I finally reached the rehabber I was referred to on her cell and she wants me to drive two hours with him to another rehabber. I'm sorry but I don't have four hours time, not the price of gas, to take a skunk to a facility. She shivered when I told her I was feeding him canned cat food mixed with dry. I stopped moistening it with milk. But she wouldn't tell me what to feed it. She said it's against the law for me to have it and I know this. I wasn't planning on bringing him in the house and keeping him as a pet. I just wanted to improve his chances in the wild. Who knows how long they were alone before Friday afternoon when I found the first one. Tell me an animal can go that long w/o food. He eats, he sleeps. The only thing I'm doing right is covering him and putting him a quiet place. I am not touching him or interacting w/ him I wear gloves all the time touching dishes and the cage. I know they carry rabies but I doubt very much if these guys have it. I will chop up cantaloupe and blueberries and strawberries and see if he eats that. In the wild they eat everything..even dead carcasses on the road., I read.

Why not just let nature take it's course?

Because Nature already took it's course courtesy of man and killed two of his siblings. We encroach into their land and they pay the price.

Nature didn't kill its momma, so it only makes sense to right the wrong that humans have done.

Straight cat food shouldn't be fed to skunks long-term (they get fat very easily), but this little one probably needed the extra fat for a couple of days. No harm done, I'm sure. I have a link to Skunkie Delight, which is a pet skunk diet recipe. I'm still trying to find something appropriate for babies, but if the little one has teeth he's probably old enough for skunkie delight.

Here is a link that might be useful: Skunkie Delight

Thanks Meghane. I will try the ground turkey tomorrow. I have some corn on the cob I'm going to cut off for him too. He has teeth. He is developed and looks just like a adult skunk only smaller. This rehabber kinda irritated me. If I hadn't picked him up , he'd be dead. In the wild they eat what they find including carrion. I feed my house cats IAMS and Purina ONE and they certainly are healthy so I think she was being a little picky. Elly..thanks for the list. Most are too far and the ones around here don't take animals like skunks and raccoons which may carry rabies. I love animals and am fine w/ taking care of this little guy and then releasing in him state game lands when he's a little bigger. But I can't drive almost a 4 hour round trip w/ a skunk in my car...We had a shower tonight so I ran out and covered his cage and put a big umbrella over it. Then I threw a big terry cloth towel in and he's under that now. He's a sweetie. I can see why people like them..

If you think about it, in the next few weeks, with the time and money you will put into this poor thing, you might as well drive the 4 hours and do the best thing for its survival. Especially in light of what happened to its sibling. And then feel really good about it.

I agree with Elly, you are trying to do the right thing for this skunk, but how is he going to learn to survive in the wild where there is no cat food and no ground turkey? You really need to get this skunk to a wildlife rehab. I know gas is expensive, but it would be worth it to me to do the right thing for this animal.

Where in Pa do you live? I am in south jersey, we have wildlife rehabs all over the place, I can't believe in a state like Pa that the closest one is 2 hrs away - there must be more! What town are you in? Are you close to Philadelphia? I am not sure of the Jersey skunk policy, but I can check to see if someone here can take the little guy and help you get him to them.

Please put this baby skunks whole life as the wild animal he was meant to be above your love for skunks, and your desire to protect him - the best thing to do would be to find someone with experience to get him to the point where he can be in the wild where he belongs. I know your intentions are great, but sometimes in trying to help, we often do more harm than good. If he is not prepared for survival in the wild, you are very soon going to have a large skunk on your hands, that you will be too worried to release, and there are all kinds of complications involved with keeping them as pets - you may have to drive way more than 4 hours to find someone to de-scent him, or to care for him should he get sick etc., he will require way different attention than what a cat or dog does, I imagine the neighbors will not be happy and so on and so on...please consider all these things.

If he can eat on his own, why can't you release him now?

