Betty wrote about how she now likes the smell of skunk and had the
following final comment:
>And if on some country trip you should happen to see an individual
>standing in the breeze whilst cars are whizzing by with windows
>clamped shut to avoid the skunk odors, you'll know it's me... and
>under each arm I will be carrying their relatives who will be looking
>at me and saying, "Geez, what's all the hubbub about... I don't smell
>anything?"
 
I just had to share the story of Jim's first ferret, Slinky (who was almost
named Stinky as he was a whole, undescented hob that was found on the
roadside in the pouring rain - imagine that smell!).  At the time, Jim
lived on his parents' 20 acres of pine, palmetto and sand.
 
They knew nothing about ferrets (this was like 15-20 years ago), and Slink
was fed dog and cat food, raw chopped meat (his *favorite* food) and
whatever he wanted off Jim's plate when Jim ate in his room.  They also
used to take Slinky outside and let him run loose.  He never ran so far
that he couldn't see Jim, and he came back every few minutes to see Jim
(what a sweety!).
 
One problem with having a whole hob as your only ferret is that he had no
one to approach when he was... well, interested in females.  So he used to
go looking for the skunks on the property.  The skunks, of course, had no
idea what he was, and hightailed it away from him.  The story just reminded
me of Pepe Le'Pew, the cartoon skunk who was in love with the cat... only
somewhat in reverse.
 
And for the end of Slinky's story - he lived to around 14 years of age, and
died peacefully in his sleep without having been sick a day in his life.
 
Debbie & Jim
Pixie (The one in charge)
[Posted in FML issue 2569]