SKUNK!!!! Have you smelled one?
By spalladino
@spalladino (17891)
United States
March 19, 2009 9:25pm CST
OMG, I opened the patio door to let the cat in and I thought my house was on fire! It smelled electrical to me. I called for my husband and we went outside, which is when he recognized the smell. A skunk had sprayed...and not too far away either. My daughter who lives nextdoor could smell it, too, and *naturally* there's no breeze this evening so the smell was just hanging in the air. 
Then I remembered the cat...who was now in the house. Did it get her? So, I chase her down and smell her. (Ever try to smell a mean cat?) She didn't smell TOO bad but she did smell a little like skunk so I had to chase her outside again. All this in and out let the smell into my house and I guess into my sinuses, too, because I still smell it even though I've sprayed air freshener a couple of times already.
Sometimes living down here in the country isn't all it's cracked up to be. 
Then I remembered the cat...who was now in the house. Did it get her? So, I chase her down and smell her. (Ever try to smell a mean cat?) She didn't smell TOO bad but she did smell a little like skunk so I had to chase her outside again. All this in and out let the smell into my house and I guess into my sinuses, too, because I still smell it even though I've sprayed air freshener a couple of times already.
Sometimes living down here in the country isn't all it's cracked up to be. 3 people like this
18 responses
@AmbiePam (86275)
• United States
22 Mar 09
Oh I would get skunks living in the suburbs around no woods or anything. Of course they are in the country as well. I see them all the time lying in the street, run over. I've never thought skunk's spray smelled electrical, but then again it has been a long time since I've first smelled a skunk's emissions. It's absolutely disgusting. Especially when they get under one's house, spray, then die.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
20 Mar 09
Hey spalladino! OMG! Do I know what skunk smells like! Many
many years ago my doggy Winky (my mother named him) got
sprayed! That poor sweet doggy! My father brought him home
and into the house and the smell came all through the house
upstairs where I was so fast! It actually burnt my throat it
was so strong! And, yes it doesn't smell like it does when
they spray outside, it does smell like something burnt! It
was so horrible. We had to bathe him in tomatoe juice over
and over and stunk for days! I felt so bad for him, but for
me too because the smell was so strong! It takes forever to
get that smell out of the house!
@hotsummer (13835)
• Philippines
20 Mar 09
hmm. i have not smelled a skunk before. we don't have skunk here in the philippines. it sure sound like skunk smells awful a lot. too bad there is no breeze when that thing happened.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
20 Mar 09
I never saw skunk or smell it. I have heard of it since I moved here, somebody told me when you see it, get away immdiately before you cannot wash off te smell for 10 days, then I was like really? I'm very curious to see them though, it sounds the smell is scary:-p
@saffrondreams (596)
• Canada
20 Mar 09
There is a family of skunks that live under our tool shed in the summer so the place smells awful during that time, and even worse when one of them gets run over. When I was around 9, I saw a skunk in my backyard and got sprayed when I tried to pet it.
@Xxmookie621xX (269)
• United States
20 Mar 09
ugh i've smelled it, it's horrible. haha i remember seeing a cute baby one though once, i kept my distance. it was on my way to school, it was woddleing around at about 7:10am and tryed to jump on a step to get in a yard, and fell on it's back, then it got up and jumped in lol. it was adorable.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
20 Mar 09
fortunately, i never smell a skunk before... i know that they smell really bad and it is very hard to get rid of the smell... good luck... hopefully you will be able to get rid of the smell from your cat and house soon... take care and have a nice day...
@poppoppop111 (5731)
• Canada
20 Mar 09
i actually like the smell of it. i used to camp a lot as a child and there were lots of skunks there and it reminds me of that smell, now of course i wouldn't want to be sprayed by one and smell like that myself but i do kind of like it
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
20 Mar 09
You just made it too easy for me. See what you made me go and find. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEdBndu0YUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEdBndu0YUM
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
20 Mar 09
Hah! Polecat Perfume! Sorry, I'm not laughing at you but it's just that it's part of nature and I never minded it much. Of course, that was just passing a poor departed one not one that recently sprayed.
You'll need to get some woolite and shampoo your cat in it. You might try giving her/him half a benadryl first to relax enough to endure the bath. Let it soak for as long as you can then rinse. When the cat's hair is dry, the smell should be gone.
Sorry, I'm not laughing at you but it's just that it's part of nature and I never minded it much. Of course, that was just passing a poor departed one not one that recently sprayed.
You'll need to get some woolite and shampoo your cat in it. You might try giving her/him half a benadryl first to relax enough to endure the bath. Let it soak for as long as you can then rinse. When the cat's hair is dry, the smell should be gone.
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
20 Mar 09
we have skunks around here in nj but of course we never see them, we only smell them when they either get hit by a car or let out their odor. it is not a great smell but i do not find it so gross as many people do. don't get me wrong, i do not think it smells good but i have smelled way worse than that for sure.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
20 Mar 09
I know that country living but trust me moving into the city doesn't get rid of the wildlife. When I lived in the country a skunk traveled through my backyard every night and if my windows were open the house would begin to take on that smell. There's nothing worse than waking up to that smell, it's sorta creepy. I was so excited to move to the city and get rid of the wildlife then I moved and found out we have more here than I did in the country. We have a red fox that lives in our backyard and they are extremely rare in this area. 
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
20 Mar 09
I don't thing they smell that bad, a little musty but it is a natural odor. If you get a blast direct from the skunk's bum the odour can linger for weeks. Usually it is the stupid dogs that get sprayed.
@kawalnarang (1095)
• Trinidad And Tobago
20 Mar 09
I heard about it,, so i will not need to SPRAY,, I prey that I wouldn't have to see or smell one,,
@seabeauty (1480)
• United States
20 Mar 09
I have never smelled one no. I hope I never do either. I heard you have to wash yourself in tomato juice to get the stink out. Luckily I have never encountered a skunk here in NC so far. I don't know if they even exist down here.
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
20 Mar 09
I do not have skunks in my neck of the woods which is probably a very good thing because I hear the smell can be quite outrageous. cheers!!
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
20 Mar 09
My younger brotheer had a dog that was always sticking her nose where she shouldn't. Twice, she was sniffing in Mom's straw in her barn and ended up getting sprayed by a skunk. Now, she was an indoor dog, and with the coyotes that were in the area, Mom didn't want to leave her outside too long, and especially not over night. Both times, Mom went to the store and bought tomato juice and gave the dog a bath in it. The smell lingered for several days on that dog. Looking back, it is pretty funny, but at the time, it sure wasn't pleasant.
@sysdexlicwriter (1619)
• United States
20 Mar 09
Ahhhhh, yes, country living.
I remember one spring. My mother was looking out our living room window at the side yard. She suddenly shrieked. She saw a skunk strolling across the lawn. She yelled to my dad to come and look. He came to the window and casually took in the site. Before long there seemed to be a trail of baby skunks following behind the adult skunk.
My mother was determined that dad should go outside and get rid of the skunk. My dad being the nature lover he was (yah right!) told my mother in no uncertain terms that the skunk could go anywhere she wanted undisturbed. From that time on that skunk owned the side yard until the babies were grown and they scattered in the fall.
Sorry for such a stinky story. Country life is fun.
