IT’S A GOOD thing Tammy Mirante is a hardcore animal lover, because she’s taken to a critter that most don’t find that endearing. She shares her home with her husband, her three kids, two golden retrievers, a pair of Chihuahuas and, most notably, two skunks. The brothers, named Kipper and Remy, arrived two years ago after an acquaintance who was a skunk rehabilitator (yes, that’s a job) asked if she wanted to adopt one, knowing of her outsize love of animals. In the end, she took in two.
“They’re rescues from a fur farm,” explains Mirante, who lives in Fortville.
One of the retrievers embraced the new playmates instantly; the other can take or leave them. The Chihuahuas recoiled in horror—and stayed that way. To this day, they perch on the couch to avoid fraternizing with the irksome fart squirrels.
Mirante trained the boys, who had their scent glands removed at the farm, to do their business on pee pads. That process is not so different than with puppies—lots of praise and treats, which for skunks can be berries or raw, unsalted nuts. Kipper, Mirante says, is “like your toddler who is into everything, all the time.” Remy, though, is nearly as skittish as the Chihuahuas, fleeing at the sound of unfamiliar voices. Skunks typically weigh 7 pounds or so, but the portly fellas, good eaters both, tip the scales at 15 pounds. They sleep all day, throwing their considerable weight around at night. All night.
The real drama begins when they get annoyed, perhaps by the smell of vinegar or citrus, or by their food bowl taken to be cleaned. “They stomp! And then they throw their butts at you,” Mirante shares. A full warning display involves a tail in the air, which in the wild means they’re about to hit you with a massive dose of regret.
Skunks are intelligent, playful, and cute. But does Mirante recommend one as a pet? Maybe, for someone who’s home a lot and can handle the nocturnal activity. But she’s sure of this: It’s a long-haul commitment. “They’re more work than a child, really,” she says. “And that’s coming from a woman with three.