If I read this correctly you do not know for sure what happened to the mama, right? Therefore you do not know that these little ones are not carrying rabies (even if you do know what happened to the mom, they could be carrying it). Please, this scares me immensely. You do not have to be bit for rabies to transmit, saliva is all it takes. I understand your concern for the little one, and I think its great that you are trying to help him, but I am terribly afraid for your safety. Rabies is not something to be nonchalant about.

I am chiming in to voice concern about rabies. Skunks and some other wild animals can carry it for up to three years with no symptoms, so you really have no way of knowing if he has it. Even handling his dish that he's been licking is hazardous for you. Please be careful.

Also, years ago when I was a lot younger and much more stupid, I bought a descented baby skunk for a pet. Within just a couple of months, as he approached adulthood, he began to become aggressive. Most wild animals will, especially males. He changed practically overnight and started to bite for no reason at all, in spite of being born in captivity and being a very gentle baby. His bites drew blood.

The other thing he did, even while he was very young, is to charge us and turn and lift his tail as if to spray. He was only playing and I think it's the equivalent of puppies play fighting, but I would suspect some spray is released by skunks during play when they aren't descented. It could be very unpleasant for you if he gets comfortable enough to try to play with you.

I agree with the poster who said to make the effort to get him to a wildlife rehabber. It is probably his only chance. No one will give a skunk who is used to people a chance if he approaches them at all because of the fear of being sprayed, even if you do manage to release him in the future. And keeping them as descented pets doesn't work well either.

Good luck with him. It was kind of you to try to help him.

There are many wildlife rehabbers in PA(Elly sent me a list) but most don't take raccoons or skunks. I have some a few miles from me but one takes raptors and the other reptiles. The woman I was talking to on her cell wasn't even at her house but further away and gave me a number for another rehabber almost two hours from me . I called and left messages and no one got back to me. Last night I gave him soft corn off the cob with a little cooked chicken. This morning the chicken was eaten , none of the corn was. .He CAN get around. He came into my yard some distance from where his sibling was killed on the road, but I don't think he knows how to forage. I ws thinking of taking him to an isolated game land and leave a bunch of food with him...I have absolutely no illusions of keeping him as a pet but don't want to release him in my yard where i COULD continue to put food out because my neighbor would kill him. I wear gloves when I'm near him and don't touch him...I feed a little opossum every night.

Lilly-I don't think you are getting the point here.Several have warned you about the dangers of rabies but it seems to go right over your head.I just pray this little "cutie" doesn't have it or isn't carrying it! It is transmitted through the saliva of the infected animal.Therefore,even handling the dish or coming in contact with anything the saliva has touched could be dangerous.Rubber gloves is not protection!
I agree with ines_99.You need to take the little fellow to a rehab place or take him out to an unpopulated area and release him.If he is old enough to eat on his own his mother was likely with him long enough to teach him to forage.He WILL find food! You are not "helping" him by feeding him and keeping him locked up in a cage! You probably are in fact hindering his ability to fend for himself in the wild the longer you keep him and feed him!

I talked to another nicer rehabber today and she said the diet I'm feeding him is okay. The ground turkey, raw chicken, wet/dry cat food will be fine for him now...Also she said to try berries and other fruit. I emailed another rehabber and she emailed back that she can help me and to call her tonight which I will do. The skunk is getting nocturnal now, curled up under his gigantic towel. I take away all food so flies don't come, but when I see him emerge from his tunnel I offer more. When I first got him, he was active in the day. The rehabber I talked to said of course it's illegal to have him or even release him. So all these animal removers you call about skunks, raccoons, and possums..know that they will be automatically killed ..not released somewhere.

I was an animal control officer in Calif. for 12 years and caught hundreds of skunks. I never had one test positive for rabies. Foxes on the other hand yes.

Years ago I had skunks as pets. The first one was from a breeder and the second one was from an unwanted litter at a small local zoo. They make wonderful pets. I know full well why you are falling in love with the baby skunk.

