# skunks



## pookey (Nov 29, 2009)

I have never had a skunk but to those who have do males or females make better pets? Do they nip hard when they play or when upset? I have read as much as I can on them but answers from owners is more helpful, thanks: victory:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

pookey said:


> I have never had a skunk but to those who have do males or females make better pets? Do they nip hard when they play or when upset? I have read as much as I can on them but answers from owners is more helpful, thanks: victory:


i have 3 boys and a gurly 

i do prefer boys though specially as pets 

nipping all skunks go through a stage of nipping and yes it can hurt alot 

biting they are tbh pretty tollerant of alot and are not really biters as such though you cant rule out that they never will 

a skunk bite hurts alot too :lol2:


----------



## pookey (Nov 29, 2009)

*skunk nips*

Thanks Emma, cant be worse tham marmoset bite! little piranha jaws!!!:lol2: Really reading as much as i can and planning what and when!


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

pookey said:


> Thanks Emma, cant be worse tham marmoset bite! little piranha jaws!!!:lol2: Really reading as much as i can and planning what and when!


i have to say i aint ever been bitten by a marm lol but i dont think i would like to be either ha ha 

its nice that people do still do their research 

well im no expert on skunks but have a couple of years owner experience would be happy to help you with anything 

Just gimme a shout hun


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

see this is where me and emma differ - though i love my boys i think our girl makes the better pet, though we have had her since she was 16 weeks old so have been able to tame her really well where as the boys we got at 6 months plus so arent as tame as Dice is. I dont think the gender of the skunk makes a difference its the amount of time you spend with it and how old it is when you get it.

you need to remember that if you get a girl and dont have a male to mate her with then she needs to be spayed. Where as boys are safe to remain in tact if theyre pets and never to be bred


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> see this is where me and emma differ - though i love my boys i think our girl makes the better pet, though we have had her since she was 16 weeks old so have been able to tame her really well where as the boys we got at 6 months plus so arent as tame as Dice is. I dont think the gender of the skunk makes a difference its the amount of time you spend with it and how old it is when you get it.
> 
> you need to remember that if you get a girl and dont have a male to mate her with then she needs to be spayed. Where as boys are safe to remain in tact if theyre pets and never to be bred


 
but thing is cat i have a girl thats extremely tame too angel i adore her and love her to bits but still more boys are better lol i dunno why :lol2:

havoc and angel are on the same tame level par they both come when i call both climb on my knee and cuddle up, both cuddle up with the dogs 

but i dunno im a boy skunk fan lol


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

Emmaj said:


> but thing is cat i have a girl thats extremely tame too angel i adore her and love her to bits but still more boys are better lol i dunno why :lol2:
> 
> havoc and angel are on the same tame level par they both come when i call both climb on my knee and cuddle up, both cuddle up with the dogs
> 
> but i dunno im a boy skunk fan lol


typical hetro, typical lesbian see haha :lol2:


----------



## pookey (Nov 29, 2009)

*skunk girl/boy*

I tend to shy away from choosing a female and most likely choose a male, do they differ much in size? I have started to skunk proof the house and just keep reading any thing I can on them, thank you for your answers and I love the pics of all your skunks.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

pookey said:


> I tend to shy away from choosing a female and most likely choose a male, do they differ much in size? I have started to skunk proof the house and just keep reading any thing I can on them, thank you for your answers and I love the pics of all your skunks.


 
not really much difference in males and females though it depends on the skunk and who or where they have been bred 

angel my gurly is slightly smaller than the boys but not that much really saying that she is long and fluffy coated so looks bigger than she is lol


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> typical hetro, typical lesbian see haha :lol2:


LOL cat i never thought of looking at it like that :lol2::lol2::lol2:


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

Emmaj said:


> not really much difference in males and females though it depends on the skunk and who or where they have been bred
> 
> angel my gurly is slightly smaller than the boys but not that much really saying that she is long and fluffy coated so looks bigger than she is lol


pokey, our female is about 3 times the size of emmas girl, and ours is about 2 months younger than angle! :lol2:, though ours has come from a wild caught father which we think contributed to her large stature


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> pokey, our female is about 3 times the size of emmas girl, and ours is about 2 months younger than angle! :lol2:, though ours has come from a wild caught father which we think contributed to her large stature


LOL your female makes my boys look minute :gasp::lol2::lol2:

bless lil dicey baby


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> pokey, our female is about 3 times the size of emmas girl, and ours is about 2 months younger than angle! :lol2:, though ours has come from a wild caught father which we think contributed to her large stature


 
Foo, I assume you never met the wild dad (he was not caught, he just got on a plane & landed in the UK of his OWN choice :lol2 ? I have & he is not very big compared to the captive bred ones Seb has...........

So it could be the mothers genetics making your girlie larger.

Emma's Angel could be smaller because her parents/breeders skunks (to me at least) seem smaller in size than my own skunks.

As for the original question - having both, I don't find much difference between the 2 sexes. But as Cat said, its more to do with getting the skunk younger & then spending lots of time with them. I personally let them do their own thing but can still pick all 3 up for cuddles when I want........but they rarely come to me for a cuddle or to sit in my lap for a nap. They spend more time following each other around & getting into mischief :lol2::lol2:

I have never been bitten by any of mine but the little boy (the baby of the 3 & related to FooFoos little girl - same Dad) has bitten 2 people :whistling2:. The girls have never even attempted to bite but one does like toe & heel nipping - I think its more of an attention thing & again being mischievous :flrt:

Skunks are awesome creatures & I love having them around.........so entertaining but OH SO naughty to............

One word of caution though, they do like to grab birds......one of mine likes to terrorize one of the African Greys & also pulling the tail of the Macaw.........so I never the parrots out when skunks are about. I would hate for them to end up killing & eating one of the other animals - which they could easily do as its only natural.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

carlycharlie said:


> Foo, I assume you never met the wild dad (he was not caught, he just got on a plane & landed in the UK of his OWN choice :lol2 ? I have & he is not very big compared to the captive bred ones Seb has...........
> 
> So it could be the mothers genetics making your girlie larger.
> 
> ...


 
your right there ken 

Angels mum and dad are not big skunks either i had the pleasure of meeting both her mum and dad when i picked her up:flrt::flrt:

same with havoc too his parents are not hoooooje skunks either hence him being a dainty lil thing too :lol2:

i think the only bigish skunk is kaimi and he was born and raised outside


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

carlycharlie said:


> Foo, I assume you never met the wild dad (he was not caught, he just got on a plane & landed in the UK of his OWN choice :lol2 ? I have & he is not very big compared to the captive bred ones Seb has...........
> 
> So it could be the mothers genetics making your girlie larger.
> 
> ...


FOO??!?!?!?! have you forgotten my name ken? :lol2: 
perhaps i used the wrong terminology, but he is wild none the less :lol2: no ive never met stinky though a friend has another one of his babies from a litter about 18 months ago, with a different mother to dice, so together we concluded it may be the father who contributes to the size as their skunk is also very large


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> FOO??!?!?!?! have you forgotten my name ken? :lol2:
> perhaps i used the wrong terminology, but he is wild none the less :lol2: no ive never met stinky though a friend has another one of his babies from a litter about 18 months ago, with a different mother to dice, so together we concluded it may be the father who contributes to the size as their skunk is also very large


 
Not at all DITTA :whistling2::Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:

As for size - it will be a combination fo genetic from both parents & then how much they eat - we all know how piggy skunks can be :lol2:

My little male skunk (sibling to your Dice bit not sure of half or full & cant remember Ashkiis mums name :blush is now bigger than Goli and similar size to Nizhi...........Nizhi & Ashkii are both pigs, always hunting for food, whereas Goli is not such a big eater & although same kind of body length, she is not as big overall.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

carlycharlie said:


> Not at all DITTA :whistling2::Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:
> 
> As for size - it will be a combination fo genetic from both parents & then how much they eat - we all know how piggy skunks can be :lol2:
> 
> My little male skunk (sibling to your Dice bit not sure of half or full & cant remember Ashkiis mums name :blush is now bigger than Goli and similar size to Nizhi...........Nizhi & Ashkii are both pigs, always hunting for food, whereas Goli is not such a big eater & although same kind of body length, she is not as big overall.


 
eeeeeee dont i know they is piggy eaters lol 

mine are kept to a strict diet now as they all porked out last year 

i was told off by nerys because of how big my skunks were :blush:

so since the realisation of being told your skunks are effing fat woman i have had then on a very strict feeding scheduel 

they all now look like skunks instead of basketballs


----------



## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

could or would you get a choc, albino, apricot, etc in the wild? off topic i know but im just interested...


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

quilson_mc_spike said:


> could or would you get a choc, albino, apricot, etc in the wild? off topic i know but im just interested...


 
no wild skunks tend to be black and white............its a possibility of an albino being born but it surviving is another story 


the colours have come in from man messing about with breeding them


----------



## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> no wild skunks tend to be black and white............its a possibility of an albino being born but it surviving is another story
> 
> 
> the colours have come in from man messing about with breeding them


so there could me more colour veriety and patterns to be found?


