Skunks as pets

To play with a baby pet skunk, it is possible to get on one's hands and knees, and playfully tap the floor with the fingers of one hand, while moving the hand toward the skunk. They quickly get the idea, and will respond with a sort of cat-like rearing up and coming down on their front feet. However, as they make their move, they will be looking you straight in the eyes, while aiming, with tail raised high, their potent "weapon" directly at your eyes simultaneously. (They do the same in the wild when threatened; baby skunks are trained in this manner by their mothers.)

It is better to avoid playing rough with baby skunks, or they may become aggressive and uncooperative as they get older. Bare hands can be used for loving and cuddling the skunk, but a stuffed toy or hand puppet should be used when playing with them due to their sharp teeth and extremely long fangs.[6]

As with all animals, spanking or hitting a skunk is not recommended, since it will cause them to become vengeful or hand-shy. A squirt of water from a spray bottle may be helpful.[7]

Most skunks can be housebroken by corner training. After they choose a corner, a litter pan with unscented litter can be placed there. If the skunk misses the litter pan, after cleanup, the area should be saturated with plain white vinegar to remove the scent, so that they will not return to that spot. After the skunk's toilet has been established, it can be moved about four inches a day to a different location. The skunk may or may not follow. If it does not follow, it may be necessary to give in, let the skunk have that corner, and block the view with a chair or bookcase placed in the corner or some other decorative idea.[8]

For covered cat litter boxes, it will probably be necessary to cut a larger opening for the skunk.[9] With any litter pan, bear in mind that regular cleaning is necessary since skunks will avoid a dirty litter box.

Letting skunks outside by themselves is risky since, like ferrets, they lack a homing instinct and can easily get lost.[10] De-scented skunks lack their most powerful defense against predators such as coyotes and foxes. Their nearsightedness also makes them susceptible to becoming roadkill.

Skunks need a wider variety of food than most pets. They tend to have a voracious appetite, making obesity a common problem.[11] It is important not to overfeed them. Some types of food, such as chocolate, are known to be harmful to almost all animals.[12]

The topic of what to feed skunks is very controversial, according to Owners of Pet Skunks.[13] Mary Kaye Ashley's book, A Comprehensive Guide to Raising a Pet Skunk, recommends a ratio of 50 percent vegetables, 40 percent Skunkie Delight, and 10 percent other whole foods. Skunkie Delight is a homemade blend of a cooked grain (millet, oats, barley, or brown rice), raw ground turkey, eggs, vegetable oil, and a variety of vitamin and mineral powders.[14]

Jane Bone's Skunk Stuff describes a diet of vegetables, fruits, dairy, yogurt, vitamins and minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, and eggs.[15] Skunk Haven disagrees with this diet, and recommends their own sample diet.[16] Skunk expert Mary Kaye Ashley, as well as the American Domestic Skunk Association, Inc. also disagree with this diet.

Eugie and Matthew Foster have tried a lacto-ovum vegetarian diet with good results, with rice and beans with yogurt, cottage cheese, the occasional boiled egg, and unsalted peanuts for protein needs, and including nutritional yeast, cold-pressed safflower oil, and various vitamin supplements (including taurine and D₃) in addition to vegetables and fruit.[17]

Lynnda Butler, president of Florida Skunks as Pets, believes a small amount of sugar can be beneficial for skunks and recommends an eighth of a graham cracker or vanilla wafer a day. Others (e.g. Skunk Haven) eschew feeding skunks processed sugar altogether, citing the risk of diabetes. Skunk expert Mary Kaye Ashley, as well as the American Domestic Skunk Association, also strongly disagree with the feeding of any form of processed sugar products. Per Ms. Ashley, natural sugars (such as a small amount of fruit) can be included in the diet several times a week provided that the skunk does not suffer from hypoglycemia or diabetes.

Skunks generally do not drink a great deal of water, but clean water should always be available.

Baby skunks from the pet store generally have not had any medical treatment other than scent gland removal, and will require spaying or neutering, shots, and worming. They will need to be tested for coccidia and other protozoa as well as parasites. Skunks also need to have regular yearly checkups. Dr. Frank Krupka and Skunk Haven have developed a blood panel to show if supplements or changes in diet are needed, and recommend a blood panel as part of a yearly check up.[18]

Veterinary understanding of skunks is rather limited, since scientists have not conducted as much research on skunks as they have on more common pets. Skunks do not always respond to medicines the same way as cats or dogs. As a result, there is considerable disagreement about how best to treat them. Some veterinarians say they are related to hamsters and treat them as such. However, hamsters are from the Rodent order while Skunks are in the family Mephitidae of the order Carnivora. This is the same order as cats, dogs, and ferrets.