That being said you have stated that you have no intention on make the baby skunk a housepet. If that is truly the case - you are doing a disservice to the baby who is becoming or perhaps already is dependent on you. A rehabber can help him/her - you cannot.

I know it will be difficult for you to give him/her up but it is in the baby skunk's best interest for you to do so. You already did a wonderful thing by rescuing him/her - now it's time to do the right thing.

If you can not have it rehabbed, go get its anal glands removed and you will have yourself a grand pet!! They are very good pets to have - as long as you dont mind a tiny bit of skunky smell, they are great to have around the house...check with local ordinances first. Good luck

Lily, thanks for trying to do good for this baby. And for keeping it wild, which is legal and of course the right thing to do. Ultimately, the best thing for the wild baby is to get it the right help.

Rabies is a concern with skunks. Not opossums.

Mazer, you don't take wild animals and make pets out of them. There are a bazillion dogs and cats in a bazillion shelters that don't have scent glands that need to be removed!

I just talked to a wonderful rehabber two hours away. She was bottlefeeding a fawn as we talked. She said I was doing everything right. She said I should get Puppy chow and soak it in hot water. Cat food has Taurine in it. Then she said to get meal worms at the store to see if he can find food on his own..She said if he can , take him to a wooded area by a creek and let him go. She left 5 babies go today and has four more there. She said she could have me drive 4 hours round trip, but I can do what she'd do. I told her I had no interest in keeping him. She told me to call her back and get to be a licensed rehabber because they are really needed for skunks and raccoons in this state. Plenty of rehabbers but not for those animals..

I'm so glad you ask us for advice, Lily. Best of luck.

Since I was mentioned by name in this thread and you implied that I was "not so nice", I felt it necessary to comment.

First, I would like to thank everyone who urged lily to take the skunk to a rehabilitator and warned about rabies.

If I cringed during our conversation, it was not so much due to diet but the situation as a whole. In Pennsylvania, skunks are classified as a rabies vector species and regulations are very specific as to how these animals are handled and by whom. According to regulation, if a person has been caring for the animal: supplying food (which means dishes are handled) and housing (which means animals are handled for cleaning) it is assumed there was a human rabies exposure and the animal (according to law) must be euthanized and tested for rabies. This is not something a rehabilitator wants to do. If the Game Commission finds out you have that skunk... it will be killed and you will be fined. Period. No chance for rehabilitation of that precious creature.

I remember our conversation. You had mentioned wearing gloves and you only had him a short time. That was this little guyÂs saving grace and we can assume no exposure. But we canÂt justify the "no exposure" standing if you have this animal for an extended period of time. THAT is why I insisted it get into rehab right away. I happened to be on the road at the time. I referred you to a rehabilitator that I work with. She is 10 miles from me. Referring you to her was NOT lengthening your trip. If she is 2 hours from you, so am I. We take all species of PA wildlife. We turn no animal away. The fact that we are the closest is not my fault. I am doing my part.

I was not about to give you a diet for this animal. From talking with you I realized that would just be giving you permission to continue to care for it yourself  which is a bad idea for you, your family, your pets and FOR THE SKUNK! And if I gave you care instructions and you get sick, bitten, caught or any other terrible thing; who is to blame? Me! If I gave you instructions and that animal suffered from nutritional problems or dies soon after release because it wasnÂt prepared properly, or if it suffers a life of being a pet: Who is to blame? ME! I will not be responsible for your self destruction or the suffering you inflict on that precious creature.

To infer that I donÂt care or are "not so nice" (which I know you did not state directly but a later reference to a "nice" rehabilitator suggests as such) think about this: How many rehabbers did you call that their answering machine gives out their cell phone number? One! Mine! Why? Because I care enough to answer any call, any time and have been doing so for 17 years.