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

quilson_mc_spike said:


> so there could me more colour veriety and patterns to be found?


there are more in the USA than there are here like the lavenders, blacks, black eyed whites, falling stars 


we have the more standard colours here the binos, chocs classics and the odd smoke...........and they fancy patterning has been coming in too over the last few years also 

so yeah there will more than likely in years to come be more colours that pop up


----------



## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> there are more in the USA than there are here like the lavenders, blacks, black eyed whites, falling stars
> 
> 
> we have the more standard colours here the binos, chocs classics and the odd smoke...........and they fancy patterning has been coming in too over the last few years also
> ...


 
coool id love a falling star a black eyed white and a smoke (L) lool x


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

quilson_mc_spike said:


> coool id love a falling star a black eyed white and a smoke (L) lool x


 
LOL if i ever win the lottery i would import.........a lavender, black, black eyed white 

they are gorgas :flrt::flrt::flrt:


----------



## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> LOL if i ever win the lottery i would import.........a lavender, black, black eyed white
> 
> they are gorgas :flrt::flrt::flrt:


lol start buying tickets then,,, ima get my mum to buy some... x


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

quilson_mc_spike said:


> lol start buying tickets then,,, ima get my mum to buy some... x


lol knowing my luck all i would win would be a tenner :lol2::lol2:


----------



## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> lol knowing my luck all i would win would be a tenner :lol2::lol2:


same,, samee.. x


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

LOL anyway buster get on skunk chat instead of spamming another thread :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


----------



## pookey (Nov 29, 2009)

thanks to you all for your advice: victory:its so good to know that there are people who are eager to help.


----------



## farmercoope (Aug 19, 2008)

I also think girls make for much better pets, although not personally having owned a boy I have met many and experienced them in and out the house. Boys tend to find a corner and sleep where as girls are more active and playful. This is just my findings and opinion


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

farmercoope said:


> I also think girls make for much better pets, although not personally having owned a boy I have met many and experienced them in and out the house. Boys tend to find a corner and sleep where as girls are more active and playful. This is just my findings and opinion


 
thing is i have boys and a girl................there is no difference in havoc and angel they are both very social and loving and cuddley 

(ask ditta havoc is in love with her lol)

i really do think its depends on what age you get them from as to how social they will be


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

whats a fallin star??


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> whats a fallin star??


A Skunk with part to half of the head white with only a small amount of white on the back making up the 'stripe'.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

LoveForLizards said:


> A Skunk with part to half of the head white with only a small amount of white on the back making up the 'stripe'.


 
thats the one megan :no1:


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

http://www.skunkhaven.net/images/Colors.pdf

There ya go Cat :2thumb:


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

farmercoope said:


> I also think girls make for much better pets, although not personally having owned a boy I have met many and experienced them in and out the house. Boys tend to find a corner and sleep where as girls are more active and playful. This is just my findings and opinion


Not by my experience lol Little Ashkii never sits still but the girls wander round then go off for a nap............

I think its very much down to the individual skunk & also how they are kept..........


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

carlycharlie said:


> http://www.skunkhaven.net/images/Colors.pdf
> 
> There ya go Cat :2thumb:


vheers ken, i dont like them at all :lol2:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> vheers ken, i dont like them at all :lol2:


I like the all blacks and the black eyed whites :flrt::flrt::flrt:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

*Any skunks for sale near Hertfordshire?*

Does anyone know of any skunks available near Hertfordshire? I've been looking for a skunk for a while and haven't been able to find any near me! I don't mind having an adult as long as it is friendly (most of my exotics are rescues). The skunk will have the run of the house when I'm in and have a room to itself when I'm out, I'm self employed and so spend most of the time at home, so the skunk will receive a lot of attention!


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Does anyone know of any skunks available near Hertfordshire? I've been looking for a skunk for a while and haven't been able to find any near me! I don't mind having an adult as long as it is friendly (most of my exotics are rescues). The skunk will have the run of the house when I'm in and have a room to itself when I'm out, I'm self employed and so spend most of the time at home, so the skunk will receive a lot of attention!


 
have you tried looking on preloved to see if any are advertised on there ?

all your likely to get at the moments are adults or young adults wont be many if any kits about until next year from usually around june onwards


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Preloved | skunk for sale in Alcester, Warks, UK


Preloved | pair desented skunks !! black n white for sale in Trefeglwys, Powys, UK


there are a couple of ads that are new or updated on preloved there


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks

I'll keep looking, I've emailed a few adverts for skunks, but not had any replies yet.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi 

I'm going to look at a female skunk tomorrow, the only thing is is that she may be pregnant!!! 

Bit scary for me, as she will be my first skunk, but I have researched it as much as possible and I know someone who used to breed them, so I should be OK. 

Wish me luck!


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Hi
> 
> I'm going to look at a female skunk tomorrow, the only thing is is that she may be pregnant!!!
> 
> ...


bloomin eck good luck :2thumb:

do they know how pregnant she is as its highly likely with the stress of moving to a new home she will absorbe the litter she is carrying anyway


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

They don't know for definate that she's pregnant, she was kept with a male that has now gone to a new home and apparantly she is getting a little "fat". The lady that has her wants her to go to a new home asap! 

Hopefully the move wont stress her out too much, but she shares an enclosure with some racoons - so she'll probably get too stressed in there anyway!

I do feel really sorry for her and she is friendly, so I would like to give her the chance of a happy home - I may even keep one of the kits :blush:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> They don't know for definate that she's pregnant, she was kept with a male that has now gone to a new home and apparantly she is getting a little "fat". The lady that has her wants her to go to a new home asap!
> 
> Hopefully the move wont stress her out too much, but she shares an enclosure with some racoons - so she'll probably get too stressed in there anyway!
> 
> I do feel really sorry for her and she is friendly, so I would like to give her the chance of a happy home - I may even keep one of the kits :blush:


 
well the time of year alot of skunks fill out more specially if they are outside as they become less active in the winter months but still eat lots lol 

skunks are able to hold sperm if they dont want to become pregenant they also can absorbe pregnancies too or kill litters if they dont feel safe 

if she is pregnant then the best thing you can do is leave her alone in a dark, warm quiet room and only go into clean up and feed and give her water


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks for the advice, I'll have to wait and see. 

It would be nice to have kits running about the house, but at the same time it could prove quite stressful for the mother, so I do hope she's not expecting (at least not yet :lol2


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Thanks for the advice, I'll have to wait and see.
> 
> It would be nice to have kits running about the house, but at the same time it could prove quite stressful for the mother, so I do hope she's not expecting (at least not yet :lol2


hee hee your gonna be soooooo blooming busy if she is :2thumb::lol2:

Im sure she will be fine and settle down with you in no time hun 

is she descented or fully loaded ? how old is she as well 

sorry all the questions lol


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

That's ok. 

She is descented and she's between 2 and 3 years old.

Have you ever bred yours? 
Thanks


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> That's ok.
> 
> She is descented and she's between 2 and 3 years old.
> 
> ...


 
not yet no my lil gurl is only 8 months old  im considering having a go when i feel she is ready but she is still my lil bub at the mo so not yet nopes :lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Awww, bless her.

Can't wait to pick up my one tomorrow, we're driving 150 miles to get her though lol! :2thumb:

She hasn't even been given a name! I've been thinking of Envy, Ghost or Storm (they're all names of perfumes), don't know if you know of any other skunk names?


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Awww, bless her.
> 
> Can't wait to pick up my one tomorrow, we're driving 150 miles to get her though lol! :2thumb:
> 
> She hasn't even been given a name! I've been thinking of Envy, Ghost or Storm (they're all names of perfumes), don't know if you know of any other skunk names?


hmmm is she black and white ?

i like storm, ruby, Hope, Faith, 

im rubbish with gurls names lol only had to find one girls name as my others are boys lol 

well the 150mile trip will be well worth it hun : victory:

i would take some veg with you for her to munch on, on your way home hun too


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Yeah, I've got a bottle of water, some apple and a bit of broccoli for on the way home 

She's a classic black and white

Thanks for all your help, I'll post some pics when she's all sorted : victory:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Yeah, I've got a bottle of water, some apple and a bit of broccoli for on the way home
> 
> She's a classic black and white
> 
> Thanks for all your help, I'll post some pics when she's all sorted : victory:


 
Oooo definately yes please pictures are a must :no1:

you will have to join in on the random skunk chat thread too hun :2thumb: the more the merrier will be able to keep some life into the thread then hee hee


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Cool, will do 

I really like the names Faith and Hope now too! Due to her circumstances one of these names might suit her better.

Thnaks again x


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Cool, will do
> 
> I really like the names Faith and Hope now too! Due to her circumstances one of these names might suit her better.
> 
> Thnaks again x


 
you will know who she is when you finally meet her hun :2thumb:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi

My new "Hope" :flrt:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

awwwwwwwww vikki she is lovely hun :flrt::flrt::flrt:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks, we couldn't be happier with her.:2thumb:

She's quite nervous as she hasn't really had a lot of positive attention and she was kept outside, she was also fed too much protein (she had a number of chicks daily and not much veg). 

