# Why is my skunk starting to bite??



## Miche (Sep 30, 2009)

My baby skunk has started to nip & I have no idea why, he isn't hungry as just been fed, there is no food on my hands & it is something he has only just begun to do. He is 17 weeks old & I have had him 3 weeks now, I would appreciate any reasoning why or what to do about it please x


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## Malti (Sep 17, 2009)

I don't know how you deal with it...but i'm guessing he's nip playing, and if he continues it will become a habit for him (had ferrets and rats who did the same thing, and had to "educate" them to stop) - never had skunks so can't really be 100%


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## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

Miche said:


> My baby skunk has started to nip & I have no idea why, he isn't hungry as just been fed, there is no food on my hands & it is something he has only just begun to do. He is 17 weeks old & I have had him 3 weeks now, I would appreciate any reasoning why or what to do about it please x


A short sharp "NO!" and then a 'time out' is a good way of 'disciplining' a wayward skunk.
17 weeks old is still a 'dinker' and he's slowly learning to be independent and this is part of the process, but does not realise this behaviour is a no-no.


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## Miche (Sep 30, 2009)

Thank you, i have just shouted at him & put him back in his cage as he keeps climbing up the desk to "get me" so I put him back on the floor & up he comes again and again!!!! I have read you shouldnt smack skunks where I would tap a ferret on the nose to discipline them??


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## Malti (Sep 17, 2009)

Miche said:


> Thank you, i have just shouted at him & put him back in his cage as he keeps climbing up the desk to "get me" so I put him back on the floor & up he comes again and again!!!! I have read you shouldnt smack skunks where I would tap a ferret on the nose to discipline them??


with ferrets its grab them by the neck (like the mum) shake them abit and make a hissing sound (thats to emulate the mother ferret doing her thing)


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## Miche (Sep 30, 2009)

the little tyke is curled up asleep snoring now put him back in cage!!!! oh well tmrw is another day maybe he will be in a better mood with me!!!!


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## Malti (Sep 17, 2009)

Miche said:


> the little tyke is curled up asleep snoring now put him back in cage!!!! oh well tmrw is another day maybe he will be in a better mood with me!!!!


bet he's adorable :flrt::flrt:


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## Miche (Sep 30, 2009)

oh yep gorgeous but becoming a determined little monster!!!! I just dont want to become wary of him with the biting thing as have enough ferrets here that are feisty buggas!!!!


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

skunks can turn their heads enough to bite you if you scruff them 

please take fixx's advice and not advice from a ferret person 

skunks and ferrets are completely different 

they all go through a bitey stage some at a young age some older 

but please do not scruff and shake like has been said to do


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## Malti (Sep 17, 2009)

Emmaj said:


> skunks can turn their heads enough to bite you if you scruff them
> 
> please take fixx's advice and not advice from a ferret person
> 
> ...


the ferret person has a nick...and please see that I never said to do that to a skunk, I never kept them so I know jack shit about them, I was talking ferrets


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Malti said:


> the ferret person has a nick...and please see that I never said to do that to a skunk, I never kept them so I know jack shit about them, I was talking ferrets


yeah but this was a how do i stop my skunk nippin thread not a ferret one 

i didnt want people to think you can tell a skunk off like you can a ferret 

as they really are so different


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

Miche said:


> Thank you, i have just shouted at him & put him back in his cage as he keeps climbing up the desk to "get me" so I put him back on the floor & up he comes again and again!!!! I have read you shouldnt smack skunks where I would tap a ferret on the nose to discipline them??


You are correct, you should NEVER hit a skunk, they will remember and that can have terrible consequences for your bonding and trust. The skunk can be effected in a small way such as pooing under your pillow in revenge (yes they are that clever) and then forgetting about it, to the other extreme of never trusting you again because you hit them.


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## Moshpitviper (Oct 21, 2005)

loulou said:


> You are correct, you should NEVER hit a skunk, they will remember and that can have terrible consequences for your bonding and trust. The skunk can be effected in a small way such as pooing under your pillow in revenge (yes they are that clever) and then forgetting about it, to the other extreme of never trusting you again because you hit them.


I refused to give back chunk a toy after she nipped me once. she hissed. stamped her feet, walked into the middle of the room and calmly took a dump, then ran off..... so i agree completely with the above statement. I find the time out method does work wonders with skunks, they soon realise when they arent involved that they did wrong, no need to physically punish them at all.


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

Now that really did make me :lol2: I can actually picture that as well. I upset Fred not so long ago and he waited until I went in the nursery (I shut the door of that room as I go in) and took a great big dump just outside the door, he never goes there normally. I don't know about you but I do just give a big sigh now and expect it half the time.