There are several different pet skunk organizations giving out conflicting advice on skunk care. Particularly in the medical realm, it is wise to consult multiple sources rather than rely on any one source of information from the Internet.

Spaying/neutering

Males should be neutered between 3 and 4 months of age. Females should be spayed between 4 and 6 months of age.

Vaccinations

Most skunk organizations recommend Purevax Distemper and Rabies vaccinations. Only distemper has been shown to cause disease or illness in skunks. Other vaccinations created for dogs and cats are modified live vaccinations and may cause actual illness in skunks.

Declawing

Skunks should not be declawed, since they use their claws to handle food. Instead, their claws should be trimmed occasionally. Skunks have "digging" claws like dogs, as opposed to gripping claws like cats.

Roundworms

Many skunks have died from roundworms. Baylisascaris columnaris is the species that infests skunks most commonly. Baylisascaris eggs can remain viable in the environment for many years, despite hot or freezing weather or certain harsh chemicals.

Skunks can be infested with roundworms for several weeks before eggs begin to be shed in feces. It is common for new skunks to have roundworms, which may be too early in development to be detected by fecal tests. Skunk experts agree that all new skunks need to be treated for roundworms, and that more than one treatment is needed. Diagnostic Parasitologist Matt Bolek recommends that "A deworming program should probably start at 7–8 weeks of age and deworm biweekly for 3–4 treatments".[19]

The frequency with which adults need to be treated for roundworms is controversial:

• Skunk Haven as well as skunk expert Mary Kaye Ashley and ADSA, Inc. recommend: "After the first series of wormings, you should worm every 4–6 months".[20]
• Owners of Pet Skunks recommends "over the counter worm medication given every couple of months and a yearly stool sample check at the vet".[13]
• Skunk expert Jane Bone recommends that all skunks be wormed once a month.[21] However this information is dated and is no longer believe to be the best method of controlling parasites in skunks. Deworming should be done as needed and not on a routine basis due to certain parasites and worms becoming resistant to the dewormers.

The consensus is that Evict or Nemex 2 are good over-the-counter wormers for skunks. A veterinarian may have more powerful wormers.

Overall, caring for skunks is more complicated and challenging than raising other pets due to their rarity. The difficulty in finding a veterinarian with experience treating skunks, the conflicting advice offered by different pet skunk organizations, and the scarcity of scientific knowledge about skunk physiology make it necessary for many skunk owners to fend for themselves. In addition, some skunks – especially those that were mistreated – may bite, refuse to use a litter box, or exhibit other negative behaviors, according to Jane Bone and Skunk Haven.

According to James Furniss, a good skunk owner needs to be a do-it-yourself-er and willing to put in a lot of effort. There are, however, relocation options if a pet skunk does not work out, including skunk shelters.[22]

It is currently legal to keep skunks as pets in Britain without a license.

With the exception of keepers who intend to house skunks in property owned by their local authority and therefore may be required to seek permission, there is no restriction on a persons ability to keep a skunk as a domestic pet in the UK.

In the United Kingdom, the practice of removing healthy scent glands is considered unethical by the regulatory body responsible for veterinary education and clinical standards. Since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales) and Animal Health and Welfare Act 2006 (Scotland), it is an offence to perform any procedure which involves the removal of skunks' scent glands unless for the purpose of its medical treatment. This has not prevented skunks from becoming more popular as pets in the UK, according to reports in a number of national newspapers.[26] In April 2007 the Daily Mail reported that skunks were becoming an increasingly popular pet, with breeders estimating that around 2000 skunks were being housed as domestic pets.

Import permits will not be issued for foxes, raccoons and skunks purchased for import to Canada as a personal pet. [27]

Polish law considers skunks as normal pets, like cats and dogs. There are no specific regulations and there is no requirement to register skunks. There are a few breeders from whom skunks are available. Prices vary from around €150 to €400, (600–1600 Polish zloty).

American laws on skunk ownership vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Most states prohibit keeping skunks as pets.

American skunk dealers earning more than $500 a year on the skunk trade are regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS), which has established three classes of licensed skunk dealers.[28] A class A license allows one to breed skunks; a class B license allows one to sell skunks; and a class C license allows one to display them to the public.

Skunk regulations can change from time to time, so prospective skunk owners may want to check with the Fish and Game Commission or Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in their state.