Here are some facts that make me cringe:

Skunks are the #2 vector for rabies in PA. In 2007 there were 441 animals that tested positive for rabies. 62 of those were skunks. An animal can carry the virus for up to (and possibly over) a year before becoming clinical. You could have that skunk for months  it could become clinical right before you release it  you could have an exposure at or before release and never know that you are about to die.

Skunks carry a roundworm (Baylisascaris Columnarus) that is infectious to people and domestic animals (your cats) and under the right circumstances can cause skin irritations, eye and brain damage, blindness and even death. It acts similarly to Baylisascaris (raccoon roundworm) but is not as well known or publicized.

Diet? Cat food is too high in protein for skunks. Puppy food has about the right protein but does not have taurine (which skunks need) so it MUST be supplemented. Do you have powdered taurine to add to the puppy food? if not, you are not supplying a correct diet.

If you had driven the few hours to get this little one the care it needs, it would have received proper nutrition, treatment for parasites, vaccinations for rabies and other common diseases, environment enrichment with other skunks where it could learn proper skunk etiquette and develop the skills it needs to survive. What are you supplying him to prepare him for the cruelty of life in the wild?

I have never understood people who would not invest in a tank of gas and a couple hours of their lives to get an animal the proper care, but are willing to spend money on food and supplies and invest months of their time to give it improper care. You say you care about the skunk!?! I say you care about yourself and how you feel  not about what is best for that wild creature.

I am sorry if I sound angry and I know that no one on this forum knows me personally. It angers me to read my name along with lilys comments when too often I am the one who has to hold a dieing animal that I can not help because someone held onto it and killed it because they "love it". Last week it was a screech owl with a head injury that someone kept for 8 days feeding it earth worms. Yesterday it was a fawn that someone fed human baby formula to. Try holding a dead fawn in your arms and not get angered by comments like lily's.

My apologies to the members of this forum but I had to say my piece.

Peggy Hentz
www.RedCreekWildlifeCenter.com

Peggy-I personally appreciate your post.You have provided some valuable information that many people will (maybe) remember when "rescuing" a wild animal.Obviously the "Wonderful" rehabber Lily talked to didn't know everything about skunks and taurine,or maybe Lily wasn't listening!
So Lily,what happened to the skunk?

Peggy,

You most certainly did not speak too angrily. I very much appreciate everything you said and even if the OP is no longer reading this thread, I hope that other readers might remember your words for future reference. I am a microbiologist and the rabies issue scares me terribly. I wish we could make people understand the very serious risk they take when they are dealing with wild animals.

Thank you so much for educating others. (perhaps you should continue to participate on this forum to further the general public's education). And thank you for dedicating yourself to helping the wild critters.

I REALLY appreciate your post Peggy. Thank you very much for the wonderful explanation.

I kept my response brief and to the point, because I too did not want to encourage any inappropriate behavior.

I hear a lot excuses by people for their actions, based upon their feelings, rather than what is best for the animal. I am glad you posted.

Thank you for your comments, and for understanding my introductory post be somewhat of a rant. I may stop in from time to time (thanks for the invite).

One thing did bother me which I investigated. Lily said the rehabilitator I referred her too never returned her call. That is not how we do things here.

I just spoke with Lynn, and Lily had called her and left a voice mail message, but gave Lynn the wrong number to call. Lynn attempted to call her but got a "disconnected number" message. No caller ID number came up so there was no way she could contact her.

Sigh..........

Peggy,

I know you are swamped with critters this time of year. Thank you for checking in and giving a voice to rehabbers!

Hope things ease up soon.

