# all about skunks for the ppl who keep pming me



## ichis-mom (May 25, 2008)

questions and answers q.do they generally smell? a.no not really mine has a very faint sweet musky smell and cant spray.
q.what do they eat? mine eats a diet of daily fish or chicken,pasta or rice,mixed veg for treats she gets eggs mealworms crickets or locusts and fruit ALWAYS check on fruit and veg as some can be poisons NEVER feed a skunk cat food 
q.how easy are they to keep a. well lets put it this way they will eat anything i.e pills walls doors couch corners my mail and anything in reach edible or not.
needs lots of attention if she wants me to be up and play with her till 5am i aint gonna get any sleep if they want something come hell or high water they are going to get it locked draws etc are no competition for a skunk on a mission 
q.are they easy to house train A. not really ii have had to put her litter tray where she wants to go and keep an eye open because she dosent always use it.
hope this is helpful to all you looking to get one and am going on my skunk alone and im sure skunks vary from each other but thats my basis on ichi 
p.s she is a lovable cuddly playful girl too so the troubles worth it :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## shelley_draven (Jul 5, 2008)

Thanks, that was a very useful post. One other question I have is where do skunks sleep? Do they sleep in hutch/cages? x


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## ichis-mom (May 25, 2008)

shelley_draven said:


> Thanks, that was a very useful post. One other question I have is where do skunks sleep? Do they sleep in hutch/cages? x


mine has free run of the house so just sleeps where she wants usually behind the couch and steals whatever she wants from the clothes horse to put in her bed so if im running out of tops or underwear i have to raid her bed :lol2:


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## Twiisted (Mar 15, 2008)

Aw sounds sweet :flrt:


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

From what I read Skunks are not for the faint hearted or anyone who wants a stress free life :lol2:


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## ichis-mom (May 25, 2008)

Shell195 said:


> From what I read Skunks are not for the faint hearted or anyone who wants a stress free life :lol2:


totally agreed its like having a kitten puppy and toddler in a little black and white fur coat :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## shelley_draven (Jul 5, 2008)

They sound great, i'd be a bit worried about them eating everything though! I think i could persuade the other half....

When they are free roaming, have they ever tried to make a break for the door or climb out the windows? It sounds a stupid question but my dog has never tried it x


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Worth noting that when Ichi's-mom says be wary of fruit, any potential skunk owner should be especially avoiding any grape derived items - raisins etc as they are highly toxic to skunks.

Ichis-mom - when you say she is a bit of a demon with the litter tray, how long has she been like that? She was always soooo clean with her littler tray apart from when she has her first season.

Sympathise witht eh clothes though - she was a right madam for stealing my best silks and stuff out of the sewing room to hide her dinner in!!!


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

they will go out doors yes, if they happen to be near them and they are open.. windows.. i would not put it past them.. 

they can climb suprisingly well, and tend to follow their noses, so if something smells interesting and they can follow the smell..they do!

i'm getting a lot of q's too, lol, so i thought i would add my take on the Q's hannah listed. if i have missed something, let me know!

*q.do they generally smell? *

no, not really.. a descented house kept skunk has a musk to them, but its like a heavy perfume musk.. not a shitty musk.. i actually quite like it. fed the right diet, and kept clean... i have to say they smell less than dogs.. maybe about the same as a cat. a scented skunk of course does have the ability to create its own perfume... and yes, that DOES smell.. scented skunks also, to my nose, smell a little different to a descented one.

* q.what do they eat? *

in captivity, the skunks diet should be mostly vegetables.. preferably fresh, tho i do use a little frozen from time to time. i go for a diet that is about 75-80% veggies.. with a few slices of fruit (as an example one apple goes between 8 skunks).. and i top that with a small handful of chicken, fish or egg.. and a spoon of cottage cheese or yoghurt

as a base guide. i feed about a heaped mug of chopped veg a day per adult skunk, i try and use a mix of at least 6 different veggies, tho more normally about 8.. i vary the types of veg from feed to feed to stop them getting sick of the same thing all the time. i top this with a few slices of fruit, about 5 chunks of chicken, and a spoon of cottage cheese. thats my "standard" base mix. i then add things like a chunk of bread.. or some pasta.. or some cooked potato.. or some beans/pulses about 3-4 times a week. sometimes the chicken is replaced with egg or tuna. eggs they will take anyway, including raw, but NOT fried.

