Little Dani, Unfortunately for the skunk, you are correct. I am an Animal Control Officer in my municipality and you can only test for rabies via microscopic sampling of the brain to check for lesions caused by the virus. There has been a test developed by a single company in recent months that they claim can test from a swab from the mouth however it's been found to be inconclusive and gathering the sample in a case like this would have been impossible and very risky. If the skunk was out in the daylight and not "caught with his pants down" in a place or situation he could not escape from then he was likely ill. Either distemper or rabies is possible and likely. Either can cause him to behave erratically and can lead, eventually to his unpleasant and untimely demise. You certainly did him a favor. As hard as that can be to accept. I love skunks. I think they are adorable and have a super little personality. But, I must face the facts that I come first. Rabies is fatal for humans and animals. It's a horrible death. Can't take any chances with your family or your neighbors or even your pets. If he had made any attempt to go along on his way I may have let him off the hook but since he just hung around and didn't show any fear and trepidation about the presence of humans I would have done the same. I hope the officer dispatched him in such a way as to preserve his little brain for appropriate testing. It's a tough world but I have really watched them suffer from distemper. I can't imagine death from rabies (for a human or the skunk). It'd be awful. Later, Rene

Hey guys,silvergold,he did fine today.No more poopsies,LOL. He seems alot happier too,and more lovable. Sorry for over-reacting.I tend to always think the worst about things.Sort of a defense mechanism. I was mostly just venting cuz I almost stepped right in it with bare feet,LOL. He is a great cat and a good friend,and I cant imagine my life without him. I'll let you all know if it happens again.But I think maybe it was just stuck to his butt or something.Anyways,he is due to a check up,so it couldnt hurt to ask the vet. Thanks for all your kindness! :)

oh i'm sure he has the cash to buy her...she's not much to look at... the dad here in mi who did something to his 3 boys pleaded no contest to some charge... and havn't heard a thing about the 4mo baby..they found the clothes she'd been in but no baby..the suspected dad is still in jail...

Thank you both very much for your input! Gardengal, I have definitely considered broadleaf evergreens, but DH keeps circling back to the look of conifers. The house is an 1890s four-square, and I think he feels that the conifers fit the style better and "dress up" the front in a way that a more naturally sprawling broadleaf shrub wouldn't. He actually likes the look of formally-sheared privet hedges, but because of the slope it is just not practical to keep this one in shape. Personally, I love the idea of kalmia or another flowering evergreen up there - or even a "mixed border" rather than a single-plant hedge. Perhaps a little convincing is in order! ;) Ken, I agree with you that a hedge is not an especially creative solution but in this case DH also wants to hide the fence itself to some extent, as it is chain link and not terribly attractive. We have discussed removing it entirely, but in that case we would need a hedge there for safety purposes (it's a pretty steep drop to the street!). Replacing it with something nicer (decorative iron, perhaps) is also a possibility, although I think DH would still want a semi-solid plant screen in the 4-5' range. Anyway, I am absolutely open to other outside-the-box solutions - perhaps showing the rest of the yard would help! Here is the other side of the fence line (the perennials there were all planted by the former owner and are destined to be moved in any case): We have 10 feet of depth between the edge of the porch and the fence, which is currently arranged as a 2' deep bed and 8' of lawn. Our ultimate plan is to turn the entire thing into a garden bed, leaving a 3-4' walkway close to the house, which will give us 6-7' for perennials. My plan was to have taller "screening" plants on the downhill side of the fence and use the bed on the house side for lower-growing perennials, but I would definitely be open to planting some taller things in the uphill bed - I'm just not sure that 6' of depth gives me a lot of options. Here's an aerial of what we are planning to do with the path/beds, which will include the side yard as well (fence line is in red).Thanks in advance for your suggestions!