I would assume that these skunks have been de-stinked and taken in as pets since the person is video taping them from such a close spot, but it seems they’ve held onto their instincts to break into things to get food. The result is pretty cute. Do any of you know someone who had pet skunks?
Veracosa
Skunks are close relatives of both ferrets and badgers. They can have their scent glands removed to make them non-explosive, but still have a musky ferrety odor. I am sure some keep them as (illegal) pets, much like lemurs and capuchin monkeys.
I met a handsome skunk at the Baltimore Zoo that was used for hands-on interactive events with kids. He was fat and totally adorable!
earbox
@Veracosa: skunks can be legally kept as pets in 16 states–see Wikipedia.
oezicomix
nope, but my dog shows equally inventive methods, scary sometimes, the skills pets show.
Snappy
@Veracosa: You know, I’m offended that it is somehow wrong to care for an animal that you love very much. I’ve cared for my pet lion (Cheeseburger) and my chimp (King Bubbles II) for many years in my small apartment, and we are perfectly happy.
Everybody knows that the famous poet, Robert Lowell, loved skunks for their honest and open way of expressing their many complex emotions. Yes, everybody on his block called him “That Crazy Skunk Man,” toward the end of his life, when he was in his dotage. Yes, the humane society had to rid his house of over 120 adult skunks and kits after he died. And yes, his body was found partially consumed, but the skunks broke into all ten bags of Purina Skunk Chow in his pantry, and totally fished those off before resorting to his corpse. Skunks are truly the thinking, thinking, thinking man’s pet.
thedistractor
My grandmother and her brother had a pet skunk growing up. They did take out the spray glands. She told me the skunk acting a lot like a cat. Aloof but sometimes affectionate.
Zo
I’m trying to get a skunk but I’m waiting until I graduate and have time for it. It is legal to own in Florida as long as you have a permit. =P
LisaL
Heard that if you get their stink glands taken out when they’re young enough, they have absolutely no odor at all.
I’ve watched plenty of skunk pet vids on youtube. They seem like they’d be great little pets to have 
dimestore
I had a friend when I was younger who had a pet skunk. It would follow him wherever, without a leash. It was very intelligent, kinda feisty, and liked to dig up clams at the beach and eat them.
Siberian owner
@Veracosa: Skunks used to be thought to be in the mustelid family, but it now turns out that they are in a family of their very own, Mephitidae.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk
These skunks are of the “fancy” variety, having been bred in captivity for at least 40 years. You can tell by the odd coloring, similar to what you see in domesticated ferrets. Like ferrets, they still have a bit of wild nature to them, even after generations of domestication.
All predator mammals have anal scent glands — the skunks have simply developed them as their primary means of defense.
LMS
A friend of mine at University had two de-skunked skunks as well as three ferrets. They were all so cute, but a handfull, worse than a four-year-old! The lot of them could get into anything, including the sofa cushions and laundry hamper. All of them bred and litterbox trained, who knew. Not for everyone due to their mischievous and very clever nature, but lovely none the less. Certainly musky, but pleasant. Give them a bath once a month. Enjoy!
SenorMysterioso
they still stink, skunk owners just get accustomed to them and stop noticing
felixthecat
Even dogs have vile smelling glands- anal glands. They need to be expressed, so if you haven’t done so, start expressing ‘em!
U_Tukus
I had a legal, de-scented skunk purchased from a licensed breeder as a pet. Stinks lived to a ‘ripe’ old age of 14 yrs. Very curious, very near-sighted, scent driven nocturnal pet that loved to dig. She loved attention and got along with our dogs & cats fine. She became a lap skunk in her old age. Before ever spraying (she still had the behavior just not the ability) she would hiss, foot stomp, and puff herself up to be as intimidating as possible. She was a great pet as a kid but I wouldn’t get one for my kids.
Scottlass
We have a pet skunk, “Flower” my daughter named him, or “Wee skunk” as I call him. We also have 4 cats as well. We do not bathe him, he takes care of himself in that regard, his previous owners bathed him weekly and all of his hair fell out. He is litter trained, and has run of our house just like our cats do. It is perfectly legal to have him, although some states only allow the fancy colored ones, black and white ones are not legal since you can’t tell the difference between domestic and wild ones. You can’t really let them outside, they have no homing instinct and will just wander wherever their nose takes them. If you startle ours he will “poot” which releases a little bit of an odor, but it only lasts for about 30 seconds before it dissipates. Skunks will eat and eat and eat so they do tend towards fatness if you don’t control their diet. As you see in the video they are very food driven, and are able to gain access to pretty much ANYWHERE unless you skunk proof it. He’s a fun pet, and definitely a conversation starter. When we moved and had the plumber and cable man come into our new home we had to warn them….Yes, he is a skunk, yes he is supposed to be there, and yes he is descented. When people ask if he’s “deskunked” I tell them, “No, he’s descented. If I ran over him with a car, THEN he would be deskunked.”
weatherwax
I always thought that if I got one, I wouldn’t have him de-skunked, but train him to spray on command. (sic ‘im, boy). And I’d probably name him ‘Spot’.
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