Well now she has the kitchen to herself when we're out, she seems to love broccoli, blueberries and bananas, she's had a bath and already had a few cuddles 
- she's so lovely!:flrt::flrt::flrt:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Thanks, we couldn't be happier with her.:2thumb:
> 
> She's quite nervous as she hasn't really had a lot of positive attention and she was kept outside, she was also fed too much protein (she had a number of chicks daily and not much veg).
> 
> ...


 
bless her im sure she will settle in very quickly hun 

she is adorable :flrt::flrt:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Vikki123 said:


> Thanks, we couldn't be happier with her.:2thumb:
> 
> She's quite nervous as she hasn't really had a lot of positive attention and she was kept outside, she was also fed too much protein (she had a number of chicks daily and not much veg).
> 
> ...


Answered your post on uk skunks.....bit of a ghost town there!

She looks lovely, good luck with her offspring, if she turns out to be preggo!

Dave.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi

Just taken Hope to the vets for a check up and worming. The vet couldn't tell for definate if she's pregnant or not, but he did say that her teats are engorged although he couldn't feel anything round her abdomen. 

We now have to take her back in about 3-4 weeks for him to check again.

The good news is, is that she's not going to give birth anytime soon if she is pregnant so she's got a while to settle in properly first!:2thumb:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Hi
> 
> Just taken Hope to the vets for a check up and worming. The vet couldn't tell for definate if she's pregnant or not, but he did say that her teats are engorged although he couldn't feel anything round her abdomen.
> 
> ...


 
bless her thats good 

hows she settling hun? i bet she is loving the creature comforts of the house hee hee :flrt:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

She is settling in really well, she's getting a lot more confident too :2thumb:

Do you know if anyone has had trouble selling fully loaded skunks?

I spoke to someone else who works with exotics and his advice was to get any kits aborted!:bash: He told me that rescue centres are taking in a lot of unwanted skunks and that I wouldn't find homes for them all.

Just to make it clear I would NEVER abort an animal's litter unless it was for health reasons, so I would have to be prepared to keep upto 10 skunks if I couldn't sell them all. (I'd keep 1 of the kits anyway) :flrt: 

Just wondering if anything that this bloke has said is true?

Thanks 

Hope you're all doing ok


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> She is settling in really well, she's getting a lot more confident too :2thumb:
> 
> Do you know if anyone has had trouble selling fully loaded skunks?
> 
> ...


 
i have not heard about rescue centres taking in lots of unwanted skunks........they are still a sought after pet at the moment and are still selling well so people wouldnt hand them over for free 

i have fully loaded skunks and many other people who own on the forum have fully loaded skunks too


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

That's good. 

I didn't think that what he was saying was completely true. Obviously, Hope is a rescue but we still paid a lot of money for her and a lot of skunks up for adoption seem to be rehomed in less than a week!

I shouldn't have much trouble in finding homes for them all if she does have kits, but what he said did concern me a little :|


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

from what i was told by the rspca its not that people are takin skunks to rescue centres so much its that people have been dumpin them in the wild because they cant be descented anymore. if you as the breeder make sure good homes are found and you yourself dont dump them - which i dont for one minute think you would, then your kits should be ok. i know vettin people isnt always full proof but you can only do your best cant you. 

sorry iv not read all the thread, where did you rescue her from?


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> from what i was told by the rspca its not that people are takin skunks to rescue centres so much its that people have been dumpin them in the wild because they cant be descented anymore. if you as the breeder make sure good homes are found and you yourself dont dump them - which i dont for one minute think you would, then your kits should be ok. i know vettin people isnt always full proof but you can only do your best cant you.
> 
> sorry iv not read all the thread, where did you rescue her from?


We got her from a rescue centre in Wales. Her and a male were pets of the people who run the centre, but they wanted to rehome them. Neither of them had names though, which I thought was a little weird!

The male was originally kept with the female in an outdoor enclosure and they did witness them mate, but he was rehomed before we got there. Not sure if she's pregnant yet anyway, so may not have to worry at all! :blush:

I will try to vet any potential buyers if she does have kits, I'd hate it if someone ended up dumping any of them! 

Thanks xxx


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> We got her from a rescue centre in Wales. Her and a male were pets of the people who run the centre, but they wanted to rehome them. Neither of them had names though, which I thought was a little weird!
> 
> The male was originally kept with the female in an outdoor enclosure and they did witness them mate, but he was rehomed before we got there. Not sure if she's pregnant yet anyway, so may not have to worry at all! :blush:
> 
> ...


 
so shes technically not a "rescue" then? i thought you meant she had been brought into a centre rather than owned by the centres owners. She is a little stunner. how old is she? again sorry if ive missed that
i think if someone is willing to pay the price tag they carry generally people wont just dump them, thats why the rspca and myself suspect that it may have been some people who have bred them dumping them as they thought they would be hard to sell. though generally the majority dont mind buyin fully loaded skunks . the guy i spoke to said they were being called out to lots being dumped in the lake district


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> i think if someone is willing to pay the price tag they carry generally people wont just dump them, thats why the rspca and myself suspect that it may have been some people who have bred them dumping them as they thought they would be hard to sell. though generally the majority dont mind buyin fully loaded skunks . the guy i spoke to said they were being called out to lots being dumped in the lake district


though saying that there could also be offspring from any that had been dumped too which would increase the numbers of seen and caught


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Should have no prob selling them, I wouldve thought.......if you can ensure thier health, de-wormed etc etc. then this would give added value, so to speak.....salesman coming out of me, sorry!!:lol2:

I think that animals such as these and other exotics should be kept priced high, stops wallies from buying them as status symbols or `givin em a go` then moving onto something else. Some reptile keepers appear to do this, it being their `hobby`, leaves me cold. I am sure some have genuine reasons but think many do not.

Every beastie that comes into our household becomes a family member and it would take exceptional circumstances to become otherwise....took a lot of consideration to give our neighbour a goldfish from our koi pond a couple of years back!!!!

As for the fully loaded thing, well, not ideal but not a problem either!!!!
Shouldnt be.

Davewaveywooooooooooo.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> so shes technically not a "rescue" then? i thought you meant she had been brought into a centre rather than owned by the centres owners. She is a little stunner. how old is she? again sorry if ive missed that
> i think if someone is willing to pay the price tag they carry generally people wont just dump them, thats why the rspca and myself suspect that it may have been some people who have bred them dumping them as they thought they would be hard to sell. though generally the majority dont mind buyin fully loaded skunks . the guy i spoke to said they were being called out to lots being dumped in the lake district


Apparently, one so-called "breeder" imported a number of descented skunks into the country then bred them, ended up with approximately 30 skunks, couldn't sell all of them and so (apparently) released a load f them into the wild. - Not sure if this is true, but I was told this by the guy who recommended an abortion on my little Hope.

Hope is between 2 and 3 years old. I suppose she's not a "true rescue", but she wasn't really looked after properly where she was. Although the people DID seem to try their best with her, she was sharing an outdoor enclosure with 4 raccoons and fed on day old chicks every day (so not much veg, hence she's overweight)

It is really annoying how people get exotics as a status symbol, then dump them or rehome them as soon as they get bored. Most of my animals are rescues, i.e, a 3 legged chinchilla, sugar gliders, 4 out of 5 of my snakes, gecko and hahns macaw and that's just to name a few!

My business involves taking exotics to perform school visits, fetes and children's birthday parties, so I do talk a little on the "exotic pet trade" and try to educate people on each animal.


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Vikki123 said:


> Apparently, one so-called "breeder" imported a number of descented skunks into the country then bred them, ended up with approximately 30 skunks, couldn't sell all of them and so (apparently) released a load f them into the wild. - Not sure if this is true, but I was told this by the guy who recommended an abortion on my little Hope.
> 
> Hope is between 2 and 3 years old. I suppose she's not a "true rescue", but she wasn't really looked after properly where she was. Although the people DID seem to try their best with her, she was sharing an outdoor enclosure with 4 raccoons and fed on day old chicks every day (so not much veg, hence she's overweight)
> 
> ...


 
Sounds like you are certainly doing your animals a good job, if I had the time would take in more rescues, oh, and the space doh!


Dave.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

sam gamgee said:


> Sounds like you are certainly doing your animals a good job, if I had the time would take in more rescues, oh, and the space doh!
> 
> 
> Dave.


Yeah, more space would be nice! All my animals are in the house - most in the living room! My house now looks like a zoo:lol2:


----------



## crazysnakedude (Jul 1, 2005)

Vikki123 said:


> My business involves taking exotics to perform school visits, fetes and children's birthday parties, so I do talk a little on the "exotic pet trade" and try to educate people on each animal.


you do children's parties? wow! bet ur the kind that tells ther boyfriends to drive to wales to pick up a skunk............. almonds 

hey vik!!!


