Hello all; Bob here from beautiful downtown Portland.  Really downtown, like
in the dorms overlooking the Columbia River, a bar of unsavory repute, and
the local fire station (For you FML'ers in Portland, it's called the Ondine,
but should be called the place of strange smells and giant cockroaches.)
 
I have White Fang (AKA TJ) with me.  What a great little ferret!  I keep
forgetting she is moderately to completely deaf, and keep talking to her.
So far our adventures are just starting; she was the center of attention
during the July 4th fireworks show, she has learned how to climb up the back
of the dresser to sleep in my towels, and eats anything I eat.  Honestly,
she begs like a little dog.  I never saw it in my other 14 ferts, so I
stupidly think its cute.  And she puts it away.  At first, it was grab the
food, run, and eat.  Now its scarf it out of my hand.  She loves to sleep
between my feet, which is great except when she decides to lick my toes in
the middle of the night.  Drives me batty.
 
I do have to say that Monica did a wonderful job with the white beast.  She
had this real cute game she would play with White Fang.  She would hide a
raisin in one of her dimples, and WF would have to find it.  What a riot!
And if Monica smiled, the raisin would get trapped inside, and nothing could
dislodge it....(OK, just a little teasing here.  Of course the raisin could
be removed....just needed some time, that's all.)
 
OK, Monica never did the game, but she could if she wanted too (he he).  And
don't believe her story about me being nice and charming, etc.  Ain't true,
ain't true.  She just said that hoping I wouldn't spill the beans about her
cute facial...um...creases.
 
Amanda.  I told you the weapons deal was top secret.  Now I have to kill
you.  Unfortuantly, as well as everyone else who read it.  Hows Tex?
 
I saw the references to the Ferritus story and had to Fetch the stuff to see
what everyone was laughing about.  Great story!  Rates up there with "Motel
of the Mysteries" Really really great!  (But BIG; I thought everyone knew I
didn't know what I was talking about.... 8-) )
 
About Skunks: "Can anyone tell me anything about Skunks and do they get
along with ferrets?" By all reports, just like any other animal; depends on
the pair, but generally, yes.
 
"Do skunks have the same diet as ferrets?" No; skunks are far more
omnivorous.  They are probably more like a dog, or between a dog and a cat.
 
"Do N&D skunks smell worse then ferrets?" Depends on worse.  I personally
think they still have a slight skunky smell, but then I can smell a smoker
driving down the road in front of me.  The smell is different, not worse,
not bad.
 
"About how long do they live ?" They have a slightly slower metabolic rate,
and seem to live about as long as cats.
 
Pet skunks, like pet otters, polecats, martens, etc., are tamed animals
rather than domesticated.  In short, although they might recognize you and
your family, they often treat strangers as "The Enemy," and if you think it
is hard keeping public health from killing your ferret after it bites
someone, just try after a skunk does the same thing.  Even tamed wild
animals have wild animal behaviors, which makes them quite unpredicable and
requires steadfast devotion to prevent them from completely destroying
whatever property you might think valuable.  Of all the mustelids reported
as pets, skunks seem to be the least offensive in all categories, and do
quite nicely as pets (My dad had one, I had several, and my best friend
raises them.) I know a zoologist with sever pet American badgers, which are
quite fun to play with, and follow him like doggies, but one also bit the
hell out of a visitor one day.
 
Getting a skunk as a pet is your own decision; but as a former skunk owner,
and a current ferret fanatic, I would politely suggest to borrow an uncut
male ferret, about a year old, and live with him for a few weeks.  If you
can take that, a skunk would be a piece of cake.  (Not referring to the
smell, just the activity patterns).  BTW, my pet was never descented, and
she never sprayed me.  She did, however, spray my wrestling coach when he
dropped off the wresting shoes I forgot in his car.  She also liked to spray
the neighbor's dog.  I always thought it was funny, especially the coach.
 
Hey NW People!  I'll be here for the next month, so e-mail me and I'll come
over (for the sake of space and personal sadness, I won't go into what
happened to my address book.  Let's just say its still on the road...)
 
Know who a ferret's favorite president is?  Ronald Raisin!
 
Mo' Bob missing the 14 Ferts-o-Fun (But with WF)
[Posted in FML issue 1626]