this is a pic i did sometime back of what was on the diet sheet






























you should avoid most processed foods as skunks systems are not set up to handle them.. feeding a small amount of LOW protein dog kibble is acceptable, but never cat food, never wet dog food, and never high protein dog biscuit. also avoid things like processed human meats.. so hotdogs.. salami, reformed hams.. i also do not feed pork, lamb or beef.. 

wild skunks diets also include a lot of insects, up to 70% in some stomach content analysis that have been done. captive skunks also like bugs.. mealworms, locust, cricket, cockroachs are the ones commonly available, and i've not met a skunk yet who does not like them! wild skunks also eat things like carrion.. but i tend to avoid that. just because they eat it in the wild, does not always mean you want them to eat it in captivity

i also give mine things like pasta, rice (tho not so much), chunks of brown bread, beans and pulses (kidney, burlotti, canelloni etc), cooked potato

from time to time, they do get the odd chick.. or mouse.. but this is more like a once every few months treat.. of course they can catch their own prey too, so if your pet hamster escapes.. your skunk will have it for breakfast given half a chance. 

i also feed the odd nut here and there, things like almonds give them shiney soft coats.. but i always feed pre-shelled nuts.

skunks can suffer with blood sugar levels, so i also avoid feeding excessively sweet mixes.. veggies like corn, red pepper and beans, are all high in natural sugars.. this is why fruit should be kept to a small amount also.

titbiting with things like chicken all day long will give you a fat skunk. an adult should be around the 2-3 kilo mark, maybe a little over for big adult males.. but generally anything much over this and you are looking at a skunk with obesity issues. fat skunks tend to die younger and suffer more health problems, so you need to make sure you avoid this. like fat people, fat skunks are not healthy individuals.. sorry if you are fat and reading this and thinking.. OI.. but you know deep down i am right..

its important to keep a check on their weight.. its hard to explain a diet to a walking stomach on legs who is determined to find food! if your skunks is fat, then you need to cut down the diet slowly..decreasing portion size.. you can also feed the same sort of amount, but split bewteen many small meals. the more the metabolism is stimtulated, the more food is burnt off. stairs are good training aids too... both for fat skunks and owneres who want to trim up too.. bribing a skunk to climb the stairs for mealworms works a treat.. although, don't do too much at first.. else you will end up with a knackered skunk who won't want to play next time! you can get large wheels.. and i dare say you could get them on a treadmill.. but tbh, stairs are easier!!

one of the key things is never fast a skunk fully.. ive reckoned here that it can take as little as 7 hours for food to go from the mouth to the litter tray. so its very easy to underfeed young skunks who do not always eat a lot in one sitting.. young skunks must be fed little and often to maintain food in the intestine at all times, and maintain a balanced bllod sugar level. not doing this can lead to things like sizures, which can be fatal, and indeed we do now of one who died last year as a result of this. starving a skunk, even for a short time, can be fatal.

Some people also supplement with taurine, calcium and vitamins. i have to say at the moment i do not. but it is something i will review at some point. i try and go for a balenced mixed fresh good quality staple diet, rather than giving powders and potions. but many people do use extras, and have healthy happy skunks too.. so.. as said.. its something for me to bear in mind, and just coz i dont, does not mean you should not. as much as i can tell you what i do and do not do, its as much up to you as a keeper or potential keeper, to look into it and decide what suits you and your animal.

saying that tho, these are things i would ask you to avoid..

Lettuce and cucumber (it makes them crap through the eye of a needle)
Fried Foods.. things like crisps, fried eggs, chips etc
Fatty Foods
Processed foods..
Chocolate, or other human sweets
Onion (can cause anemia), Garlic, Raw Potato, Asparagus (can cause siezures), Rhubarb (toxic) Avacado (stone and skin is toxic)
Grapes and Raisons
Dried Fruits (most are preserved with something that is toxic)
Seeds or nuts with hulls on, sunflower and so on
Alcohol! whilst many skunks like it.. and they do eat fermenting fruit in the wild.. giving your skunk a beer is probably best avoided!
foods which contain aspartame (Nutra-sweet)


