The tamest wild cat
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (64169)
United States
June 30, 2009 5:48pm CST
Let me start by saying this didn't happen to me. I heard it tho, from the guy who it did happen to.
I was at a party, and while it wasn't at his place, everyone told me about how he had this neat place out on the lake, so I figure this is a true story.
The party was being held by some of my science fiction friends, but not the bunch I generally hung out with. The former roommate was heavily involved in a group called Eternicon, and was part of the team running the group. This party was an Eternicon party.
So, we are sitting outside, waiting for it to get dark enough to look thru the telescopes and I was petting one of the owners cats. This guy was sitting by me, petting another one and started this story.
"These are nice cats.
"I've got some feral cats out where I live on the lake. I've been feeding them for a while and they've been hanging out when I sit outside.
"I've been hoping that one day one of them would get friendly enough to let me pet it. They would come and sit near me, but not close enough to touch.
"One evening I was sitting out there and I kind of dropped my hand down and felt something furry. I thought 'One of the cats is letting me pet it!'
"So, I started kind of gently scratching it, and it leaned into the scratching, obviously enjoying the scratching.
"I was getting curious as to which cat was letting me pet it, so, slow, so I wouldn't startle it, since it was under my chair, I started moving so I could see who it was.
"Well, first I saw black, and yeah, there were a few cats with black, but this was more black than most of those, so I shifted some more.
"I suddenly realized I wasn't petting just ANY cat! I was petting a polecat!
"I stiffened up, and kept on petting. I sure didn't want to make it unhappy with me!
"Finally, it had enough and wandered off. After that I was more careful about what I was petting!"
Needless to say, those of us listening to the story were laughing. But honestly, who wouldn't agree that skunks are pretty brazen since nothing much will mess with them!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk
7 people like this
17 responses
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
30 Jun 09
hehehe that's hilarious, would have loved to see the expression....
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
1 Jul 09
I have had several friends who have had skunks for pets. I'm told that they're very affectionate and playful. One friend had found (or was found by) a litter whose mother apparently had been killed or something, because one day they just showed up at his doorstep. He never had them descented, and they continued to come around for a couple of years before they moved on. All of them, while they were hanging around, loved to be petted and scratched.
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
1 Jul 09
I've heard they are good pets. There's a video some place where these people have about 5 rescue skunks they keep in their house, they aren't descented either, but they say they've NEVER had a spray incident because they were brought up as pets with cats and dogs in the house too.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
1 Jul 09
I love wild cats they are so graceful and beautiful I think they are the nice looking animals in the world. Yeah I guess a little skunk can be brazen he knows nobody wants to mess with him.
3 people like this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
4 Jul 09
Talk about a "What the HELLO!" moment!
*
Skunks can be quite unafraid of Humans, waltzing right in through the cat door to munch down on cat crunchies (or dog munchies). So can many 'wild' animals accumulate themselves to Humans that move in on their territory, they will just move back. The funniest video I ever saw was a tiny tiny deer fawn wobbling in through a cat door, look around, "Um...where am I?" and wobble right back out.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
5 Jul 09
That is CUUUUTE! I know that animals often use partnerships between species for the benefit of both, but a horse & a deer?!?
1 person likes this
@mrakobesie (1246)
• United States
14 Jul 09
my 3 cats were born in a wild and were later on abused. when my boyfriend rescued them, they were very scared and fought back. these little kittens scratch my boyfriend's arm so bad that he was dripping blood everywhere. he help the most aggressive kitten to his chest and eventually he came down and started purring. he is now a total mush, very cute guy, but they can kill anyone who threatens them. I find a lot of wild animals very cute and loving. many of them although people hate them are actually really sweet. some of them have families that they would do anything for. people can easily befriend some of them.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
14 Jul 09
did you read what kind of wild cat I was talking about?
You've gotta understand, I've currently got 6 ferals in my house, one is 8 yrs old (or is that 9 now?) The youngest are a trio of 3-4 month kittens that I'm holding onto until they are old enough to fix and then they are going to a horse barn to catch mice with their mother...
@mrakobesie (1246)
• United States
15 Jul 09
yes, i saw... but many of skunks and raccoons are very sweet... a raccoon that lives in my boyfriend's father's backyard keeps on trying to befriend people... i think he is very cute :) he keeps on going to the doors and windows and waits for people... these animals have very tight families, once they found a mate, they will stay together till the end.
1 person likes this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
3 Jul 09
OMG! Your frined was lucky that he did not get spayed. I have never been sprayed myself but all I knwo of skunks is Peppe LePue form the cartoons. lol
@caver1 (1762)
• United States
1 Jul 09
Good story
Back in our pre-kids days hubby and I were camping for a week. One evening after a supper of steak, potato and corn on the cob on the grill, we were relaxing in our lounge chairs and reading. We heard a rustling sound and hubby said "don't move". There was a skunk going though our trash.
We sat and watched him and he eventually chose a corn cob and wandered off with it. You're right about not messing with a skunk, he basicly had us held captive until he left.