I just happened here and have to respond. I should not have used Peggy's name and I regret doing that. I do not have the time to drive a skunk a four hour round trip. Answer me this. Why aren't there rehabbers all over the state that take rabies vector animals??? It's asking a lot of people to drive that distance. If it would not be for me this animal would have been smashed in the alley like his sibling. Heaven knows how many others were in the litter and died. Peggy would not tell me what to feed it even tho they were orphans for days and days at that point. We built a 14 foot long cage with chicken wire and left the skunk out of his small cage last night. He wandered around this big area and I put veggies and fruits along with dog food moistened and hardboiled eggs. He dug a hole under his smaller cage and in a day or two we are taking him to a very isolated woods beside a creek. His fur is shiny, he walks well and acts very skunk like. The rehabber I talked to said she was also over two hours way. What kind of system is this? I have many rehabbers in my area , they just don't take raccoons, fox, or skunks..I DID call your friend Lynn and i do know my own phone number if you are insinuating I don't. I waited for her call and then called the other lady who was helpful. I sure hope this little guy/girl gets some taurine in the woods. It was a little ironic that you were certain I was killing this guy with IAMS cat food mixed with canned when in the woods he might eat carrion. I have not touched him even with gloves. I have no contact with him except to feed him. I wear gloves when I touch his dish..If you have anything to add about ho0w to release him and what time of day to do it , feel free. I was thinking dusk. I am making sure he will be far from people and houses.

Lily, rehabbers are volunteers. Setting up cages and rehab facilities costs them money out of their own pockets. They are not sunsidized by Federal, State or local funds; in fact, they have to pay for their licenses and for the priviledge of helping people and wildlife.

If you think of the time and $$ you've put into this creature, it is way more than the ride and time taking it to someone licensed and skilled. Skills include hacking with natural foods: that is, providing natural food sources to teach it to forage properly. When you release it into the woods, there will be no moistened dog food and hardboiled eggs. How will it know what and where to seek food? Rehabbers don't just feed, they help young animals with "search images" so they know how to get food for themselves.

The ironic thing is, in the end, all your very heartfelt but misguided efforts may just culminate with a starving skunk in territory that is alien to it. Not an intended death, but death the same, and one that may have been avoided with the proper care.

You don't take advice, and that's not good when you decide to care for a wildling and you don't know what you are doing.

This, of course, is apart from the very detailed information on rabies that Peggy offered.

Lily316,

The problem with rabies is that it is not completely known how it can be transmitted. Bites and saliva are the most common, but there is some thought that even aerosols can transmit rabies. The reason there is a law regarding possession of the skunk is because of the very serious risk to you and your family. Rabies is 100% fatal; there is no effective treatment.

I am not a physician but in your situation I would see my physician and tell him/her about the skunk. It is possible that s/he would recommend prophylactic treatment.

I understand that you are taking precautions however I am concerned that they may not be sufficient.

Although we are a country which purports to love and protect our wildlife, there is NO state or federal funding for wildlife rehabilitation. Governmental Agencies heavily regulate the activity, but they do not support it.

Most wildlife rehabilitators not only dont get paid for their services, but they must also raise the funding to support this work. Many have outside employment to cover the cost of rehabilitation in addition to their own living expenses. I, for instance, groom dogs professionally.

It is difficult for any person to devote the time, space, and money to rehabilitate wildlife properly. Once they do, their lives are no longer their own. Our homes, time, money and privacy become open to the public. People stop in unannounced or call all hours of the day and night. We become a free public service that people feel we are obligated to give but only a small percentage will even give a minimal donation.

Most new rehabilitators only last 3 or 4 years before giving it up. I believe Lily, you are from Lancaster County. In my 17 years rehabbing I've seen several rehabbers in your county come and go, the longest one lasting 3 years.

On top of that, once and a while we are scorned by someone because we didn't tell them what they wanted to hear. The advice we give (or don't give) is out of deep love for the animal as well as a conscientious concern for the person involved. That is why, even with the hardships, those of us who go the long haul keep doing it. Yes, I get angry when it happens but I try to use the situation as an opportunity to educate.

Release your skunk at dusk in a wooded area that has a lot of fallen timber on the ground. Leaving a road kill nearby for him would be a good thing. It contains taurine.

