In case you are an avid viewer of Looney Tunes when you were a kid, you are probably wondering if Pepe Le Pew will make an amazing pet. For the wild skunks, the answer will of course be no. However, there are types of skunks that have been bred in captivity that have a loving and docile behavior. Since they are considered as an exotic pet, there are some appropriate measures that you need to take to guarantee that you will enjoy having the skunk as your pet.

Reasons Why Keeping Lafayette Skunk as Pet Is not a Good Idea

Wild animals should never be kept as Louisiana pets due to different valid reasons. In case you encountered an injured skunk while walking, you shouldn’t try to rehabilitate them yourself and keep them as pets. Wild creatures should remain as wild. Here are more reasons why you should not consider them as your pet.

Keeping them as Pets is Illegal

It is unlawful to keep the skunks in captivity especially if you do not possess the necessary licenses and permits. If you are keeping the skunk without any permit, the skunk will be confiscated by the authority. You are also not allowed to trade skunk. In order to secure a permit, you will have to go through a comprehensive training. You will also have to pass a series of test to secure a license.

They are Lafayette Wild Animals

Wild animals are wild and the process of domestication will take hundreds of years. Take our lovely Louisiana dogs for example. Even after centuries of being domesticated, they are still showing signs of being wild such as their tendency to hunt smaller animals and their chewing habit. Skunks may have a passive behavior but you still can’t predict their attitude. They will bite and release their spray once they were startled. 

They Are Carrying Disease

The Louisiana skunks will be a host for a range of diseases. They may carry rabies that can be transmitted to humans and pets. Their droppings may contain microorganisms and parasites that can carry diseases. The roundworms in their dropping are too light that can be carried through the air. If you accidentally inhaled it, this will lead to the inflammation of your organs. This can also affect the lungs and brains if not treated immediately. 

Finally, the small Lafayette skunk will not remain little. It may be difficult to resists the adorable eyes of the baby skunk but only after a few weeks, their wild instinct will start to show. During this time, some people who raise them will realize how challenging it is and will decide to release them. Unfortunately, they will not have the necessary skills that will help them survive in the wild. A baby skunk that you encountered may not necessarily require rescue. Usually, the mother skunk will just be around the corner. In the event that the mother skunk did not retrieve them, you should not keep them as pets. Call the rehabilitators that will rescue them.