Skunks Aren’t the Fun Pet of the Future

Growing up, skunks meant little more to me than Pepe le Pew and a bad smell occasionally on the side of the road. Others had more exciting stories; pet dogs getting sprayed and afterwards making the family’s life a living hell, garbage thievery, chicken coop raids. Our local zoos had no skunks; they were sort of alien to me. So I was shocked to discover that, with increasing popularity in past years, skunks have become pets for exotic pet fanciers, those who crave something a little unique as a companion, and even regular households. But despite their growing presence in American households, are pet skunks really a good idea?

The striped skunk, the most common species to find as a pet, can be found living in almost the entirety of the US. However, there are 12 species native to the US. Pet skunks don’t just come in the typical black and white coloration — they have been selectively bred for coat colorations such as chocolate, lavender, apricot, and more. Skunks were previously believed to be a member of the mustelid family, such as ferrets and weasels, due to their characteristic scent glands and short, stout build; however, they have been recently reclassified into their own family, Mephitidae. Striped skunks vary slightly in size, but are a lot smaller than most people expect; they are similar size to a King Charles Spaniel. With that being said, skunks have a lot more in…