Beating the Alpha Skunk: My Office Solution

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a participant's ongoing issue with a skunk that has been entering their office through a cat door. The conversation explores various humorous and anecdotal responses to dealing with the skunk, including the use of Windex as a deterrent and sharing personal experiences with wildlife encounters.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Humorous anecdotes

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes their experience with a skunk using a cat door and their attempt to deter it by spraying Windex, claiming it has not been seen since.
  • Another participant humorously suggests that the skunk might be preparing an army for battle.
  • Several participants share their own experiences with skunks and other wildlife, expressing mixed feelings about these animals.
  • There are suggestions to feed the skunk outside to keep it away from the house, with some participants agreeing this might be a practical solution.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential for the skunk to return with others, leading to humorous speculation about retaliation.
  • Some participants mention the risks of rabies associated with skunks and suggest contacting wildlife care groups, though one participant notes the impracticality of this due to their remote location.
  • There are discussions about the adaptability of raccoons and other wildlife, with varying opinions on their presence and behavior.
  • One participant recounts a humorous incident involving skunk smell while disposing of cat litter, adding to the lighthearted tone of the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share humorous anecdotes and suggestions, but there is no consensus on the best approach to dealing with the skunk or the implications of the initial spraying incident. Multiple competing views and experiences remain present throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the long-term effectiveness of using Windex as a deterrent and the potential consequences of the skunk's return. The discussion also reflects a mix of personal experiences and humorous speculation without definitive conclusions.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in humorous wildlife encounters, practical solutions for dealing with persistent animals, or anecdotal experiences related to skunks and other wildlife may find this discussion engaging.

Ivan Seeking
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A skunk has gotten wise to my office situation and learned to use the cat door. This has been going on for a couple of months, and surprisingly the only real problem is the cost in cat food. But there is always the concern that, sooner or later, it is going to blast my office and/or cat. In the past, lights, and a loud TV or radio was enough to run off any intruders, but this one is pretty fearless and it was getting to be a real issue. However, tonight I was inspired. I sprayed the skunk!

I heard it trying to open the door, so I blocked it in hopes of discouraging entry, but the thing is incredibly persistent and was desperately trying to get through the barrier. So I grabbed a bottle of windex, set it on fine mist, and when the door lifted...

Haven't seen him since! How cool is that?! :smile:
 
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Awesome!

Maybe the skunk is prepping an army for battle...
 
We've had the same happen. I hate skunks cause there are so many in our area (especially at our last house)
 
In our old house bathroom for some time we had a small recess in the wall, left by plumbers that have changed whole water installation. We were not aware of the fact that there was a hole that was leading directly to the outside. One day my wife was bathing and she heard some noise - it was a rat trying to get inside. So she sprayed it with the only thing she can reach - some perfumes :smile:
 
I bet that's a story that the skunk family will pass down for generations.
 
moose said:
Maybe the skunk is prepping an army for battle...
:smile:

That's hilarious! Maybe Windex can add it to their product claims...skunk deterrent. :smile:
 
Ivan Seeking said:
I sprayed the skunk!

I heard it trying to open the door, so I blocked it in hopes of discouraging entry, but the thing is incredibly persistent and was desperately trying to get through the barrier. So I grabbed a bottle of windex, set it on fine mist, and when the door lifted...

Haven't seen him since! How cool is that?! :smile:
Ah, poor thing, you could have blinded it. :frown:

It was always polite & considerate, never sprayed or hurt anything and then to be viciously assaulted. If I were you, I would be afraid, very afraid Ivan. Skunks don't forget. :wink:
 
Ivan Seeking said:
A skunk has gotten wise to my office situation and learned to use the cat door. This has been going on for a couple of months, and surprisingly the only real problem is the cost in cat food. But there is always the concern that, sooner or later, it is going to blast my office and/or cat. In the past, lights, and a loud TV or radio was enough to run off any intruders, but this one is pretty fearless and it was getting to be a real issue. However, tonight I was inspired. I sprayed the skunk!

I heard it trying to open the door, so I blocked it in hopes of discouraging entry, but the thing is incredibly persistent and was desperately trying to get through the barrier. So I grabbed a bottle of windex, set it on fine mist, and when the door lifted...

Haven't seen him since! How cool is that?! :smile:

it sounds like it made a clean break
 
Evo said:
Ah, poor thing, you could have blinded it. :frown:

I was careful not to give it a direct shot in the face. I had the nozzle on mist, and the cat door was only cracked open, so he just got a good smell.