Thank you for the advice, Peggy. I am planning on doing this tonight since the weather is nice. I will look for road kill on the way. I will scoop him out from his nest under the small cage he used to live in. I will take the leaves and debris with him to his new place. I observed him last night a long time. He was in his nest and came out and wandered around the long pen we made for him. He'd stop and dig for awhile so I'm assuming he knows the basics. I didn't realize rehabbers funded themselves and I admire all of you. The other person I talked to suggested I do it since I have been saving animals all my life altho never a skunk. I raised a baby squirrel and left it go in my yard where he joined the others, i have raised many baby birds including a robin who sat on my shoulder but then flew away one day. I had a raccoon way back decades ago as a pet altho he had free reign and lived outside and left on his own. I could never in a million years do it like you guys do. Things especially cruelty would just haunt me.I plan to take along three or four dishes of food for him to get him started. Any other suggestions, post it here and I will read it. Thank you.

OK Lily-You have contradicted yourself several times in this thread.The one that bothers me most is this:"As he ate I reached down and picked him up with one hand". Then in a later post this is what you said:"I have not touched him even with gloves. I have no contact with him except to feed him".
So which is it,have you or have you not touched him,with or without gloves?
Another thing that bothers me is that this baby has been running around,pooping,peeing salivating in your yard,depositing possibly any parasites/viruses/bacteria he/she may have onto your yard.I hope you don't have other pets or heaven forbid grandchildren that play in your yard! That would scare me to death!
Then....."I plan to take along three or four dishes of food for him to get him started".As someone else mentioned,there will not be any dog food or boiled eggs in the wild! I just hope you haven't done this little one more harm than good.

I'm very sad now. I never thought I would get so attached in 9 days to a little skunk when there was no real interaction. Just me spending a lot of time observing him. I will always have a special fondness for skunks dealing with this dear little thing. At 7 we decided to go for it. He had been in his dug hole all day, came out a 5, ate a litte and went back. Husband lifted the small cage under which he was sleeping and I reached for him but he ran. I had two pairs of gloves on so my fingers were stiff. He nosed all around his pen like digging for grubs for about 40 minutes. SO I heated some water, poured over the puppy food and put it inside the little cage and put the side door down. He walked up the ramp into the little cage and I quietly and quickly closed the door and threw a sheet over the whole cage. We carried it very gently to the car and drove him about 6 miles , past houses, a golf course and on and on by the creek till the road stopped dead. There is a small water treatment building at the end. There was a remnant of a trail which we followed for quite a way till we saw a bunch of fallen trees across the path. Some were rotting. This is where we stopped , took off the sheet, opened the door and after awhile out he walked. I brought strawberries ,blueberries ,and four dishes of food. He was wandering every where and digging in the dry leaves with his nose. If he heard a noise like a dry leave sound, he'd do his dance. I was so mad I forgot the camera because i could have gotten prize shots of him running up the log..and under it..You can hear the creek but couldn't see it. It is an idyllic setting. No roads, no cars, no houses ,and from the looks of the logs no one walks the path. I pray this dear little creature makes it. I know he grew since I had him. ..And lilliepad, why don't you sit out in your yard with a flashlight in case a raccoon or skunk or opossum poops or pees in your yard,. Get a life, will ya!!! My yard is a National Backyard Wildlife habitat and has no grass, just three ponds, perennial gardens, beehives, and ground cover and tan bark and many old trees. It a paradise. And I am a responsible pet owner and never ever let my indoor cats outside. If it is any of your business, I picked the skunk up when he meandered in my yard 9 days ago and sat him in the little cage with my heavy rubber garden gloves on. I never touched him again including today when I thought i would have to. I wore gloves touching his dishes and his cage. Now does that put your mind at ease?? Geeze...

Lily-No need to be sarcastic,and I do have a life,thank you very much!I was/am just concerned for your safety and the safety of your family and and pets.The way you worded the original post led me to believe you didn't have gloves on when you first picked the skunk up. An occasional Raccoon,skunk or possum coming into my yard is not the same is keeping one in a cage in the yard.Anyway,my yard is fenced and I really doubt my dogs would allow anything in the yard in the first place! I'm glad you got the little fella safely out into the wild where he belongs and I'm sorry you misunderstood my concern for you and your pets.I certainly didn't mean it that way.

