# skunk information



## purpleskyes (Oct 15, 2007)

hey everyone i am interested in getting a skunk and was wondering if you could post some pics of cage in which a skunk sleeps along with the measurements and an outline of their diet and how often they are feed a day and roughly how much they cost thanx everyone


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

My girl sleeps in a nero4 rabbit cage whilst we aren't home, its about 4x2x2, in there she has a cat bed a few dog toys and her food bowl.... the most important thing in the cage it seems though is her litter tray, they poo like you wouldn't believe!!! and i dont really put substrate down as it confuses her and makes her think the cage is the litter tray. obviously when im home she is running around the entire house playing with the dogs like a giant pom pom with legs.

as for diet, it should be roughly 70-75% veg and fruit. my girl prefers dark greens, spinach, cabbage, pak choi, butternut squash, boiled potato, swede, carrots, broccolli, corguette (if thats how it is spelled? bloody french). she also likes the occasional bit of pasta about 2/3 of a handful mixed in with the veg. fruits.... she is absolutely mental about mango, which we give her when she isnt being a sod. she is also fond of banana (in moderation) pear, satsuma (the odd segment as a treat), star fruit, dragon fruit but a variety is nice and nothing TOO acidic. i tend to make the fruit element about 10% of this side of the diet.

protein - i feed my girl either a steamed chicken breast (less fatty) or a tuna steak with olive oil (available from asdas finest range, reasonable at £1 lol) per day in the evening as she is extremely active then and this gives her a chance to burn it off. they also go absolutely mental for eggs, and some say they should only have one a week, i go with that too, although sometimes she gets 2 a week in error. she prefers duck eggs to chicken eggs but anything goes.

supplementation - i give my girl 3 yoghurts per week. low fat of course. into this treat i stick one crushed up farleys rusk for calcium and some bugs like crickets and mealworms. this tends to be the only way to get my girl to eat them.

hope thats been useful, but do bear in mind thats just how i feed mine, its not gospel to how you should feed yours, every skunk has a diferent character and will like different foods but remember in the wild they rummage through bins and generally live on a diet of used condoms and dirty nappies. as long as you feed them well, they will live long and happy lives.

if anyone wants to know what i personally eat.... super noodles. once the skunk is fed i cannot aford my own food :lol2:


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

forgot to mention, kits require feeding x3 a day, adults between one and 2 feeds per day, i go with two usually. also as for price, there are very few kicking about at the moment, but i think nerys can get hold of what few are left. and i think they are about £800

and worth every last penny. :no1:


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## purpleskyes (Oct 15, 2007)

hey thank u for all that info it has been a great help bit more saving to do but i no of one available here again thanx


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## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

Pretty much what Dave (LRR) has said though ours don't get so much dairy or protein, we aim for about 5-10% protein in our skunk diets, we also don't feed fish that often (we find it really makes their poo whiffy), and unlike Dave's our go bonks for livefoods, especially morio worms. You should be aiming for around 150-200 calories a day, and a little less during the winter months when we only feed once a day as they tend to slow down a bit. 
We don't cage ours at all, they have full run of the living room, kitchen, hallway and breakfast room and as long as the weather is fine they get the run of the garden as well (walled with no escape possible). 
They like to dig and have done in two lots of lino in the kitchen already. 
They are mischievous little things and love to steal anything they think that will make their beds more comfy, socks, jumpers, double sheets, towels, you name it they'll make off with it to add to their little stash. 
If you get a female and you have no intention of breeding or access to a vasectomised male they should be spayed, as they are induced ovulaters and need to be mated to knock them out of the cycle. 

AVOID GRAPES!!!


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## PendleHog (Dec 21, 2005)

My boy is not caged at all, when he was tiny he had a nero rabbit cage to sleep in (from pets at home..) but soon became a "house pet". As adults cages are strictly for sleeping only (einstein actually just uses a cat bed) and never gets shut in, they are natural roamers and will pace if confined.

He goes crazy for livefoods and loves playing with his treat ball which I fill with morioworms in the afternoon. Remember these are intelligent scavengers and need to be kept occupied when you're not around.

I feed him as Fixx described, I do no believe adult mammals need dairy, though he does get an egg once or twice a week (either hard boiled or raw, he doesnt mind either way). If you feed raw use lion marked eggs as these are more likely to be salmonella free.

Just to show him off a wee baby..

*







*


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Our Ichi has a super huge dog crate for when we are out. Once she becomes a little more confident and when our renovations have finished, she will have the full run of the downstairs though.

I feed the diet Nerys has on TSKA as I know this is what Ichi has been fed before she came to me. Ichi's favourite right now is tuna and baby corn lthough I don't give her too much of 1 thing at a time.

Pics of Ichi are in her thread int he pic sectin (think her cage pic is there too)


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## purpleskyes (Oct 15, 2007)

hey i had a look she is just the cutest thing so pretty but no pics of her cage althought i do recall seeing a pic of a large dog carrier as a skunk cage on here just cant remember where.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

i never knew people keep skunks..cool - do they smell?