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Apparently, one so-called "breeder" imported a number of descented skunks into the country then bred them, ended up with approximately 30 skunks, couldn't sell all of them and so (apparently) released a load f them into the wild. - Not sure if this is true, but I was told this by the guy who recommended an abortion on my little Hope.
> 
> Hope is between 2 and 3 years old. I suppose she's not a "true rescue", but she wasn't really looked after properly where she was. Although the people DID seem to try their best with her, she was sharing an outdoor enclosure with 4 raccoons and fed on day old chicks every day (so not much veg, hence she's overweight)
> 
> ...


old school keepers feed a lot of chicks. and usually dog biscuits too, which turns out not to be very good at all! Dom was fed on a lot of that and took a while to change him over. had to dust his veg with crushed dog food to start off with :lol2: what a pain in the arse that was.

im fairly sure you should be able to find homes for your skunks, even if they dont sell, im sure there are many skunk keepers who would rehome a kit if you were strugglin. 

keep us updated and i wish you all the luck with Hope and the potential kits


----------



## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> She hasn't even been given a name! I've been thinking of Envy, Ghost or Storm (they're all names of perfumes), don't know if you know of any other skunk names?


Sorry to butt in. Just quick browse the thread and this got me thinking, you are going to name your skunk a perfume name? Wow you must be like Emma that love skunkie perfume that much. :flrt: Sorry this is what I was thinking when I reas your post. Don't mind me, I am going to carry on reading the whole thread. :blush:


----------



## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

Emmaj said:


> you will have to join in on the random skunk chat thread too hun :2thumb: the more the merrier will be able to keep some life into the thread then hee hee


Another sign of being lonely without felix93. lol :Na_Na_Na_Na:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

felix93 said:


> Sorry to butt in. Just quick browse the thread and this got me thinking, you are going to name your skunk a perfume name? Wow you must be like Emma that love skunkie perfume that much. :flrt: Sorry this is what I was thinking when I reas your post. Don't mind me, I am going to carry on reading the whole thread. :blush:


 
:gasp: LOLOLOL


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

felix93 said:


> Another sign of being lonely without felix93. lol :Na_Na_Na_Na:


 
yes i have missed my spam buddy


----------



## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Hi
> 
> My new "Hope" :flrt:
> image


:2thumb::flrt: Gorgerous. Enjoy and welcoming to the skunkie world. : victory:


----------



## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

Emmaj said:


> yes i have missed my spam buddy


Oi I am trying now ain't I? Let me finish the thread and will spam the skunk thread to please you and con.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

crazysnakedude said:


> you do children's parties? wow! bet ur the kind that tells ther boyfriends to drive to wales to pick up a skunk............. almonds
> 
> hey vik!!!


Hi Mike

:bash:


----------



## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

Emmaj said:


> :gasp: LOLOLOL


You said it before, I might be busy and been sick, but I still have a good clear mind. :2thumb:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

felix93 said:


> :2thumb::flrt: Gorgerous. Enjoy and welcoming to the skunkie world. : victory:


 
Hehe... Thanks she is gorgeous :flrt:

And you are right I like skunkie perfume names, although if we'd have got a boy it would have been called "Pongo" :2thumb:

That might be a name for one of her kits if she has any!


----------



## felix93 (Feb 5, 2007)

You know one of my good friends called my Mackie Pongo. lol. She just insisted he is Pongo and that's it. :bash:

I might have a boy friend (if I must will have a girl friend) for Mackie eventually, that is when Emma care to start thinking of breeding her Angel. :2thumb:

But if your is pregnant, good luck, think you need that. :whistling2:You're brave to take on a pregnant or may be pregnant skunkie.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

felix93 said:


> You know one of my good friends called my Mackie Pongo. lol. She just insisted he is Pongo and that's it. :bash:
> 
> I might have a boy friend (if I must will have a girl friend) for Mackie eventually, that is when Emma care to start thinking of breeding her Angel. :2thumb:
> 
> But if your is pregnant, good luck, think you need that. :whistling2:You're brave to take on a pregnant or may be pregnant skunkie.


Awww, she was too gorgeous to leave at the centre anyway!:flrt:
"Pongo" for a boy it is then :2thumb:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

OMG you have got to watch this video, it has to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen! 

YouTube - Baby skunk leg wiggle 

Soooo cute:flrt:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Vikki123 said:


> Yeah, more space would be nice! All my animals are in the house - most in the living room! My house now looks like a zoo:lol2:


Must make for an interesting household, especially tea time:lol2:!!
Well done to you!

Dave.


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

sam gamgee said:


> Should have no prob selling them, I wouldve thought.......if you can ensure thier health, de-wormed etc etc. then this would give added value, so to speak.....salesman coming out of me, sorry!!:lol2:
> 
> *I think that animals such as these and other exotics should be kept priced high, stops wallies from buying them as status symbols or `givin em a go` then moving onto something else.* Some reptile keepers appear to do this, it being their `hobby`, leaves me cold. I am sure some have genuine reasons but think many do not.
> 
> ...


Not strictly true. A good mate of mine takes in rescue Exotics, he has in Skunks, Raccoons, Birds of Prey and small exotic rodents on a regular basis all of which I priced fairly high - doesn't stop people neglecting and dumping them!


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

LoveForLizards said:


> Not strictly true. A good mate of mine takes in rescue Exotics, he has in Skunks, Raccoons, Birds of Prey and small exotic rodents on a regular basis all of which I priced fairly high - doesn't stop people neglecting and dumping them!


 
...which is a crying shame. Does he sell them on?

Dave.


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

sam gamgee said:


> ...which is a crying shame. Does he sell them on?
> 
> Dave.


A lot end up staying with him 'cause he's a sucker :lol2: But if they get re-homed, then he vets the potential homes, goes through diet, health, safety, housing and general care with the potential owners and if he deems them and their homes/situation suitable (usually only about 30% of people who apply are deemed 'suitable' for one reason or another), the person/s will then be put onto a waiting list and they wait until an animal is taken in that is deemed suitable for their living conditions/home life etc (ie. he prefers to put Skunks that aren't descented into homes with over-excitable dogs and the like, but prefers to put descented Skunks into homes with kids and so on). : victory:

ETA: That last post was supposed to be "ARE priced fairly high" not "I priced fairly high"!


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

LoveForLizards said:


> A lot end up staying with him 'cause he's a sucker :lol2: But if they get re-homed, then he vets the potential homes, goes through diet, health, safety, housing and general care with the potential owners and if he deems them and their homes/situation suitable (usually only about 30% of people who apply are deemed 'suitable' for one reason or another), the person/s will then be put onto a waiting list and they wait until an animal is taken in that is deemed suitable for their living conditions/home life etc (ie. he prefers to put Skunks that aren't descented into homes with over-excitable dogs and the like, but prefers to put descented Skunks into homes with kids and so on). : victory:
> 
> ETA: That last post was supposed to be "ARE priced fairly high" not "I priced fairly high"!


 
hmmmm i wonder if us fellow skunk owners would pass his vetting test:lol2::lol2:

have always wondered that :lol2:


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> hmmmm i wonder if us fellow skunk owners would pass his vetting test:lol2::lol2:
> 
> have always wondered that :lol2:


On paper, it's quite a lot, but explained and in reality, it's really just basic requirements and considering some of the rescues he has had in it's easy to see why he does such a thorough vetting process. Basically the adopter must just be able to provide suitable living requirements, health care, diet, handling/restraint, exercise, enrichment, etc. Obviously what he considers 'suitable' and what others consider 'suitable' are often two very different things, though!


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

LoveForLizards said:


> On paper, it's quite a lot, but explained and in reality, it's really just basic requirements and considering some of the rescues he has had in it's easy to see why he does such a thorough vetting process. Basically the adopter must just be able to provide suitable living requirements, health care, diet, handling/restraint, exercise, enrichment, etc. Obviously what he considers 'suitable' and what others consider 'suitable' are often two very different things, though!


 
oooo i think you should email me one of his vetting forms would be interesting to fill in and see 

as yeah i suppose 1 persons requirements would be different to another persons views on them 

does that make any sense :blush::lol2:


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Emmaj said:


> oooo i think you should email me one of his vetting forms would be interesting to fill in and see
> 
> as yeah i suppose 1 persons requirements would be different to another persons views on them
> 
> does that make any sense :blush::lol2:


I shall PM you one in a sec and email it filled in back to him if ya like. Would be interesting! lol
Yeah that does make sense, especially since Skunks are still relatively 'new' as pets and so the information available on them right now is rather vague compared to cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, live stock etc.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

LoveForLizards said:


> I shall PM you one in a sec and email it filled in back to him if ya like. Would be interesting! lol
> Yeah that does make sense, especially since Skunks are still relatively 'new' as pets and so the information available on them right now is rather vague compared to cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, live stock etc.


 
yeah cool hun 

dont tell him im doing it lol and see what his reaction to my form is and wether he thinks im suitable or not :2thumb:LOL


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> yeah cool hun
> 
> dont tell him im doing it lol and see what his reaction to my form is and wether he thinks im suitable or not :2thumb:LOL


Yo! Emmypemmy!

Would be interestin` to see results.........!

Sure I would fail. Too honest.....

Dave.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> Yo! Emmypemmy!
> 
> Would be interestin` to see results.........!
> 
> ...


 
well daveywavey i have sent my application back to megan to email him sooooooo we shall see what the outcome is :whistling2:LOLOL:whistling2:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Indeedy!

