Skunks As Pets
There are a growing number of Americans out there who are choosing to have skunks as their pets. But what about their smell? Actually, you don’t have to worry about that. Domesticated skunks are de-scented at four weeks of age. Skunks have the independence of a cat and the loving loyalty of a dog. They can be trained, just like a dog, to sit and stay, although they are more food oriented than canines. Also, there are no approved vaccines for domesticated skunks. This means there are only a handful of states that allow them to be kept as pets. Watch this film to find out which ones.
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Step 1:
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Skunk Characteristics
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If you found one in your garden, you would surely run away. Make a skunk angry and they're liable to give you a blast of stinky spray.
None of that seems to bother Linda Butler. She's one of the growing number of animal lovers keeping skunks as pets. You are right; this skunk named Boo is Linda's pet.
They've got the independence of a cat. They can be very lovable. They can have their days where it's like, leave me alone, except if you want to feed me.
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Step 2:
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Skunk Spray
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The big question is, how do you avoid getting sprayed? Well, you don't. In fact you don't have to because domesticated skunks are descented at four weeks of age. A skunk like Boo here will never spray you.
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Step 3:
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Training
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They can be trained to sit up if you've got food above them. They can be trained to stay in one place if you have food next to them. They are pretty much food oriented.
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Step 4:
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Vaccinations
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While they may look cute, there are some challenges that go along with skunk ownership. First off, there are no approved vaccines for domesticated skunks.
As a result, there are only a handful of states that allow them to be kept as pets. For a complete listing of legal states, check out "skunkhaven.net". Even worse, if a pet skunk bites someone, and it's reported, chances are the skunk will be euthenized.
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Step 5:
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Who Should Have A Pet Skunk?
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This is probably not a good pet for young children. Bottom line, do your research. They just kind of get to you. I don't know, some people say."they just become your heart".
In case you're wondering, yes, skunks get along with cats and dogs.