I think its wonderful you saved that poor baby and set him free. (I must really be the only person I know of but I like the scent of skunk.) When I smell one thats been hit by a car on the road I flare my nostrils deep to get all the scent inside.

Maybe you could start your own Skunk rescue or even rescue one from a breeder or adopt a retired adult. i think as a gen rule you shouldn't buy from a breeder though as these are and should be wild animals, sometimes however this just isn't possible and honestly I think one day the wild will no longer exist because of how stupid and careless humans are and I'm sure there's no harm in keeping a retired captive skunk that would otherwise be killed. But on the other hand I do think the people on here were right, harsh but right. Skunks can be very dangerous and a wild baby could be the death of you. But you did well and you should be proud. maybe if your lucky that Skunk will see you again later sometime like in Born free, just don't touch it or leave out food if it happens.

Thanks,runsnwalken..Tonight I went in the woods two days later at dusk to collect the plastic dishes I had left with him filled with food. I didn't want to litter this beautiful spot. All four dishes were empty and the blueberries and strawberries were gone too. I saw a little bush by the logs with some kind of white berry on it. He was nowhere to be seen..not that I thought I'd see him. But I do know there is no more beautiful spot for this baby to live. There were egrets on the creek and songbirds and squirrels everywhere. It is so peaceful there you cannot hear a sound except the birds and creek. .I absolutely fell in love with this little guy. Just cute beyond words but i would never ever want one as a pet. Too many needs I can't meet. Decades ago i did have a pet raccoon who we loved . He was free to come and go and when he was mature he left. We lived by a lake then with woods all around. As I was walking to the lake a few feet from my door once , a man in a passing car said..'lady there a raccoon following you.' He used to slide down my kids' sliding board. ..I just hope my little Stinky has a full and good life in his new home in the woods.

Bless your heart, Lily...You can tell by your writing, you really do love those animals....

You did the right ting, Skunks and the like belong free in the wild, Though many CAN adapt to captive life IF neutered, I assume though some physical issues like spraying may never go away entirey, For instance a big cat, wether neutured or not will spray, there's nothing you can do, also these a very real danger in keeping these carnivores- Unlike keeping a rabies free skunk or racoon. Not to mention thousands of dollars to feed a month! What so few people realize is that ALL cats should be fed like the exotics, its the way of the felid diet. AND you don't need to spend a couple grand to do it because of the dramatic size difference.

(I must really be the only person I know of but I like the scent of skunk.)

You are not alone. I have a good friend who loves the smell of skunk. When we are going down the road, and we smell one, she will stick her head out of the car window and suck as much of the smell in as she can. I think she is nuts. And I can't believe there are two people in this world who do that?!

I can't say I like the smell of fresh skunk, but the scent of the air a while after a skunk has passed by, or the faint smell of unfortunate skunk roadkilled a while ago, where there is just a bit of skunky smell left - that is the smell I like. So I guess there are three of us. It is a bit lemony...

It's been two months since I left my baby go but his siblings are in my yard. I have one living under my garden house. He comes out every night and I stand beside him. The other night I left the dog out before I fed the skunk and he barked and there was the skunk. I hurried over to get the dog back and ran into another one. Neither sprayed. Later I watched them eat. They were chattering back and forth and moving the dish with their paws Too cute. I love skunks and their smell, just not in my face..

My cat Oreo has a secret life:
I call my house/barn cats in at night before I go to bed. Last night at about 11 I called and the cats came up on the deck, but when I opened the door Oreo and her brother Kreem turned and ran into the night. I waited an hour and called again, Kreem came in. I saw Oreo in the back yard ignoring me. I gave her a little while and went out with a flashlight to get her. When I got close she was playing with what I thought was another cat. I walked up to them and saw she was playing with a skunk. They were playing like two cats. I got closer they looked up at me wih their bright shinning eyes, they were so cute. I reached down and picked Oreo up, the skunk looked at me and walked into the tall grass.