Davewavey.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> Indeedy!
> 
> Davewavey.


 
get on skunk chat ya 2 fingered typer you :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> get on skunk chat ya 2 fingered typer you :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


I am, er, was!



Just cos you can type with almost every part of your anatomy........now how do ya know I still have all me digits?


I might just have two.......gawd I`m typing crappydoodoo, must go to beddybyes:bash:!


Daveydiddledoodoo.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> I am, er, was!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


well erm............ ok yes you need beeboes lol 

daveywaveypaveywoowoo


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

You type sooooo fast.....!

Nite.

Dave.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> You type sooooo fast.....!
> 
> Nite.
> 
> Dave.


Noooooo just your too slow :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:

nite yet again :gasp::lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi

Here's a new pic of Hope, she was stomping at one of the dogs:lol2:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Hi
> 
> Here's a new pic of Hope, she was stomping at one of the dogs:lol2:
> 
> image


hee hee awwwww bless her wait till she is chasing them round like my lot do ha ha 

if any of the dogs get up on an eve angel chases them round the living room its a great game for her :lol2::lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> hee hee awwwww bless her wait till she is chasing them round like my lot do ha ha
> 
> if any of the dogs get up on an eve angel chases them round the living room its a great game for her :lol2::lol2:


Awww, bless her. 

Nah, my dogs are so soft! My border collie submits to one of my snakes:lol2:

When Hope does stomp at them they run away from her


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Awww, bless her.
> 
> Nah, my dogs are so soft! My border collie submits to one of my snakes:lol2:
> 
> When Hope does stomp at them they run away from her


 
lol they have learnt fast then ha ha 

yeah mine are the same as you can see from my sig the dogs love the skunks and vice versa :lol2::lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> lol they have learnt fast then ha ha
> 
> yeah mine are the same as you can see from my sig the dogs love the skunks and vice versa :lol2::lol2:


Yeah, it's nice when they all get on :2thumb:

We've got sugar gliders and bearded dragons too. The gliders land on the dogs a lot and one of the bearded dragons have bitten my border collie's nose!

Dogs are sooo silly:flrt:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Yeah, it's nice when they all get on :2thumb:
> 
> We've got sugar gliders and bearded dragons too. The gliders land on the dogs a lot and one of the bearded dragons have bitten my border collie's nose!
> 
> Dogs are sooo silly:flrt:


yes i had gliders though found it too risky with the skunks and the dogs i couldnt let them out when they were about so didnt feel it fair keeping them cooped up in their cage all the time


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> yes i had gliders though found it too risky with the skunks and the dogs i couldnt let them out when they were about so didnt feel it fair keeping them cooped up in their cage all the time


My gliders wake up just before bed time so I spend about an hour with them away from Hope, but they were both rescues so I try to spend time with them in a bonding pouch throughout the day.

Because I do talks and kids parties I've got loads of animals, so I do have to spend time with each of them separately to keep them all tame :blush:

We even have to let out my Tegu on a daily basis for a wander about the living room:lol2:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> My gliders wake up just before bed time so I spend about an hour with them away from Hope, but they were both rescues so I try to spend time with them in a bonding pouch throughout the day.
> 
> Because I do talks and kids parties I've got loads of animals, so I do have to spend time with each of them separately to keep them all tame :blush:
> 
> We even have to let out my Tegu on a daily basis for a wander about the living room:lol2:


lol the wonder of having lots of animals hee hee 

i just have the dogs, cats and skunks now and find life sooooo much easier i really do


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> lol the wonder of having lots of animals hee hee
> 
> i just have the dogs, cats and skunks now and find life sooooo much easier i really do


The good thing about having all of mine is that they do earn their keep :lol2:

Feel free to have a nosy on my website for a few of my animals:

www.allaboutanimalsparties.co.uk


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> The good thing about having all of mine is that they do earn their keep :lol2:
> 
> Feel free to have a nosy on my website for a few of my animals:
> 
> www.allaboutanimalsparties.co.uk


 
Oooo i might just have to do that  

i do miss having lots of animals but i dont miss the cleaning out and everything that goes with it :lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> Oooo i might just have to do that
> 
> i do miss having lots of animals but i dont miss the cleaning out and everything that goes with it :lol2:


Yeah that is time consuming and messy :lol2:

I've actually got a talk tonight at a local scout group so got to get ready soon:2thumb:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Yeah that is time consuming and messy :lol2:
> 
> I've actually got a talk tonight at a local scout group so got to get ready soon:2thumb:


 
your animals are lovely just been having a look :flrt::flrt:

Ooo good luck with the talk tonight :2thumb:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> your animals are lovely just been having a look :flrt::flrt:
> 
> Ooo good luck with the talk tonight :2thumb:


Talk at the scout group went Ok, the kids were really noisy, but loved all of the 
animals, and we even got a £10 tip:no1: 

Hope came with us too, everyone loved her but a few of them thought she was a badger:lol2:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

*Wandering Red Tegu....*



Vikki123 said:


> My gliders wake up just before bed time so I spend about an hour with them away from Hope, but they were both rescues so I try to spend time with them in a bonding pouch throughout the day.
> 
> Because I do talks and kids parties I've got loads of animals, so I do have to spend time with each of them separately to keep them all tame :blush:
> 
> We even have to let out my Tegu on a daily basis for a wander about the living room:lol2:


Same with our teggy, Rubydarbles.......she usually has a good mooch round and ends up at the back of the settee or under it (depends wether she has eaten or lardy). Love her lots (do all of our creatures).....:flrt:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

sam gamgee said:


> Same with our teggy, Rubydarbles.......she usually has a good mooch round and ends up at the back of the settee or under it (depends wether she has eaten or lardy). Love her lots (do all of our creatures).....:flrt:


Hehe....Our Tegu, Boo, is another one for going under the sofa :lol2:

The only problem is that our sofa reclines, so we're always worried that she could get stuck in the mechanism mg:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Vikki123 said:


> Hehe....Our Tegu, Boo, is another one for going under the sofa :lol2:
> 
> The only problem is that our sofa reclines, so we're always worried that she could get stuck in the mechanism mg:


.....must be a sofa thing with em!!!!:flrt:

Dave.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

My little Hope might be on T.V! :2thumb:

Maverick might be doing a new series into exotic animals and they wanted me to go to their studios yesterday with a few of my animals for a short filming session. :lol2:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Ooooooooooooo cool sounds like fun


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Vikki123 said:


> The good thing about having all of mine is that they do earn their keep :lol2:
> 
> Feel free to have a nosy on my website for a few of my animals:
> 
> www.allaboutanimalsparties.co.uk


Lovely website, just one thing though, Rabbits aren't Rodents.


----------



## MRS.LooneyTune (Apr 14, 2009)

i love skunkies!
iv been bitten through the lip by one before it really hurt lol!!!
i kinda like girls a little more, more scatty haha


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

Vikki123 said:


> My little Hope might be on T.V! :2thumb:
> 
> Maverick might be doing a new series into exotic animals and they wanted me to go to their studios yesterday with a few of my animals for a short filming session. :lol2:


Is this for the new series about animals behaving badly? The one mentioned in another thread started by Kodakeira?


----------



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

carlycharlie said:


> Is this for the new series about animals behaving badly? The one mentioned in another thread started by Kodakeira?


Probably this one http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/exotic-mammals/446851-tv-programme-birmingham.html . : victory:


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> Probably this one http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/exotic-mammals/446851-tv-programme-birmingham.html . : victory:


 
Ooooooooooops missed that one :lol2::lol2: I could have taken my blind great dane along & let him loose - now that would have been worth filming :whistling2::whistling2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

LoveForLizards said:


> Lovely website, just one thing though, Rabbits aren't Rodents.


Yeah I know! Need to change that! :blush:

I sort of just ramble on when I list animals, I made loads of mistakes on that site at first. I keep reading through and see more and more mistakes! :lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

LoveForLizards said:


> Probably this one http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/exotic-mammals/446851-tv-programme-birmingham.html . : victory:


Apparently it's going to be called "most embarrassing animals!" Didn't know that til after the filming session though :lol2:

It was a really funny day! The people weren't "animal" people at all. We had to pretend that we were in a vet's waiting room with an animal each, so I had to take most of the animals they needed i.e, chile rose tarantula, a hoggie, my B&W Tegu, Hope (skunk) and for some unknown reason a Macleays Stick Insect!!! :lol2: 

The film crew were all terrified by my chile rose and I had to stand behind the camera man when the lid was off her carrier (for her close up) in case she "leaped out"! Then when they wanted to film her on my hand everyone seemed to back up against the walls of the studio :lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

OK I now do need some advice (to be honest I'm really annoyed). :bash:

Just received the microchip details for Hope (about time). However, according to her microchip details she isn't 2 1/2 years old!

SHE'S BLOOMIN 6!!! :devil:

Now although I absolutely adore her and wouldn't swap her for the world :flrt: the previous owners did lie their ass off to us! :bash:

We still paid £400 for her (not about the money, but the principle) and as they told us, she was never spayed, I'm now a little worried (and confused) about her health. She was kept with an unneutered male for most of her life, but surely she would have been impregnated at some point and had kits, but again we don't know about this and they didn't tell us. 