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## AZUK (Jul 9, 2007)

Time out every time. works a treat.
You think he's bad now ? wait until he becomes sexually mature ! that's when the biting really kicks in.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

AZUK said:


> Time out every time. works a treat.
> You think he's bad now ? wait until he becomes sexually mature ! that's when the biting really kicks in.


 
Yup can agree with this - one of my females LOVES the taste of my heels & toes :devil::devil::lol2: More often than not though, its her way of saying she is hungry & ready for her dinner :whistling2: The time she does it most is when I am in the kitchen preparing the food for them all.


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## AZUK (Jul 9, 2007)

carlycharlie said:


> Yup can agree with this - one of my females LOVES the taste of my heels & toes :devil::devil::lol2: More often than not though, its her way of saying she is hungry & ready for her dinner :whistling2: The time she does it most is when I am in the kitchen preparing the food for them all.


 
I have lost several pairs of perfectly good trainers to this behavior, still its best to let them get rid of their angst on them rather then when your foot is in them


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## Talk To The Animals (Jan 10, 2008)

Moshpitviper said:


> I refused to give back chunk a toy after she nipped me once. she hissed. stamped her feet, walked into the middle of the room and calmly took a dump, then ran off..... so i agree completely with the above statement. I find the time out method does work wonders with skunks, they soon realise when they arent involved that they did wrong, no need to physically punish them at all.


:lol2::lol2::lol2:

She is the cutest skunk EVER!!!


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## Merifield (Aug 5, 2009)

Err... have to say that we shouldn't be "hitting" any animal at all.
Ferrets,skunks, raccoons,monkeys, dogs or cats...
They all bite... some species you can train (domesticated for many years) to not bite but things like skunks and even ferrets will still bite no matter what you do. It's not been bred out of them genetically... 
When I watch my two GSD's play I can't believe that they can play so rough
with each other without causing any damage to each other.
That's just what your skunk or ferret is doing with you... it's trying to play
but the pain barrier is so much lower in a feeble human!
Donna


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Merifield said:


> Err... have to say that we shouldn't be "hitting" any animal at all.
> Ferrets,skunks, raccoons,monkeys, dogs or cats...
> They all bite... some species you can train (domesticated for many years) to not bite but things like skunks and even ferrets will still bite no matter what you do. It's not been bred out of them genetically...
> When I watch my two GSD's play I can't believe that they can play so rough
> ...


 
i 100% no animals should be hit 

Im sorry but skunks dont always nip/bite cos they are wanting to play 

you can definately tell the difference in a playful nip and a i want to bite you one 

skunks are like toddlers they will throw temper tantrums and hissy fits just like kids do 

I have recently been through having to put up with revenge bites from one of my skunks as he was sulking with me for having to send them away for a while 

I also had another of my skunks go through im gonna bite you cos i want to and can stage for a good few months 

its part of being a owner of animal with the potential to bite..........if they want to then they will 

The stern no is sometimes enough but there are times you need to use the time out as they are very strong willed animals


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## Merifield (Aug 5, 2009)

Hi Emma
Glad you agree that no animal should be hit.
However a skunk is a skunk and as such it is a wild animal and it will bite.
Just like any other wild animal that has not been genetically modified for many generations to not exhibit un-desirable traits.
I don't think we can gift any animal with the ability to" throw tantrums or hissy fits". In the human race such emotion is usually caused by frustration and an inability to see needs(or wants) met .When seen in an animal it's an indication
that (in my opinion) the animal is craving something that is not being provided
like mental stimulation or interaction. My opinion only.
Donna


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Merifield said:


> Hi Emma
> Glad you agree that no animal should be hit.
> However a skunk is a skunk and as such it is a wild animal and it will bite.
> Just like any other wild animal that has not been genetically modified for many generations to not exhibit un-desirable traits.
> ...


 
have you met many skunks and spent a fair amount of time with them ?:lol2:

most skunk owners will tell you how capeable of throwing a hissy fit or tantrum a skunk is :whistling2::lol2:

Yes skunks are not 100% domesticated like alot of animals hence me saying its part and package of owning an exotic mammal with the potential to bite 

but the discription most skunk owners will give you when asked what its like to own a skunk is.............its like having a puppy and toddler rolled into one :lol2:


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## xclairex (Apr 9, 2008)

Our little one went through a stage of being bitey she can occasionally bite now but she's never bit hard only when she thought my finger was food as i had carrot juice on it or when i was feeding her and she wasnt taking nicely and got my finger those two times hurt. When she bites she gets a very firm "NO!" and either a time out or totally ignored for a while, although ive not really known her to be mardy shes nice and social and only bites when she wants more attention thankfully we've not been stunk out or left poo in bad places(apart from in her first week or so here when she was nervous).Right now shes sleeping next to me bless her:flrt:


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