How sweet is that? Skunks get a very bad rap. They are docile, intelligent and sweet creatures.

I love skunks!! I see too many dead on the road and feel so bad about car driving.

And now I have a tiny squirrel. My son rescued it from a cats mouth so here I am again. This one is the size of a chipmunk with big eyes and fur but tail isn't too bushy yet. appears okay. Son just put him in a box and drove over. Squirrel was cold and stressed and I have been holding him for 6 hours. I have nothing to feed him but cream of wheat. I know not to give him milk. I wonder if he can eat crushed nuts or fruit?. I'm mixing the cereal w/ water and warming it and feeding with a dropper.

He will need milk replacer. You can get it at a feed store, farm supply or pet store or vet's office. I would get a cat milk replacer or goat milk. They can't eat nuts for awhile. You can google them and find more out. Most baby animals must be stimulated to pee&poop so you need to massauge them with a warm damp cloth or wash rag. Their mom would lick them there. Small animal bottles are good so they learn to suck. Good Luck. I would keep him or her in a kitty carrier with a hot water bottle.

If your squirrel is a real baby, he needs to be bottle fed as stated above. I've hand raised quite a few baby squirrels and they need milk that is higher in fat content. I used the commercial kitten milk replacer, KMR and added half and half at a 50-50 mixture to the KMR. Make sure its warm when you are feeding him.

Be VERY careful that the hole in the bottles nipple is not too big. An eager baby squirrel can drink too quickly, aspirate (or inhale) the milk and that basically will be the end of the squirrel. He'll either drown outright or get an aspiration pneumonia, languish for a while and die.

A kitty carrier is a good idea and maybe use a heating pad, set on low underneath a towel that's in the carrier. Make sure the towel doesn't get too hot and place it just under half of the carrier bottom. If the baby gets too warm, he can move to cooler climes. A hot water bottle doesn't stay hot for too long and will then be cold for the baby. The heat is too inconsistent.

Of course the formula I gave you is NOT the ideal formula. Only Mom squirrel's milk is ideal but it will work and the baby will grow quickly. My avian / wildlife vet friend approved of the formula so that was good enough for me. If you have a wildlife vet or a squirrel rehabber they may either give you additional suggestions or take over the care.

Have some mixed bird seed ... a variety ... some mixed fruits ... lots of things ... in with the baby too as he gets larger. Eventually he'll explore and investigate the stuff that's in with him and try to eat some of it.

Of course NEVER try to make a wild any one a pet. He's wild and belongs there. He needs to see / interact with his kind too and acclimate to the great outdoors.

Good luck with your little one. :-)

I bought him Esbilac tonight and baby bottles. I had to make the hole bigger because he can't suck that hard. I have him in a box now but will transfer him to the carriage house. I have a nifty low cage that I pad with clothing. I put a microwavable heating thing on the bottom. In the daytime I put him in dappled sun as it was 94 today. I hope he makes it. He's tiny. I did this years ago.. maybe 18 and can't remember what I fed him. I plan to let this guy go in my yard. I have a gazillion squirrels. If it was a few weeks ago, I would have put him in a squirrel nest I had in a bird house but it's too late..I'm a magnet for helpless animals it seems. and my family helps feed it.

Or: You could take him to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator that routinely raises baby squirrels and so can raise it properly with a conspecific. They need warmth and the stimulus of siblings or mother.

I would Elly if one would ever get back to me. She did yesterday morning when I was taking care of him. I immediately called back and got the machine and this morning she did it again and then never calls back and she can't be reached except with machine. I don't want to be doing this but he's stil alive.

do you still have the baby skunk? and where do you live?