*q.how easy are they to keep *

all depends on your house and set up. for some.. easy.. for others.. they require some settling into having. skunks can get into things you would not think they could do. they can get up things, onto things, into things, under things, through things. i've never had a problem with mine eating anything other than my toes, or their dinners.. sure they will steal clothes to make beds with, and shred things like carpets and wallpaper.. but they don't tend to eat them! you will need to skunk proof your house, unless you are like me and don't mind shredded wallpaper here and there. 










caging or housing is a controversial topic in some areas. personally, i would say, if you are going to leave your skunk unsupervised whilst you are asleep or out, then you need to secure it, or make sure its left secure.. whether this is in a LARGE indoor cage, or pen, or even a room that is "safe" is up to you. BUT.. there IS a risk, like it or not, that if you leave your skunk fully free roaming, that it might get into something it should not. whether this is a food store it should not be in, or a handbag.. or a medicine cabinet.. as many have said, think about toddler proofing.. thats what you need to do for skunks. 

this sort of cage is not bad for tiny ones, but no where near big enough for adults










skunks can be demanding at times.. and at others you don't even notice they are there they fit in so well.. like humans, skunks have good days and bad days.. they can be happy or sad (as much as an animal can be said to be either) they learn well, are actually quite intelligent animals and have very good memories. they are also quite capable of getting their own back on you. many people i know who have pissed of their skunk, have come back to a crap on their pillow.. or in their shoe. no kidding, i know several people this has been done to.. myself included!










as hannah said, when a skunk wants to play or wants something, they are very single minded about getting it.. many skunk owners have been woken by a skunk wanting a game at night.. they have a way of bugging you that fast.. trust me they soon learn what buttons to hit to get results from their humans!

another husbandry point which must be mentioned is that a female skunk, MUST be spayed or mated. like ferrets they are something called induced ovulators. this basically means that in the breeding season, once they come into season, they stay in season until they are induced to ovulate.. this means, in basic terms, until they have sex. the act of mating, and the grabbing of the neck and back, stimulates a hormone to be released into the blood, this travels through to the ovaries.. where it triggers the release of the eggs. these then pass into the reproductive system and are fertilised by the males sperm. the system is designed as skunks in the wild are not pack or herd animals, they tend to live solo most of the year, only really denning up communally over winter. because they can come into season and attract a mate.. yet hold onto the eggs until there is actually sperm inside them, it means they are much more likely to have breeding success, and so pass on their genes, one of the fundamental drives of all species.

a female skunk in season can change personality and attitude quite dramatically, males also change in the breeding season, but with females, leaving them in heat for a long time can lead to health complications and even be fatal in some cases. not to mention the fun and games living with a skunk with permanent pmt can be!

basically, the rule is, if you have a female. spay it or breed it. do not just leave it.

if you breed, then there is all sorts more to look into.. but i am not sure how near the word count limit this is now, so i'll leave that bit for now.

healthwise, most people worm once every month to once every 6 months.. many people i know use puppy and kitten panacur, which dose wise is one click of the syringe per kilo of skunk, you can also get tablets to give in food or orally.

Nails, need to be kept trimmed, not all skunks like it being done, so when you have a young one, play with its feet a lot to get it used to them being handled and trimmed, skunks back feet remind me of hedgehogs feet










these are nails due a trim










and these are recently trimmed nails..










vaccinations.. the general recommended one is to get the standard puppy jabs. some people get cat jabs too, but there is some debate over this, of mine snuff had the cat jabs aswell as the dogs ones, and has been fine so far. she is still only relatively young, skunks as pets can hit their 20's in some cases.

* q.are they easy to house train *

yes and no. some are.. some are not.. sometimes you have to play about with size and type of litter tray and litter used.. sometimes placement is an issue. some of mine will move the tray out the corner and shit behind it given half a chance.. snuff, who lives under my wardrobe sometimes has days of shitting IN the damn thing.. instead of in the tray next to it.. all skunks vary.. apart from one thing.. the amount of shit they produce is huge!!!! skunks during breeding season can be a pain as they can pee everywhere.. and as said, they will use their poo as revenge at times. they also wipe their butt, normally on the carpet just outside the tray once they have been in it.. so you may want to put something down around the tray.. and avoid cream carpets!










skunks can be hard to litter train, but in general, it can be done. you just have to work out their way of doing it, and learn to give up worrying about what your way of doing it would rather be!



hope that helps answer some of the questions i get asked.. as said, if there is something i have missed, point it out, and if there is more to ask then do!

