, normally.

Don't skunks just stink even without spraying?

Dog around here, and cats, often get sprayed. It is nigh on impossible to get rid of the smell. There are tons of methods including a bath in tomato juice.

I am quite familiar with skunks having had a family in our garden. The babies spray constantly when playing.

I too can't imagine vets would take the risk. The smell is absolutely disgusting and cloying it. Not a brief whiff.

My vets are happy to see him, despite the risk. In the Uk it’s illegal to have them descented. He’s been raised by humans so is far less likely to be startled by us.

Apparently tomato juice isn’t the best way to remove the scent, it’s a mix of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and washing liquid. So I’ve stocked up.

Show me!! I didn't know you could get a brown skunk!

The smell can give you headaches it is so strong.

I honestly think wild animals shouldn’t be kept as pets. It’s unfair on them.

If he’d been born in the wild and then taken from it I’d agree but skunks have been domesticated for decades now. He has been born to domesticated parents, who in turn were from domesticated parents. I have a whole host of enrichment activities for him to encourage his natural behaviours and I live in a area with the opportunity for lots of walks to different habitats for him to explore. He’ll have a good life.

I thought that if they sprayed no one would come near you for months! But from what you have said OP it doesn't seem much worse than cats' piss. Have people been exaggerating and I have fallen for it all these years?

Oh no, it’s appalling! But as others have said there’s a lot of steps they take before spraying so it’s a case of acting appropriately and reading situations to make sure he stays calm and relaxed and then doesn’t feel he needs to spray. Paying attention to his body language will be important as well as understanding that accidents happen.

Hi OP, you must be so excited, I didn't even know that there are domesticated skunks! I have always wondered what the smell is like, are we talking extra strong Tom cat? If you have time would you be able to tell me a bit about him (what will he eat, will he interact with you - can you snuggle him basically?😁 You said he'll go out - will he be on a lead? I can go and Google all this really so no worries if you don't reply I'm just fascinated!

I guess I am newly educated.

Are you home all day, OP? How many hours/day will it be possible to let your skunk roam outside its cage? Given they are crepuscular/nocturnal, how can you keep it happy at night when you're asleep?

Do they chew on things like power cords, are they easy to toilet train, do you need to keep all doors & windows shut?