[jetsmom]

I feed the barn cats, and the last 2 yrs, a skunk has had babies that come eat with the barn cats, then leave when they grow up, to find their own territory.

The skunks are pretty friendly, and eat about 2 feet away from my feet, as I put food out, change water. Last night one went in the tack room, when a boarder left the door open. She went in there and came running out, screaming "There's a skunk in there!". I've told her they don't spray unless really threatened, but she didn't believe me. So I put her stuff away in the tack room for her, then tried to get skunk out. When a skunk isn't fearful, it's hard to make them leave. And I don't want to threaten the skunk and have him spray. So I yelled at him, and when he looked out from behind the trunk and saw it was me, he just lay down. He wasn't scared. So I tapped the trunk beside him with a longe whip, and he stood up, but turned his rear end towards it...oops...don't want that.

So I had a brilliant idea. I grabbed my Endure Fly spray (which I think smells pretty good), and sprayed it above him so the mist would fall on him. He moved along wall, and I kept spraying. Eventually he hopped out the door! Apparently he thought it smelled bad! I chuckled picturing him going back to the other skunks, and having them all go "Eww, you stink".
I got a kick out of using the same type of defense mechanism they use, against him!
But at least the upside for him, is the flies won't bother him for a few days!

[JB]

Baby skunks!

[Hinderella]

Great story! They are hard to move when they get comfortable with your world. Coons are that way too. My brother has pics pf a whole coon family in his laundry room. He used to leave the window open for the cats, and Momma coon thought it would be a good idea to bring the whole crew in for a drink & a snack.