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

That would probably be the one Kink - it has a silky pink cushion in it hehe

Macro - I haven't found Ichi to smell a great deal - she is descented so doesn't spray but she has a slight ferrety smell to her


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## purpleskyes (Oct 15, 2007)

could you post me the link to it would be great to see again just so i can get an idea of the set up really helps to actually see the thing people are decribing if you know what i mean lol again thanks for posting


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

This is the original pic - from my photobucket.

I like Ichi to have everything and more in her surroundings as she is now our only animal and has been a much awaited new arrival. I have just got her a nice cat scratching post from Netto for £20 - it has 3 levels and a litle house at the bottom. She will have this with her cushion 1 side and her bed the other although I shall be taking the 3rd level off it so it isn't too high so she doesn't hurt herself!!

Here is a couple of pics of her also - not got any newer ones since my little lad decided to play the CAnon advert with my nn Canon camera!!


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## purpleskyes (Oct 15, 2007)

awwww she is beautiful i am still saving as they are expensive! oh my is that the ad were the little boy throws the camera off alot of stuff and into the water. advertiser just dont the impact these ads have on childern


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

brittone05 said:


> This is the original pic - from my photobucket.
> 
> I like Ichi to have everything and more in her surroundings as she is now our only animal and has been a much awaited new arrival. I have just got her a nice cat scratching post from Netto for £20 - it has 3 levels and a litle house at the bottom. She will have this with her cushion 1 side and her bed the other although I shall be taking the 3rd level off it so it isn't too high so she doesn't hurt herself!!
> 
> Here is a couple of pics of her also - not got any newer ones since my little lad decided to play the CAnon advert with my nn Canon camera!!


Wow, loads of black on yours. my lil lady hardly has any.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

i cant get one i have cats and to many mantids but im just curious..how much are these to buy?


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

LLR - my little one is a black and white swirl so she has a tonne of black on her belly but only 2 little failt bits on her back.

MAcro - price is totally dependant on where you buy from, and I would imagine on sex and age etc.

I know Nerys and Rory had some on the books still and I think they were around the £800 mark but am unsure of prices for this year when babies arrive


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## PendleHog (Dec 21, 2005)

Luton Reptile Rescue said:


> Wow, loads of black on yours. my lil lady hardly has any.


You think thats a lot of black - you should see Ein! He probably has half the amount of white on his back than Ichi. I think it makes him look rather handsome 

Ichi looks sooo cuite playing in the shavings! Ein just makes a mess with them instead *sigh*


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

searchingforkink said:


> awwww she is beautiful i am still saving as they are expensive! oh my is that the ad were the little boy throws the camera off alot of stuff and into the water. advertiser just dont the impact these ads have on childern


Um you do know it will be very difficult to find a descented skunk come this spring with the new laws making it illegal now, so if you get a young one this year expect to get one with its scent glands intact, Sorry if you already know this just thought i would let you know

Hannah Ein is gorgeous I would steal him next time i see him if i coudl get away with it


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

loulou said:


> Um you do know it will be very difficult to find a descented skunk come this spring with the new laws making it illegal now, so if you get a young one this year expect to get one with its scent glands intact, Sorry if you already know this just thought i would let you know
> 
> Hannah Ein is gorgeous I would steal him next time i see him if i coudl get away with it


can we all stop trying to steal each others skunks please? :lol2:


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

sorry my bad *blushess* so when do i get to meet you and your skunks then? make it a busy day where you are very preocupied please so you dont notice me leave with a bump down my front :whistling2:


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## PendleHog (Dec 21, 2005)

Luton Reptile Rescue said:


> can we all stop trying to steal each others skunks please? :lol2:


Genius idea. If you could just forward them all to me, I shall erect an impregnable fence around my house and purchase some attack dogs to guard them all :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

Soon my friend soon. and the skunk has a tracking device, i'll track her down :lol2:


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

PendleHog said:


> Genius idea. If you could just forward them all to me, I shall erect an impregnable fence around my house and purchase some attack dogs to guard them all :Na_Na_Na_Na:


Don't you start misses. :lol2:


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

:lol2:


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Lou, I think ANYBODY who knows you would notice a bump down your front! *lol*


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Have you all got your little ones microchipped? Our vet was quite shocked at how well Ichi was being done - she didn't even flinch (think I felt it more than her lol).


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## PendleHog (Dec 21, 2005)

Yep I have my boy done, no idea how well he took it though. He broke his back leg when he was tiny and our vet took the opportunity to do him whilst under the anaesthetic for the xray!

It really was't funny at the time, but looking back on the photos I can't help but laugh at his huge leg!


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

It was funny watching him drag the leg and everything else around when we met you at Maries lol (cruel aint I)

We dont have ours microchipped yet but they are getting done very shortly, I am not bothering until I move as I will only have to pay again in a month to get the address changed.


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## glidergirl (Nov 27, 2006)

Go for one of the bio chips, apparently about £5 more expensive than a normal one but they can tell body temperature so the vet doesn't have to stick a thermometer up his butt ... is that where they stick them in skunks :lol2:


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I don't think they offer them at my vets although Ichi is already chipped  I had to have her done for her insurance


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## Mustela (Dec 21, 2007)

awww cute, been trying to pester my other half into letting me have a skunk, no joy as of yet *sigh*


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