Owning a Pet Skunk

Perhaps one of the most controversial topics of pet owning is whether or not skunks should be considered pets or whether they should be la a nuisance that should be left in the wild. With that point aside, many people actually successfully own and raise skunks.

If you are one person who finds skunks fascinating, you can heed advice about skunk care which will benefit you, your family, and your skunk. Those tips are listed as follows:

Have the scent glands (a.k.a. skunk spray ducts) of your skunk surgically removed: In order for your pet skunk to live in your house, it will be necessary to have their scent glands-otherwise known as “skunk spray ducts” surgically removed. This will prevent you and your children from smelling like an acid tank for days or even weeks on end. This will be necessary, also so you don’t embarrass yourselves or your children when going out in public.

Put locks on doors and cabinets: If you don’t want all your food to disappear and you don’t want to wake up to a disaster every morning, you need to keep locks on all your small cupboards, cabinets, and other openings that have doors.

Keep houseplants and garbage out of reach: Your skunk will naturally want to gravitate to your plants, because they are outdoor creatures. Not only that, but they have a habit of wanting to scavenge food out of vessels such as trashcans. You need to find a hiding place for your garbage and a high shelf for your plants for when your pet skunk runs free around the house.

Feed your skunk the right foods: Cat and dog foods have been proven in recent years to be harmful to skunks. Therefore, you need to prepare your animal foods that it will actually be able to digest properly. The rule of thumb today is for 90 percent of your pet skunk’s diet to consist of vegetables, with a few fruits thrown in for an occasional snack.

Beware that skunks bite: Use extreme caution when deciding to purchase a skunk to live in your home. It is not recommended to have them around small children because they have fangs similar to ferrets and can bite. However, if you have children you can either leave the skunk in the cage when your children are around, or watch the skunk like a hawk if running loose.

Never hit your skunk: If your skunk needs discipline, they will learn to understand the different tones of your voice. It is not recommended to hit your skunk because your skunk will not be likely to forget it. The reason why is they are like elephants, who are also known not to forget anything.

Play with your skunk: Skunks are some of the most playful creatures. That is one reason why people would take the chance owning them even though it is a lot of work to raise them. One example of play with your skunk involves talking to it using a hand puppet or small stuffed animal. You can also tease the skunk by chasing it with the handheld playing object. When you play this way with your skunk you will want to protect your hands with gloves, because skunks have fangs and sometimes will use them.

Give your skunk chew toys: If you don’t want your skunk to eat up your furniture, shoes, and other household items you will want to train your skunk to chew toys instead. Ideal chew toys for skunks include ping-pong balls, tennis balls, brown-paper bags, cardboard boxes, old socks, and stuffed animals.

Know what to do if a skunk escapes: You will most likely have to go looking for your skunk if it escapes from your house, or put up wanted signs in your neighborhood. The skunk will not return on its own. It can be difficult to locate a missing skunk, but it can be done. The best thing is to just watch the animal carefully when it roams free.

Additional care tips: When you purchase your skunk, you will not only need to have the skunk glands removed, but you will also be required to have it checked and immunized. This will help prevent the further spread of any known or unknown disease agents spread by these creatures. It will also help reduce the chance of them contracting worms.

For more great tips on how to care for skunks or other small household animals you can read other articles such as this one. You can also access to information from professionals regarding small animal care when you search online. Keep in mind that the method of animal care is subject to change pending new research.