SKUNKS AS PETS
Skunks are one of the most peace-loving, non-aggressive animals you could ever meet!
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The Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) which is the only one we take in consideration in this website, are the most social skunks and kept as pet especially in US since 1950.
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In the UK, skunks can be kept as pets, but it is illegal to remove their scent glands.
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Their average life span as domestics is 8 to 12 years, they grow up to the size of small cat and they can be homed singularly.
Skunks as home pets, that are living and raised in the house, are completely different animals compared to skunks kept in zoos or as pets in gardens as their background, environment, habits, socialization and development are dissimilar.
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This results in a more mellow, domesticated and affectionate family friend, if meticulously cared and stimulated since early age.
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THE BEST TRAITS OF DOG & CAT WITH A TWIST
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Skunks as pets don't make loud noises, chew up household belongs, sharpen their claws on furniture, scratch you.
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They are very clean animals, they wash their paws themselves, don't shed much hair, moulting once a year. Their hair are easy to brush off and they don't get into the fabrics.
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Skunks use the litter tray like cats do and they are devoted like a cuddly dog.
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​They are intelligent, playful and active as well as sweet and easy to train if they are properly socialised and specifically cared during their development.
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They love to snuggle in your arms for nap time and adore to be stroked until they fall asleep. They bond deeply and they wait for you. They enjoy spending time running, climbing, digging, playing chasing you/be chased back and sharing enrichment activities with you.
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They also enjoy their lonely time which is usually spent to sleep or to snoop around the house and bringing more toys in their bed.
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Be aware, this doesn't mean that they are the lowest maintenance or the cheapest to look after, but to be honest, no animal is if cared properly!
As for any new pet, you will need to know, understand and adjust to their specific needs, considering expenses in advance too.
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We are confident in you doing your own in depth researches on them and for any clarification feel free to raise the topic up during our conversation.
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THE STINKY FAME:
SKUNK SPRAY
WHAT, HOW, WHY, WHEN
Skunks are famous for their ability to spray a strong unpleasant scented liquid from their anal glands.
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The two anal scent glands connect to two external nipple-like squirters located beneath the tail on either side of the skunk's anus. Their glands contain around 15cc of thiol, an organic oily compound with sulphur as principal component.
The smell of the oily substance is a combination of burnt rubber - garlic smell and can cause temporary burning/stinging in the eyes, but even if it penetrates deeply into fabrics and skin due to the oily texture, there are several ways to remove it.
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Skunks try to release as little of the spray as possible at any one time as it can take them around 10 days to reproduce the full amount.
They are able to shoot precisely their spray at a target as far as 3 meters.
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Their very potent and well-respected defense mechanism is used only as a last resort when they truly feel threatened.
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Before spraying, a skunk will try many other ways of scaring the predator off : hissing, stomping their feet and lifting the tail to simulate the spray attack.
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Well cared and socialised skunks might never spray in their lifetime or sometimes can discharge a bit of the liquid by mistake at very young age.