# Skunk entertainment



## BangBang (Mar 13, 2010)

Just wondering if anyone has any good (and inexpensive) ideas for skunk enrichment.

The list of toys we have is exhaustive, but they don't seem to be very interesting anymore, no matter how much we pretend they are alive and running away.

Got the wind up mice, treat balls, loo rolls, torn up sheets, milk cartons, cardboard boxes, socks and feather dusters galore! 

Just wondering if there is anything else out there, particularly to help with the pacing. Taking her for walks around the garden is great, but she still has energy up to her eyeballs, and i'm always worried incase she gets bored.


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## punkymatty (May 16, 2008)

A great one that keeps mine amused for ages is to hang a bucket/tub just out of reach inside the bucket fill with sawdust and morio worms and drill holes in the bucket just big enough for worms to escape, skunks will soon learn that food is dropping out from time to time and will hang around it for ages to try and make sure that when one drops they are close at hand to grab it. I tend to use this mostly when they are shut in for a while to stop them getting to frustrated and helps a lot with pacing. My favourite enrichment toys for them however are a little on messy side, About once a fortnight or so i go out into the woods and fill a couple of binbags up with leaflitter and stuff it all into a big storage tub with skunk two sized holes cut into them, this will keep them going for ages but as i say is very messy as they soon empty the box contents all over the place. Tubs filled with sand are another fave, again mix in a bit of food (dry food is best in sand) into the sand and they spend ages making sure they find every last peice. I think anything that makes getting food take longer and making them work for it is great as they would spend so much time in the wild looking for food that this seems to be the best way to keep them amused in captivity. Hope this helps and let me know how you get on with these games and if you find any other good ones.:2thumb:


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## Loderuna (Mar 9, 2010)

She's still as active then!!!! 

Mine are getting my summer plant containers and tubs at the mo - take the old plants out first, in case they're poisonous, then let her go at it. She'll find small grubs and things and dig too. It is messy though, but when you put the soil back in, you can mix in the fertiliser for the winter bedding plants!!

A roll of old carpet keeps them busy for a while, as do blankets - fold them up and then hide food in there - peas and sweetcorn work just as well as mealworms and they don't run off!! Putting some food in the end of an old sock works quite well too!

Basically, anything involving food, but make it hard for her to get it. Most of the motivation a skunk has is for food, especially now the nights are drawing in.

Have fun entertaining your ball of fluffy trouble!!

Sue.


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## stoaty (Jul 21, 2008)

Dog treat balls work really well with a few bisuits inside. Mine spend hours pushing them round.


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## BangBang (Mar 13, 2010)

all of your ideas are genuis! thanks very much 

I will keep you posted with how they go and if i think of anymore!

She is definatley still as active! Shes such great fun though, we're working on taking food politley from a hand at the moment, trying to phase out the 'OMG you actually just giving me food randomly, gimme gimme!!' Whilst grabbing my hand and confusing the fingers with the actual food. 

She's almost ready for the walks too, i've been walking her around the house with the harness and lead so she gets used to not being able to run off where she wants, and shes responding really well to a particular noise i make to encourage her. Just a trip to the vet in a couple of weeks and we are out there!

Trip to the pet shop after work to pick up some wormies


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## sam gamgee (Apr 8, 2009)

stoaty said:


> Dog treat balls work really well with a few bisuits inside. Mine spend hours pushing them round.


 
Yup, will second this!

Ollie in particular pushes the ball around forever, the others get a little bored!

Dave


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