Basically, I would like to know of the exact health implications that an un-spayed female can have? I was going to get her spayed anyway.

She is an active skunk and now that she's on a more healthy diet she is now starting to loose some weight and look more healthy in the quality of her coat. :flrt:

Thanks everyone :2thumb:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Vikki123 said:


> OK I now do need some advice (to be honest I'm really annoyed). :bash:
> 
> Just received the microchip details for Hope (about time). However, according to her microchip details she isn't 2 1/2 years old!
> 
> ...


Crikey!

I would be a little more than mad.........cannot abide a liar.
Maybe a trip to the vets may be in order if you havent already....
Good luck.

Dave


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

Vikki123 said:


> Apparently it's going to be called "most embarrassing animals!" Didn't know that til after the filming session though :lol2:
> 
> It was a really funny day! The people weren't "animal" people at all.


 
As they were a TV production crew it was highly unlikely they were animal people unless they had pets of their own - TV hours are often long & never regular, so pets are hard to look after - I know, I used to work for ITV & BBC :lol2: 

Lets Hope gets her TV debut soon :2thumb:

As for the unspeyed bit - if she was entire & had been kept with an entire male then there would be a big chance of babies, so maybe she is actually neutered - but you can always get a vet to check.

If she is not & comes into season around a male, you would soon see signs of mating - they bite the back of the females neck & they can be quite noisy!! Some people can tell their females are in season by the swollen areas........but I have been unable to spot that in both my females; mind you I did need new glasses lately so can actually see properly now :whistling2:

As for lying about the age - thats disgusting........why do they need to do that?


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

sam gamgee said:


> Crikey!
> 
> I would be a little more than mad.........cannot abide a liar.
> Maybe a trip to the vets may be in order if you havent already....
> ...


Thanks 

We took her to my local vets a while ago, but they hadn't treated a skunk before and didn't really know what they were doing. I've since made an appointment at an exotic specialist vets, which is on Tuesday so should know a bit more then : victory:

I do hope that she's spayed already, but she was kept with a couple of raccoons aswell as the male, so not sure if she would have absorbed pregnancies or any kits born were killed. The people said that they caught them mating in the past though :devil:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Its a sad thing but its not uncommon that people lie about an animals age.
The reason lies within the fact that older animals are often seen as less appealing due to them being that bit less active and with less time than a younger pet. I personally wouldnt turn an animal away because its older but unfortunately a vast majority do.

Ive been reading through the threads on skunks, whilst I certainly couldnt house one whilst Im still living at home, they look quite an intresting pet.
You Guys and Girls couldnt point me in the direction of a good site to learn more on skunks as house pets?


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> Its a sad thing but its not uncommon that people lie about an animals age.
> The reason lies within the fact that older animals are often seen as less appealing due to them being that bit less active and with less time than a younger pet. I personally wouldnt turn an animal away because its older but unfortunately a vast majority do.
> 
> Ive been reading through the threads on skunks, whilst I certainly couldnt house one whilst Im still living at home, they look quite an intresting pet.
> You Guys and Girls couldnt point me in the direction of a good site to learn more on skunks as house pets?


 
the link in my sig is a good one 

and there are some american sites too 

striped bandits , skunk haven


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

The main thing that concerns me about Hope's age is that she has been fed the wrong diet for 6 years! If she was only 2-3 like the previous owners said then any damage caused by a bad diet would be easier to reverse. 

Also they sold her to us for £400, which is a lot for a skunk of that age. 

I have emailed the previous owners, but they still said that they thought that she was only young, but now they're saying that she was fully grown when they got her and they microchipped her in 2006! Lying :censor:s! 

They have now offered to give us a refund, if we return her :2wallbang:

She's so lovely, as if I could ever return her! I think they know that we won't bring her back, but obviously I'm still annoyed about this!


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> The main thing that concerns me about Hope's age is that she has been fed the wrong diet for 6 years! If she was only 2-3 like the previous owners said then any damage caused by a bad diet would be easier to reverse.
> 
> Also they sold her to us for £400, which is a lot for a skunk of that age.
> 
> ...


 
ahhh vicky  yups its a catch 22 your in hun 

so sorry this has happened to you 

though looking on the bright side at least hope is in a home where she is understood and loved now hun :flrt:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> ahhh vicky  yups its a catch 22 your in hun
> 
> so sorry this has happened to you
> 
> though looking on the bright side at least hope is in a home where she is understood and loved now hun :flrt:


Thanks :no1:

Just don't want them to do it to anyone else!


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Hopefully as Skunks are rather different pets there wont be many people like that about, Im sure you will give her a good life reguardless of how old she is.

Thanks Emma for the site, they sound like a handful but Id take a skunk over a child any day :lol2:

Do you guys and girls let them have the run of the house like you would a cat or dog or just keep them in one room?


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> Hopefully as Skunks are rather different pets there wont be many people like that about, Im sure you will give her a good life reguardless of how old she is.
> 
> Thanks Emma for the site, they sound like a handful but Id take a skunk over a child any day :lol2:
> 
> Do you guys and girls let them have the run of the house like you would a cat or dog or just keep them in one room?


 
to let them have full roam could be dangerous unless you have skunk proofed your entire house 

most people have a skunk proofed room for them for when they are out and on nights 

and have them free roaming when they are in


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Thats sounds easy enough, give it an area for when Im out and sleeping then let it out when Im at home, not too different to when the dog was a pup.
I will probs have to get a lock for my Fish tank cabinet too as they are exstremely clever from what I read on the site.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> Thats sounds easy enough, give it an area for when Im out and sleeping then let it out when Im at home, not too different to when the dog was a pup.
> I will probs have to get a lock for my Fish tank cabinet too as they are exstremely clever from what I read on the site.


Oh yes they are lol 

mine can open cupboards, draws, doors 

they are not daft at all :lol2:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Hopefully it wont learn how to open my fish tank top, Im rather fond of my Fish.
I wish the dog was that smart, he'd be able to open the door himself rather than deafen us with barking when he wants to go out.


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> to let them have full roam could be dangerous unless you have skunk proofed your entire house
> 
> most people have a skunk proofed room for them for when they are out and on nights
> 
> and have them free roaming when they are in


 
Yup!


Little sweet monsters that they are.......:flrt:
Only problem is pickin em up to bring em downstairs...........:whistling2:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

....and pickin em up to put them back upstairs (ours dont appear to be mountaineers apparently lol)

Daveywavey


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> ....and pickin em up to put them back upstairs (ours dont appear to be mountaineers apparently lol)
> 
> Daveywavey


Oh mine do stairs up and down them very well :lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Although we managed to skunk-proof the kitchen, locks on all cupboards, fridge and blocked off the side of the cooker, so that she couldn't get behind it. 

The little bugger managed to climb onto the surfaces! :lol2:

We noticed that she was using the door on the tumble dryer as a step up, then pulling her weight up by grabbing the handle to the drawer! 

So we've now had to put a piece of wood as an over hang to stop her from being able to climb up it :2thumb:

She's such a cheeky little thing :flrt: :flrt:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

*Banned...*

...from the kitchen!

They go underneath the units, hard going getting them out!

And, as of yet, won`t even try to conquer the stairs, guess they are rather steep. Ella tries the first two at the bottom but that is about as far as she will go.

Going up to thier room now to, er, tidy up and de-poo! Ella is a good poo girl, uses any tray that is around, Ollie is a pain...anywhere but the tray and in as awkward a spot as he can find, usually:devil:

Dave.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> ...from the kitchen!
> 
> They go underneath the units, hard going getting them out!
> 
> ...


ha ha great when they are like that aint they lol 

my downstairs skunks are all litter trained and the upstairs ones occasionally use theirs but still have to do a poo hunt up their :lol2:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

I dont think Im likely to have somewhere with stairs at first, I cant stand tower block flats though, I have a big problem with heights and I was unable to go near the window of one of them, coupled with the fact that the flats the council lump you with and usually in one of two identical towers, one of which had a really bad fire a few years ago resulting in loss of lives.

Right so on the list of 'skunkproofing':

Block gaps
Avoid low shelves that a skunk could use to climb.
Put locks on all cuboards and draws
Figure out the poo area
avoid using carpets whilst figureing out the poo area
See if Stevenage [email protected] accept skunks for nail clipping
Make sure the skunk has an area to run around in when Im not around.


