An interesting visitor this morning.

Let me know if possums are immune to rabies and I will quit relocating the little darlings.

At one time we had almost 16 cats. They would hang around the front door and be under foot every time you went outside.

One night I stepped out, arms loaded, scooting cats with my feet so I could get through them and on to the car. I don't know what made me look down, but the one I was getting ready to scoot with my foot WASN't a cat!! I went backing up back through the front door as fast as I could. DH was sitting at the kitchen table wondering why I was falling over myself backing into the house! I told him that one wasn't a cat, and his hind end was directed right at my front door! All I could think was he was going to spray directly into my kitchen!!

I didn't seem to rile that skunk at all, but he sure backed me up full speed!!

DH and I were once out for an early-morning bike ride on the narrow country roads where we live. I was in front of him and going fairly fast when a fat skunk waddled out of the cornfield and stopped dead-center of the road. I almost went head-over-teakettle braking, and practically got rear-ended by DH. He said, "What the...!" but saw why soon enough.

I would rather have steered wild and crashed into the corn than gotten sprayed!

The skunk sat there and looked confused for a minute, then wandered back into the corn where he'd come from.

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"I'm not mean. You're just a sissy." - Happy Bunny

"I think you should be able to flush anything you want. Just don't call me when your toilet clogs." - BlueHeron Farm

My now 20yods used to work at night for an electrician about 2 years ago. They were changing out lights at a department store so had to work nights. He didn't have a working car at the time so would ride his bike to the electricians shop in town.

One night they got off work and he was riding home at 3am. We are about 3 or 4 miles from town. He was coming down a long stretch of street when he noticed a black kitty in the middle of the road. He was slowing down to stop and pet the kitty when he noticed the black stripes and that the 'kitty' turned his back and had his butt in the air aimed at my son.

He said without thinking he sped up and put his foot out and kicked that skunk out of the way. Said he turned around and saw that poor thing running down the street away from my son as fast as his little legs would let him.

I don't know who was scared worse. Steven or the skunk!

Debi

I'll share this little tip on how to get rid of skunks in a hurry. They can't recognize a human if we are wearing a mask. You can use anything, a paper bag, a Halloween mask, even a towel tied around your face. Put on your disguise and slowly walk up real close and swat them with a broom or a mop handle. This is guaranteed to cause them to run away and never return.

Let me know how this works for you. Its worked for me everytime I have tried this neat little trick.

We had a visiting skunk once looking for cat food also. Actually, he came around every couple of nights. He had a regular route that took him through our yard, to the compost bin, and out the back. This was in town. Skunks tend to be nocturnal. You might want to think about putting cat food out in the morning, but bringing it in again mid afternoon.

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Nothing is as strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength - St. Francis de Sales

I called the wildlife folks here in Fla. because I had one trying to get through the kitty door into the house. He told me Possum do not get rabies. That doesn't matter when they come into my lanai (I prop the screen door for the kitties) and eat the cat food. I still don't want them there, rabies or not. Don't want that skunk back on my lanai either. Solved that problem by taking up the food at night.

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Nina's Grammy

One morning, just before good light, I was traveling to a clients house and along side a main road I could see a 'teenage' oppossum carrying a white bag with the Wendy's logo on it!! The bag was folded down at the top and he had it in his mouth and just seem really proud of his 'find'! I thought it was the funniest site and would love to have had my camera!!! Even now when I think of this site it brings a smile to my face....Would have made a wonderful Wendy's commerical--"We are open late for all kinds of creatures" ... Queen Bee

Jan, after a possum vs. pet incident I asked the Santa Clara CA health department about opossums and rabies, because they track rabies throughout the county.

Opossums cannot carry rabies, according to the public health folks here.

Raccoons can, and skunks are the worst offenders for it.

Hence the nickname, stinkfinger!