Back in our pre-kids days hubby and I were camping for a week. One evening after a supper of steak, potato and corn on the cob on the grill, we were relaxing in our lounge chairs and reading. We heard a rustling sound and hubby said "don't move". There was a skunk going though our trash. We sat and watched him and he eventually chose a corn cob and wandered off with it. You're right about not messing with a skunk, he basicly had us held captive until he left.1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
5 Jul 09
Good thing I know polecat=skunk. We have many skunk stories up here. I'm amazed the skunk didn't spray him. They do tend to eat a lot of cat food. I had to bring my cat feeding indoors (even though messy) because between the skunks and raccoons, my cat (who likes to eat at night) was lucky if he got any food. They are neat creatures though, omnivores who are quite adaptive. They don't get as big as raccoons. We have some huge ones here and they can get rabies. Thanks for the story, wild animal ones are always fun.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
1 Jul 09
HA!!!
It's been ages since I heard a skunk referred to as a polecat. It's nice to hear! I don't doubt his story, though. Animals are unpredictable and the skunk probably saw over time that it had nothing to fear from your friend.
1 person likes this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
1 Jul 09
[b]Oy! You were just as involved in Eternacon as I was!
Yeah, I remember that night, if not that story. A "star watching party" is a grand event. I loved that really large scope. The moon never looked closer! Well, okay, ONCE--when I was hitching through the SW desert, & the Moon was HUGE right at ground level straight in front of us, & looked every bit as wide as the road! I swear you could see the shadows of the mountains in the lunar "seas!"
But your story reminded me of something my aunt Oleta (may she rest in peace) once told me. In the area where she lived at that time, my G-Parents' farm--a very backwoods part of NW Louisiana--she was sitting on the porch & a few of the many house cats morons dumped off there were on the porch with her. She felt one nudge up against her hand, & she absently skritchled it on the head. She didn't look at first, but eventually she did, & discovered she'd been petting a BIG cat--one of the wild variety!
As it was my crazy aunt, I was skeptical until I recalled that one moonlit night when I was a little girl, I saw a black panther cross that same yard! Totally silently, it moved from the shadows to the light, then back into the heavy shadows. I was thrilled.
Reports of the occasional panther still come in from time to time. The areas still is pretty rural & overgrown. I just know I'll never forget how that brush with the wild made me feel.
Maggiepie
"WHERE'S THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?"[/b]
Yeah, I remember that night, if not that story. A "star watching party" is a grand event. I loved that really large scope. The moon never looked closer! Well, okay, ONCE--when I was hitching through the SW desert, & the Moon was HUGE right at ground level straight in front of us, & looked every bit as wide as the road! I swear you could see the shadows of the mountains in the lunar "seas!"
But your story reminded me of something my aunt Oleta (may she rest in peace) once told me. In the area where she lived at that time, my G-Parents' farm--a very backwoods part of NW Louisiana--she was sitting on the porch & a few of the many house cats morons dumped off there were on the porch with her. She felt one nudge up against her hand, & she absently skritchled it on the head. She didn't look at first, but eventually she did, & discovered she'd been petting a BIG cat--one of the wild variety!
As it was my crazy aunt, I was skeptical until I recalled that one moonlit night when I was a little girl, I saw a black panther cross that same yard! Totally silently, it moved from the shadows to the light, then back into the heavy shadows. I was thrilled.
Reports of the occasional panther still come in from time to time. The areas still is pretty rural & overgrown. I just know I'll never forget how that brush with the wild made me feel.
Maggiepie
"WHERE'S THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?"[/b]1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
1 Jul 09
Hey Elic! Before you even said anything I knew what you were
going to say! We have so many skunks around where I live! It
is such a shame because they are really so beautiful to look
at and they really look like they are so sweet! If only~ well
you know! That guy was really luck! I guess they want love too!
But, because of their "reputation" not too many people want
to get close enought to pet them! I have run into a few when
I have taken my garbage out late at night! I look at it and
it looks at me and the tail is up and I don't know which one
of us is more scared! Probably me because I know what kind of
damage they can do when they are mad! My dog got sprayed years
ago and it was the most horrific and deadly smell ever! It
burned my throat and smelled up everything in the house for
weeks! Nevermind the poor dog who had to be bathed in tomato
juice which didn't work!
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
1 Jul 09
That is hilarious! There are so many possible comments to that one but alas... I'll leave it at "that is hilarious!"
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169448)
• United States
1 Jul 09
I do not doubt that it happened. My hubby is fond of skunks and of possums. I have known of people who had squirrels eat out of their hands. Hubby, at two different times in his younger life, took glass milk bottles off the heads of skunks with no ill effect. I honestly thought you were going to say it was a cougar or some other type of a wild cat like a bobcat that had taken a liking to him. I have heard of that happening as well.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Jul 09
I read something similar in a book by Garrison Keillor...
1 person likes this
@dreamweaverjan (3471)
• United States
1 Jul 09
Oh Elic: That's a great story, Heck I can believe that!! Can you imagine???
Oh my!!
They are a bit brazen you know? and so Fearless!! LOL!
1 person likes this