Nerys


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## kodakira (Jul 11, 2008)

Thanks Nerys for answering a question in your information that I had wanted to ask you.
I was wondering what the average wieght of a skunk was, you stated 2-3kg.

Dont shout !!!!!. :whip:
As you know we are trying, Ziva is nearly 5kg:blush: and i would say she has lost some since she came to us and got her on a decent diet.

We clearly have some work still ahead of us but we will get there.

Best wishes


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

np..

lol.. my big adult male Mars, hit about 5 kilos earlier this year.. where he was running with the girls he was eating all the food the did not eat before he got to it.. as he eats FAST he was getting about 3 times more then he should.. fat sod.. he is trimmer now thankfully!!

its very easy to overfeed them to be honest.. they enjoy food so much, and are so good at giving your the "woe is me for i am staaaaaaaaaaaaaarving" look...

Mars - FatBoy(not)Slim










i found this a while back, which comes from Skunks As Pets

another one of the many sites out there worth reading through 

*You Know You are Owned by a Skunk if....

*​   All the bottom shelves of your bookcases are emplty.

Every wastebasket in the house is up on a chair or table, out of danger.

All your house plants are set up on a table, are hangers or those which are on the floor have a fence around them.

All your bedroom and kitchen drawers and kitchen cabinets have baby locks on them.

You're on a first name basis with the Produce Manager at several grocery stores.
  
  The people at the PlexiGlass place know you on site.

​ You have bite holes in the bottoms of most of your pants worn at feeding time​ 
When you can't find your silky unders 
cuz the skunks have dragged them into their beds!!​ 
When you have a ratty blanket and comforter, 
because the skunk kids NEEDED the expensive duvet!​ 
When asked if your home decor is traditional or modern, 
you say it is mephitis proof.​ 
When out with Friends and they start showing their kids pictures, 
you whip out pictures of your fur baby.​
  Pets Mart employees ask how your fur baby is doing 
and shows you the new toys they have that the skunk might like.​
  Your house is covered with pictures of skunks, instead of grandkids.​ 
You sleep in the best position for your skunks comfort. ​
  You no longer need an alarm clock to get up for work.​
 You have mastered the language of stomps, rubs, nips and head butts 
by responding appropriately. (ie: supply the correct food requested, emptying the litterbox, lifting onto the bed, couch etc., butt scratches, move over...) 
​
  You do your grocery shopping based on your skunks supply of food, 
not your own.

​ When searching for a new house, your purchasing needs 
are based on your skunks comfort and care.

​ Your Vet is on speed dial and on a first name basis with you. ​  
You wake up unable to breathe 
because your skunk(s) are sleeping on your face.
​
  When you take the kids out, you get stared at and answer all the questions. Such as "does it stink" is it "deskunked" ​
 You warn visiting phone or cable installers, not for their protection, 
but to make sure they don't startle poor Mister Poofy Butt. 
"Watch out for the moving lump under the bedcovers"​


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

brittone05 said:


> Worth noting that when Ichi's-mom says be wary of fruit, any potential skunk owner should be especially avoiding any grape derived items - raisins etc as they are highly toxic to skunks.
> 
> Ichis-mom - when you say she is a bit of a demon with the litter tray, how long has she been like that? She was always soooo clean with her littler tray apart from when she has her first season.
> 
> Sympathise witht eh clothes though - she was a right madam for stealing my best silks and stuff out of the sewing room to hide her dinner in!!!


emma hon, whilst i think about it, do you have the paperwork for her microchip to send onto hannah btw? and vaccination card??

N


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Yupsss hun - I didn't end up posting them and forgot to give you them when you were here


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## kodakira (Jul 11, 2008)

Thanks Nerys,

Have got that site on my fav's along with a few others from you.

