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| Name: |
Callie
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Age: |
Eight years old
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| Gender: |
Female
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Kind: |
Domestic Skunk
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| Home: |
South Carolina, USA
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Callie
is a special little girl! She weighs 4.6 pounds and rules our
household. We have three domestic skunks but Callie is our oldest and our only
female. She was bred at a fur farm, and is domestic. She lives in our home
with us and is a very important family member.
Skunks are complicated pets, kind of like a cross between a cat, a dog, and a
human toddler. A skunk will do a trick if it wants to do it. Callie is rare in
that if I tell her "No" to something, she'll stop. She'll stomp her feet to
let me know she disagrees, but she'll stop. Callie is my oldest skunk and very
bonded to me. She would rather be with humans than other animals. She sleeps
in my bedroom or bathroom and, when we travel, she goes with us, A year & a
half ago, we had a serious house fire. When the firefighters broke in the
door, Callie ran out onto the back porch - a very brave feat for a
three pound little skunk! She has had health problems ever since the fire, but
she still perseveres. She is very stubborn, thank goodness, because I
think that's what saved her! The other skunks burrowed under blankets in their
open crate and that saved them from the worst of the smoke, although all of
them were sick for months.
Callie is very affectionate, but on her terms! She loves to be cuddled - then
she's ready to get down. Like most skunks, her favorite game is to "play
skunk". She stomps her two front feet, then rushes at us. Right before she
gets in reach, she'll stop suddenly and turn her backside at us, as if she is
going to spray. She is also very curious, much like a ferret. She loves
to explore cabinets, trash cans, boxes, houseplants - anything that looks like
it is hiding something. Like all domestic skunks, Callie was descented at the
breeder's, during her first week of like. Most domestic skunks are neutered by
about three months of age, but Callie went into rescue at age one year and
hadn't been spayed yet. She was spayed immediately and has had no problems
since (although we attribute her bone and joint problems to her late spay).
Callie and her brother, Hart, go with me to schools for educational programs.
She has been on TV programs about domestic skunks also. Once a year our skunks
are entered in a Skunk Show for domestic skunks. This year, Callie showed in
the Senior class and did very well. Callie is more than a pet to us, she is
our little girl and her Mommy's heart! I always wanted a pet skunk, the whole
time I was growing up. My parents didn't take me seriously. My mom used to
tell me that once I was grown I could have all the animals I wanted.
I'm working on that! In the meantime, my skunks, especially my Callie, have
truly taken my heart.
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