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

*Like I said, sweet monsters lol!*

If you cannot avoid carpets, thier poo is largely veg based and is not as bad as you may think. Ours are a little spoiled in that they have thier own room where they remain until evening which has a wooden flooring (easy clean), large wall cupboards that they cannot get into and two lots of shelving units for all thier bibs n bobs, cleaning stuff etc. There are two poo trays with a little cat litter. Also, they share a large animal carrier which is used as a sleeping den, plus a large basket (which Ollie occasionally poos in:devil:, thats when he aint pooing alongside the trays:devil::devil::devil::devil: and about 7/8 toys which they sometimes play with (you can hear it through the night just when you are about to fall off to sleep, aaargh!):lol2:


Daveblearyeyes.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> I dont think Im likely to have somewhere with stairs at first, I cant stand tower block flats though, I have a big problem with heights and I was unable to go near the window of one of them, coupled with the fact that the flats the council lump you with and usually in one of two identical towers, one of which had a really bad fire a few years ago resulting in loss of lives.
> 
> Right so on the list of 'skunkproofing':
> 
> ...


 
nail clipping is easy you can do it yourself 

i bought a pair of ferret/rabbit claw scissors cost £2.50 

its alot cheaper than having them done via the vets or anywhere else:2thumb:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> If you cannot avoid carpets, thier poo is largely veg based and is not as bad as you may think. Ours are a little spoiled in that they have thier own room where they remain until evening which has a wooden flooring (easy clean), large wall cupboards that they cannot get into and two lots of shelving units for all thier bibs n bobs, cleaning stuff etc. There are two poo trays with a little cat litter. Also, they share a large animal carrier which is used as a sleeping den, plus a large basket (which Ollie occasionally poos in:devil:, thats when he aint pooing alongside the trays:devil::devil::devil::devil: and about 7/8 toys which they sometimes play with (you can hear it through the night just when you are about to fall off to sleep, aaargh!):lol2:
> 
> 
> Daveblearyeyes.


 
yes lol i have taken up all my carpets throught the house apart from my sons bedroom 

dogs and skunks wreck carpets :lol2:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

I know you can get clippers, I have a pair for the pooch but I find it awkward safely clipping claws more often than not just sterssing the poor boy out and then bites as a result, thats why we tend to get someone to do it who is a bit more qualified to do it. Id rather someone who knows what they are doing clip nails rather than risk harming the poor skunk but cutting them too short or something.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> I know you can get clippers, I have a pair for the pooch but I find it awkward safely clipping claws more often than not just sterssing the poor boy out and then bites as a result, thats why we tend to get someone to do it who is a bit more qualified to do it. Id rather someone who knows what they are doing clip nails rather than risk harming the poor skunk but cutting them too short or something.


well i do all of mine myself and have never harmed them, i asked my vet to show me how to do it and once i felt confident enough started doing it myself 

all my skunks just sit on my lap while i do them with no fuss or struggle


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

I know my dogs vet will only sort his under anistetic, I suppose I could ask nearer the time as its going to be a while as Ive got to move out first lol


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> I know my dogs vet will only sort his under anistetic, I suppose I could ask nearer the time as its going to be a while as Ive got to move out first lol


 
no probs its not as scarey as it seems once you are used to doing it :2thumb:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Ill find out when the time comes

How do you house train skunks as such?


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

in what sense do you mean house train them?


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Well sort of tame it, not quite sure on how much a skunk can be trained.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> Well sort of tame it, not quite sure on how much a skunk can be trained.


with younger kits they bond with you the more time you spend with them i used to carry angel round in my pocket or up my jumper when she was tiny 

with an older skunk time and patience with them really


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Can they be taught to leave stuff alone, like a dog?
Its just Im a size 15 so the last thing I need is my shoes chewed :lol2:


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> Can they be taught to leave stuff alone, like a dog?
> Its just Im a size 15 so the last thing I need is my shoes chewed :lol2:


 
mine that i have had from young will sometimes listen when i say no, dont you dare or get down lol 

but they are like kids selective deafness can kick in anytime :lol2:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

Doubt theyll chew your shoes.......ours like making a nest out of clothes left on the floor in the bedroom under the bed. Dont chew shoes.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> Doubt theyll chew your shoes.......ours like making a nest out of clothes left on the floor in the bedroom under the bed. Dont chew shoes.


 
ahhh but they have a thing about feet............mine dig out the insoles of my shoes if i leave them lying about :lol2:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

No worse than my dog then:lol2:
Bring on moving day and Mr Skunk:2thumb:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Sega said:


> I dont think Im likely to have somewhere with stairs at first, I cant stand tower block flats though, I have a big problem with heights and I was unable to go near the window of one of them, coupled with the fact that the flats the council lump you with and usually in one of two identical towers, one of which had a really bad fire a few years ago resulting in loss of lives.
> 
> Right so on the list of 'skunkproofing':
> 
> ...


Hay, you're in Stevenage! As in Hertfordshire, Stevenage? I'm in Hatfield :lol2:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Yeah, I noticed from your site.


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

You dont have to be around the kits 24/7 do you? Its just theres no way I could bring any animal into the enviorment Im hopeing to be working in, a Garage is a dangerous place for any pet.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> You dont have to be around the kits 24/7 do you? Its just theres no way I could bring any animal into the enviorment Im hopeing to be working in, a Garage is a dangerous place for any pet.


 
no they tend to sleep in the day anyways and be more active early evening and night time 

you can pretty much move your skunk into any routine you want to they are quiet flexible about routines :2thumb:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Thats good, I dont sleep well at night anyway so Ill most likely be awake all the time he is


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Hi

Just took Hope to the vets to be spayed before she comes into season. I was hoping that she was already spayed, due to her age and the previous owners said that she had never had kits.

No such luck :devil:

When I went to pick her up the vet had some horrible news: 

she had a dead foetus inside her womb, which was why she had never given birth!  

Poor little Hope, she really has been through it  

I'm debating on emailing her previous owners to try to get them to pay for at least part of the vet bill. How the hell can you have a male and female skunk together for so many years and not wonder why she has never given birth!?! :cussing:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Thats disgusting, you could try reporting them to the RSPCA in this instance as that is neglect, atleast Hopes in better hands now.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Hi
> 
> Just took Hope to the vets to be spayed before she comes into season. I was hoping that she was already spayed, due to her age and the previous owners said that she had never had kits.
> 
> ...


 
wow she is one lucky skunkie could have been deadly if it hadnt been for you taking her in for spaying hun 

i wonder if she has been pregnant and always absorbed litters before due to being kept with the male or destroyed kits that were born or even him do it 

i wonder if the dead on within the womb was from recent mating and she hadnt managed to absorbe it properly


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> wow she is one lucky skunkie could have been deadly if it hadnt been for you taking her in for spaying hun
> 
> i wonder if she has been pregnant and always absorbed litters before due to being kept with the male or destroyed kits that were born or even him do it
> 
> i wonder if the dead on within the womb was from recent mating and she hadnt managed to absorbe it properly


I don't know, I just feel so sorry for her!

I've asked the vet to provide me with a report of what she found so that I can take it further.

There's no way that they should have ever been able to keep her like that, especially when they run a rescue centre themselves and see the neglect that animals go through!

It is a good job that we took her to be spayed tho, coz that foetus could have cost her her life!


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> I don't know, I just feel so sorry for her!
> 
> I've asked the vet to provide me with a report of what she found so that I can take it further.
> 
> ...


 
yes hun she really is a lucky lil gurl to have found such a wonderful caring home now 

i 100% agree with you asking for a report hun 

and agree with the fact they run a rescue so how the hell can they let one of their own animals get into such a dangerous situation


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> yes hun she really is a lucky lil gurl to have found such a wonderful caring home now
> 
> Awwww, thanks Emma :flrt: :flrt: :flrt:
> 
> ...


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> Emmaj said:
> 
> 
> > yes hun she really is a lucky lil gurl to have found such a wonderful caring home now
> ...


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

I wonder what my dog's going to be like with a Skunk, they wont be living in the same house but hes proberly going to be a bit dodery by time I get the skunk as hes 6 nearly 7 now.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

my dogs love the skunks as you can see from my sig pic :lol2:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Im not so worried about my dog liking the skunk so much as the Skunk liking the dog, the little fellow is a little too inquisitve for his own good:lol2:
On many occasions has my Grandmothers Lurcher told him where to go, Felix is trustable though (The cat name isnt my fault, he had it before we adopted him), you could sit one of the Chienese dwarf hamsters on his head and he wasnt at all bothered and wouldnt harm anything.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sega said:


> Im not so worried about my dog liking the skunk so much as the Skunk liking the dog, the little fellow is a little too inquisitve for his own good:lol2:
> On many occasions has my Grandmothers Lurcher told him where to go, Felix is trustable though (The cat name isnt my fault, he had it before we adopted him), you could sit one of the Chienese dwarf hamsters on his head and he wasnt at all bothered and wouldnt harm anything.


 
my dogs are huskies lol nothing more inquisitive as them lol 

they do fine though with them skunks will put dogs in their place lol even cats too :lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Yeah, Hope bosses my dogs around all the time.

I've got a border collie and a cocker spaniel, the cocker stays out of the way (he's scared of everything).

The border collie is so curious, but that's his downfall! He's had one of my bearded dragons bite his nose, had one of my sugar gliders land on his back, he's submitted to my royal python and he's even been attacked by one of my stick insects!!! :lol2: :lol2:

He's such a soppy dog! :flrt:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

Felix did get told to get lost by a old Long haired Hamster we used to have called Adam, he didnt give a monkeys that Fe was there:lol2:


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Right! Just emailed Hope's previous owners and asked them to at least pay for the vet bill!

If they refuse to, I've got lists of legislation that can really screw them up :devil:

No-one messes with my baby and gets away with it :war:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

You definately have more than enough to take them to court.


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Sega said:


> You definately have more than enough to take them to court.