One of the probs we have is, with her being the bolder of the 2 she will normally come to feed first. Do not really want to split them if we can help it as they do genuinely appear to care for each other. I do not normally pass on human traits to animals but in this case it appears they do. 
If Andrew brings Ziva through for a while, when he takes her back Jethro will instantly go to her and escort her to the bedding area. Once there he will lay with his head on her. This happens every time. Will try to get photo.
Obviously we are going to monitor the weights and if she does not lose then obviously action is going to be taken.

Just had a pm from Fixx ( hope you dont mind ) asking us to check her nipples as she could be having a late litter. We are about to try to bring them both in tonight ( first time for Jethro ) and will check.

Sorry did not mean to hijack thread, just saw the weights and away I go.

Thanks again to you all.


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

she could well have a late litter yes, i know in the states they often have "fall" breedings... if her nipples are bigger and sticking out, it could be a sign there is something going on yes 

at feeding time.. could you feed her on one side of a barrier and him on the other??

it might be that you have to give her more exercise, rather than less food..

but then, your diet is better than the one they were on, so she may well drop some pounds there too..

my females tend to go up and down throughout the season.. at the moment they are all heavier than normal, in the sort of run up to the cold spell eating drive. some go right off food in the winter, and they often say this is the best time to try and diet your skunk, as their food intake is naturally lessened at this time anyway



N


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## Moosmoo (Jul 21, 2008)

for some reason i imagine they are like ferrets to keep


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## MrsP (Apr 13, 2008)

That's all really helpful information, I'm now feeling much more confident about my upcoming new little pal tomorrow!

And very very excited!


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

Moosmoo said:


> for some reason i imagine they are like ferrets to keep


tbh, not really no.. 

ferrets are faster, smellier (sorry but they are, i have both!) and eat a very different diet to skunks 

MrsP.. we want pics.. be nice to see how this little boy is doing, i think he is one we sold them last year  glad to know the info helps, as said, need anything else, then bell me 

N


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

MrsP said:


> That's all really helpful information, I'm now feeling much more confident about my upcoming new little pal tomorrow!
> 
> And very very excited!


Good luck with him 

word of warning check all draws and such make sure there are no tablets such as paracetamol and other similar drugs laying about 

they will eat them and its not nice going through nursing them back to health is stressful and not 100% gauranteed for them to pull through


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## tillie (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks Nerys, great piece on skunks there, really informative.That would be fab for any newbie:2thumb:


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## JPReptiles (Dec 2, 2007)

While on the subject of weight..

Took Ace to the vets yesterday for his jabs and the vet said he is a little on the chubby side, but its nothing to worry about as he is a growing boy.

Also something to add to the Q & A,

If you already have other pets and you are looking at getting a skunk or are getting one, introduce them to each other slowly.. 
I am still getting mine used to the dogs,they are coming along very well but Ace still stomps his feet at them and huffs and puffs.

Although they do not seem scared of the dogs,i am not sure if this causes any stress to them?

John


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## kodakira (Jul 11, 2008)

Think the post by Nerys should be a sticky in the exotic forum.

It is very informative and extremely helpful to the newcomer and more experienced. It would be an ideal starter point for keeping skunks.

Best wishes


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Mephitis said:


> While on the subject of weight..
> 
> Took Ace to the vets yesterday for his jabs and the vet said he is a little on the chubby side, but its nothing to worry about as he is a growing boy.
> 
> ...


 
Nah john they dont get stressed by dogs they get used to them i have 7 dogs an the skunk free roams yeah they have a sniff at him but he stomps and warns them off 

my dogs have been sprayed and they have smelt it so know what comes outta the lil guy if pushed too far :lol2:

And before anyone jumps on me about my dogs being sprayed the ones that were are fine and had no problems from the spray or after the spray just stank to high hell :lol2:


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## JPReptiles (Dec 2, 2007)

Emmaj said:


> Nah john they dont get stressed by dogs they get used to them i have 7 dogs an the skunk free roams yeah they have a sniff at him but he stomps and warns them off
> 
> my dogs have been sprayed and they have smelt it so know what comes outta the lil guy if pushed too far :lol2:
> 
> And before anyone jumps on me about my dogs being sprayed the ones that were are fine and had no problems from the spray or after the spray just stank to high hell :lol2:


No worries, wasn't to sure..

They don't seem to bothered by the dogs.

John


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