Comments on: Skunk! I saw this black & white “kitty” walking in my backyard

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:27:31 +0000

A little late but…

STAY AWAY!

Skunks that move during the day are much more likely to have rabies which effects their normal nocturnal nature making them forage and roam during the day.

Skunks that are seen you see only at night night are a little safer (as the rabies chances are less)

By: PeyTyn

PeyTyn — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:49:28 +0000

It sounds funny but im 15 and im laying in my bed, my window is open and i looked out and seen a skunk. I was like OH MY GOSH! i went to my living room and looked out the bay window to get a better view. Its fat and has a huge white thing across its back and the rest is black. giving me the reason to call it a skunk. It sprayed earlier and it blew through my fan. It was nasty. I was nervous that it was going to climb up the side of my trailor and get inside my window, But then i figured out that they can’t climb. I really don’t think skunks are here to hurt people. they just want our trash. haha.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 19:27:39 +0000

Oh, I know I was lucky. This was a knee-jerk reaction to a first time encounter. A territorial Yorkie that I had wasn’t as lucky. The aftereffect of his encounter wafted through half of Martinez. (I don’t know which was worse–him or the refineries…) I’ve also learned not to keep garden hoses on “autopilot.”

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:53:14 +0000

Barbara:
Actually you had a third option: do nothing. Flight would have probably been OK, if done slowly. Do nothing also had good possibilities, because the skunk would have eventually just wandered off. I had one walk up and sniff my leg early one morning when I was wiping off my car window. I just stood there and it wandered off. But to fight is the biggest risk of all. Spraying the skunk with water could have startled it enough to make it spray. You’re very lucky it was just a confused little kid, or I’d be able to smell you from here. /Gary

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:18:54 +0000

(Now) it brings back fond memories of a panic attack I had while watering the flowers in back. I was concentrating on zip and just aiming the hose at the garden, when I noticed a little juvenile skunk standing about three feet away from me. The fight or flight reflex took hold. After weighing the pros and cons of the latter, and concluding that the speed of skunk spray would shoot per millisecond in comparison to my running, I considered my only option was to fight. So I sprayed the skunk. With the hose. (Now) it is absolutely precious to remember him wobbling back, shaking off the water, wobbling back, shaking off the water, during his return to the ground-to-fence base entry point. My gardener remedied the situation the next day…
P.S.–Cute photos. (Blessed be the inventor of the macro lens.)

By: Gayle Reece

Gayle Reece — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:22:12 +0000

We also have a skunk that is persistent about digging under our fence on both sides of the yard. My son blocked the holes many times but our skunk just digs around any obstacle. No harm, no foul, but I definitely lock the dog door every night and keep the dogs in after dark. Beautiful animals and not afraid of anything! Why should they be? Their defense is a sure thing every time! The PBS documentary said they have many dens throughout their range. My fig tree is one of many on his/her rotation.

By: Gary Bogue

Gary Bogue — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:47:13 +0000

Proving once again that those chubby little skunks are NOT good climbers. /Gary

By: Joann Ludwig

Joann Ludwig — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:53:12 +0000

We also had a skunk coming under the fence, but he was more sophisticated. He came on in the kitty door and walked to the kitchen and ate cat food. We tried blocking the hole under the fence to no avail. Then we put a wire fence about a foot high around the kitty door. Cats jumped right over. Skunk shook it back and forth, but didn’t climb over. No more indoor visits from the skunk.