Besides, it only worked for a couple of days. :cry: Last night he was back and more persistent than ever. He was walking right in even knowing that I was in here.

I used to just shoot them, but since I've gotten to know skunks better, I don't have the heart anymore... unless there is no choice. Eventually they leave when winter hits. Not to mention that if you hit the stink bag, wooooooooo, that is a completely new experience in life. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible for anything to smell that bad. Normally skunk smell doesn't really bother me, but when I hit that gland or whatever, I could barely retrieve the body for disposal without losing my lunch. Besides, I think this one is Bun's friend. :rolleyes:
 
  • #10
start feeding it outside by the door , then farther and farther away from the house
 
  • #11
rewebster said:
start feeding it outside by the door , then farther and farther away from the house

That's a good idea. If it's already swiping cat food, might be best to give in and just provide it food someplace more acceptable so it stays outside.
 
  • #12
Skunk is coming back with 20 more and you're going to regret what you did to it!
 
  • #13
Ivan---I think I would have popped it like it your 'olden' days---

if I remember right, skunks are the most common carrier for rabies and if you (your wife, kids (?), visiting friends, etc.) venture out, and it is or becomes rabid...

or call the local 'Dept. of Saving Wild Animals from Windex Intoxication' in your area.
 
  • #14
Careful, Ivan, now you've really pissed them off.
They're regrouping...
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/skunk.jpg
Unionizing...
union_skunk.jpg

And prepared for chemical warfare!
2658_clip_art_picture_of_a_skunk_wearing_a_gas_mask_while_spraying_stinky_odors_into_the_air.jpg
 
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  • #15
can't you call an wild-life care group near you to take care of it ?
 
  • #17
AhmedEzz said:
can't you call an wild-life care group near you to take care of it ?

No, we live in a remote area with acreage. Problems like this come with the turf.
 
  • #18
BryanP said:
Skunk is coming back with 20 more and you're going to regret what you did to it!

Yep, and coons, and nutria, and every wild cat running the area.
 
  • #19
I'm cool with raccoons, cause they are really smart and cool, but skunks...ugh...
 
  • #20
Coons can and will kill your cats and your dogs.
 
  • #21
So can the coyotes in our area, so it's not really a worry. I just admire the adaptability and ingenuity of raccoons.
 
  • #22
They are cool animals. I also had one of those getting into my office recently, and one in the house at times, but we seem to have run off both. And at one point Tsu saw three of our cats stand up to a racoon and run it off. They all stood side by side defending their turf, and luckily the racoon didn't call their bluff [of course the cats didn't know it was a bluff].

We are surrounded by cows and sheep, so any real predator problems such as coyotes, wolves, or cougars, are managed by the ranchers, immediately.
 
  • #23
Back to Windexing the skunk. He is more tentative now, which gives me time to get to the cat door with the bottle. Sooner or later I would think that he will get a good breath of Windex, and that will be it.

Btw, this was pretty funny. Our house is on a hill, and when I dump the cat box, I can just toss the litter down the hill into the pasture - never to be seen again. Some years ago I was cleaning the cat box late one night, and when I tossed the litter, the immediate, intense smell of skunk told me that there was a very unhappy skunk at the bottom of the hill. :biggrin:
 
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  • #24
Which I think is wrong (the rancher part). OK, coyotes are an exception as it has been shown that every time a large bounty is placed on coyotes, and they are hunted widely, the population INCREASES. But wolves (which I saw one of in the mountains of Eastern OR) and cougars are really cool, and don't need that.
 
  • #25
Moonbear said:
Careful, Ivan, now you've really pissed them off.
They're regrouping...
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/skunk.jpg
Unionizing...
union_skunk.jpg

And prepared for chemical warfare!
[PLAIN]http://www.illustrationsof.com/images/clipart/xsmall2/2658_clip_art_picture_of_a_skunk_wearing_a_gas_mask_while_spraying_stinky_odors_into_the_air.jpg[/QUOTE][/URL]

:smile::smile::smile: I guess I had better start carrying a couple of bottles with me at all times. Do you know where I can get a Windex holster?

You may recall that one year we were invaded - the year that we posted the pic of seven baby skunks - at times I couldn't walk from my office to the house without encountering two or three of them. And the trouble was that in the dark, I would sneak up on them.
 
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  • #26
I think maybe you should negotiate a cease-fire with the skunks
 

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