Close Encounter

I was wandering through the kitchen the other day and glanced outside to see a skunk wander across the lawn. It was quite near the house, which was fine until my cat noticed it.

Uh oh!

This does not look good.

I stood frozen, trying to decide if it would be better or worse to make a loud nose to startle them apart. I definitely didn’t want to get in between.

The Striped Skunk is a common sight (and smell) here in Vermont. For those of you who have not had the pleasure, when a skunk sprays it releases a foul, oily, liquid the smell of which can literally take your breath away. The stink is so strong it hurts. Skunks can spray up to 15 feet, but the smell itself can range up to a mile. At the edges, the smell is unpleasant, up close it can blind you.

Skunks are not to be trifled with.

Because they are aware of this skunks are not skittish. They are usually out from dusk to dawn, making them crepuscular (one of my favorite words, meaning active at dawn and dusk), as well as nocturnal. If you see one it will likely be looking for insects, worms, eggs and other delicacies. Or, it might be investigating your cat. I’ve had the experience of bathing a cat after it got into it with a skunk. Unpleasant.

I was remembering the experience when a surprising thing happened.

The cat and skunk politely greeted each other, touched noses to say hello and went their own ways.

The cat returned to the porch to lie in the sun, while the skunk wandered off, rattled around in the raspberries for a while, then disappeared into the long grass.

PHEW!

It isn’t always such a peaceful moment. If your dog, cat, partner or other being with whom you spend time gets sprayed, get them in a tub fast. If you can get the oil off before it soaks in the smell will dissipate more quickly. I used Dawn detergent because it was what I had. Vinegar with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide works well. Tomato juice has a good reputation in these circumstances, but I’ve always wondered. I suppose because it is acidic it might. In any event, it’s the oil that you want to remove.

Regardless of what method you use, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you won’t enjoy wet days for some time. The smell does linger.

In this case, I was glad for a my pacifist cat (I have also seen her touch noses with a mouse, but that’s a story for another day).