Quote:
Originally Posted by zefaulter
(Post 3174660)
Interesting pet. I'd like to know more if you're willing to share. How did he end up as a pet?
|
Sure. I didn't want a commonly-accepted pet; no dogs, cats, reptiles, or insects. It has to be unique and rather controversial. Ollie was obtained from a breeder; he is not a rescue. In the state of Ohio, it is legal to own a pet skunk as long as it has been descented. A pet skunk requires a wildlife permit and a ranger will actually come and inspect its proposed habitat which, in my case, is my house.
Ollie roams the house semi-freely; he's not allowed in spaces like the laundry room and the pantry, but his den is located in the family room and he "patrols" the first floor. His legs are only about 3-4" long, so he can't climb stairs and he's not allowed to climb down a stair case in fear of tumbling down (a skunk in bottom heavy). He sleeps a lot during the day and more active after dark, but when he sleeps in the bed, he sleeps all night long.
He is housebroken and has a litter box originally intended for cats. He goes about twice a day, sometimes only once. His diet is usually fresh veggies (carrots, peas, bell pepper, corn, radish, potato, etc), fresh fruits (apple, avocado, and a few others), and fried egg (half an egg daily). He's fed once a day and sometimes in his diet, avocado is included, it makes for a very shiny and lustrous coat.
Bath time is once a month along with nail trimming which are very stressful. It doesn't help being a feisty animal. A pet skunk takes only to one person, the rest are either persona-non-grata or merely tolerated; even the most domesticated one will still bite. Being bitten by Ollie is a daily occurence for me and the bites vary from a playful nip, to a warning nip, to full-on puncture wound. A skunk has very small fangs, but they're sharp. All those said, if you so happened to encounter a pet skunk, do not attempt to pet it; a vigilant owner would usually give out such warning.
Any more questions? :)