Just got a reply! They called me slanderous, that my accusations were false, and they will not pay for her vet bill! :blahblah: 

They have even threatened ME with court action! :gasp:

Here are the emails the one's in italic are from me:

_Hi

I was a bit worried when you said that she has never had a litter, as she was kept with an un-neutered male, so I took her to the vets for a check up. The vet too was concerned as female skunks can only come out of season by being mated, injected with a hormone or spayed otherwise they can suffer with health problems. Also it would have been VERY unlikely that she would not have mated. 

I took her in to be spayed on Wednesday. The vet called me to let me know that she had woken up, but on collecting her the vet explained that she had found a dead foetus inside her womb, which is why she never gave birth to kits! It was a good thing that we got her spayed, as this foetus would have lead to an infection and could have cost Hope her life!

To be honest I'm not impressed with the care she had received in your hands! If you had kept her with a male, why did you not get her checked when she hadn't had any kits? She could have suffered serious health implications as a result of this and I am still not happy about the mis-information regarding her age. 

The reason that I am emailing you is to ask that you pay for Hope's vet bill? We never want to return her as we love her to bits and she is really starting to respond to us, but she is older than you originally stated and with this foetus inside her, she was in poor health. 

I have asked the vet to provide me with a report regarding the foetus, which I can copy for you and I can also send you a copy of the receipt for the vet bill as proof that I am not trying to unfairly take money from you. Please get back to me regarding this ASAP.

I hope you are all well and I look forward to hearing from you soon_

HELLO, I offered ur money back as soon as u said u were not happy with the skunks age because according to u she was 2 yrs older, she has always been fit and very well as the male did but he was younger and may not of been quite ready or so i thought, and she has been to our vets and was passed with a clean bill of health. i find ur accusations completly without justification, i only know what i am told, and what i can see for myself, how long had the foetus been in her ? and if she was unwell then we and our own vet would have noticed. , SHE has NEVER BEEN UNWELL AND NEVER HAD A TEMP' WHEN SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE VETS!! NO I WILL NOT PAY YOU! YOU WERE OFFERED UR COMPLETE MONEY BACK AT THE TIME AND YOU DECLINED !!! SHE WAS WORMED REGULARLY, DE_FLEAD ETC REGULARLY AND VISITED MY OWN VET !! I WILL NOT TAKE UR IGNORANCE OR ACCUSATIONS AND INTEND TO TAKE THIS MATTER FURTHER.. 

_Hi

I'm sorry that you feel this way. I thought that as a rescue centre you would have preferred that Hope had settled in to a new home rather than being brought back for a refund! She is not an object, she is a living creature with needs. On this occasion I will just be grateful that she is now OK. 

It is common sense to keep unneutered animals apart, a skunk can breed from 9 months of age and when a female comes into season they WILL mate. There is always possibilities that a female can absorb litters due to stress, i.e, the male is still present or being kept with raccoons. However, this can cause problems, as any unabsorbed foetus can remain inside the womb. I am very disappointed that a rescue centre did not realise this. And that you are refusing to pay a vet bill that was caused due to your ignorance.

Also the advert said a 2/3 year old skunk! NOT a 6 year old skunk, you have owned her since 2006 and according to the paperwork she was born in 2004.

As I have already said we really do love Hope and are pleased that we have her. I will forward a copy of the report to you as soon as I receive it from the vet so that you can see this for yourself.

We do not want to return her, but we would like payment for the vet bill as a good will gesture and to cover for the fact that we paid you £400 for a skunk that was "not as described" and in "unsatisfactory condition". 

I hope that we can come to an agreement.

Regards

Vikki_

DONT TAKE THE PISS U DONT HAVE TO HAVE HER U NEVER DID !! UR OWN VET WHEN HE 1ST SAW HER THOUGHT SHE WAS OK AND THAT NEUTERING WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA NOT THAT SHE WAS ILL DIEING HOW UR TRYING TO MAKE OUT!1 I DO NOT WANT U TO CONTACT ME AGAIN WITH UR IDIOTIC ACCUSATIONS , DO U NOT THINK THAT THE RSPCA AND ANIMAL WELFARE AND THE VETS AND DOGS WARDENS ETC VISIT HERE ALL THE TIME BRINGING IN ABUSED ANIMALS!! THEY SAW THE HUGE ENCLOSURE YES IT WAS HUGE WELL PAST THE ZOO STANDARD !! UR JUST AFTER MONEY WELL NO !! I JUST HOPE FOR HER SAKE U ARE THE CARING PERSON U PROCLAIM TO BE .. 
NOW I I HAVE SAID DO NOT CONTACT ME AGAIN , I AM GOING TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE AS TO THE SLANDEROUS ACCUSATIONS !!




Wow, it's all blown out of proportion.


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

No thats not unreasonable at all, far more polite than I would have sent.
Id call citezens advice as soon as possible and report them to the RSPCA, lets hope that they are stopped from doing it to someone else permenantly.


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

*Plonkers.....*



Vikki123 said:


> Just got a reply! They called me slanderous, that my accusations were false, and they will not pay for her vet bill! :blahblah:
> 
> They have even threatened ME with court action! :gasp:
> 
> ...


Blimey!

Not much to say to that!! Do think they should come to some sort of compromise, surely wouldn`t be difficult....on another note, pity they are unable to spell. The world is full of imbecilistic phillistines.........


Dave


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

I know it is quite bad.

I don't know why they're being like this, they run a rescue centre and you'd have thought that they'd want to keep a good reputation, so the price of a vet bill would be worth it!

Going to go and see citizens advice on Monday, then I should get the vet report on Wednesday when Hope goes in for her check up, so will have a lot of things on my side. 

I've also contacted trading standards who also gave me some legislation about selling things under mis-information and the Charity Commission, but they are not registered as a charity and so they seem to be operating a business, so going to look into the licensing for that now too :thumb:

Then there's always the Animal Welfare Act 2006! 

So should have plenty of legislation to go on :2thumb:


----------



## Sega (Dec 8, 2009)

You can also drop their vet in it too, he should have picked up on it if he was doing yearly checks, providing though that they are telling the truth on that part.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Vikki123 said:


> I know it is quite bad.
> 
> I don't know why they're being like this, they run a rescue centre and you'd have thought that they'd want to keep a good reputation, so the price of a vet bill would be worth it!
> 
> ...


 
i do agree if they are a working rescue then i would think they would have been pleased that the problems with hope were found and sorted 

god forbid if anyone who knew nothing about skunks had purchased her from them then i very much doubt her problem would have been picked up on so soon 

its a shame they have taken it all in the wrong context and instead of working with you are now against you 

i dont think there was anything nastily put in the emails that you sent to them 

good luck with where things go and the outcome of it all hun


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

*Second that....*

Yes, good luck, hope it turns out well for you.

Dave.


----------



## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

sam gamgee said:


> Yes, good luck, hope it turns out well for you.
> 
> Dave.


Its just such a shame for vicky 

hope is one very lucky skunky to have come across such a fantastic caring new mummy thats for sure


----------



## Vikki123 (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks for all of the nice comments :flrt:

Since getting advice, the only outcome with the money situation is to take her back to get a refund - which obviously, I'm no going to do!

However, a woman has contacted me from a department of Trading Standards who inspects these types of organisations and she has also inspected their property some years ago. Apparently, the last time she inspected them, they did not have very many exotics at all and they only rehomed dogs and cats in which they just asked for donations.

She thinks that they are "getting into exotics" as a way of making money, as they now breed meerkats and they obviously tried to breed the skunks (why else would they have kept the male and female together for so long?). There does seem to be more money in exotics than rescued cats/dogs.

The thing is, is that they are not licensed to breed these animals under their business and if their conditions/health of the animals are found to be unsuitable then they could have the animals confiscated and face a fine.

She is now arranging a surprise visit along with a vet who specialises in exotics to perform another inspection on both the facilities and the animals themselves :2thumb:


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

Vikki123 said:


> She is now arranging a surprise visit along with a vet who specialises in exotics to perform another inspection on both the facilities and the animals themselves :2thumb:


 
Sadly, not going to be much of a surprise now though :gasp:

At least Hope now has a home/family thats doing the best by her :2thumb:


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

*Perhaps.......?*



carlycharlie said:


> Sadly, not going to be much of a surprise now though :gasp:
> 
> At least Hope now has a home/family thats doing the best by her :2thumb:


 
That is if they read these forums of course........!

Dave.


----------



## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

sam gamgee said:


> That is if they read these forums of course........!
> 
> Dave.


 
They might not but friends of theirs could well be regular RFUK members :whistling2: plus people often cant wait to "pass on information" :bash:


----------



## farmercoope (Aug 19, 2008)

oops...wrong bit


----------



## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

farmercoope said:


> oops...wrong bit


 
?????? As bad as me!:lol2:

Dave.


----------



## quilson_mc_spike (Dec 27, 2008)

grrr this is confusing and complicated for me... and thats not exactly hard is it haa haa ...

anyway i just hope . hope is fit and well and that the sanctuary/rehibilitation what ever it is. decides to clean up their act to make everybodies life easier xx


----------

