10/22/2026
Howwies momma says it best. 😀
“Weirdo has pet skunks. Great, this is what our world has come to.”
Let’s talk about this comment for a minute.
First, the negative comments don’t bother me. They never have. You’re entitled to your opinion, and I’m not going to lose sleep because someone on the internet doesn’t understand or agree with the animals I choose to share my life with. But I do find comments like this interesting because they open the door to a much bigger conversation.
Having a pet skunk isn’t what the world has come to. The inability to encounter something unfamiliar, step outside your own little bubble, and resist the urge to judge it or announce your disapproval is a much better example of that.
Exotic pets aren’t for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine. Captive-bred domestic skunks aren’t for everyone, either. I have never claimed they are. They require specialized care, an appropriate diet, a safe environment, and an owner willing to educate themselves about their unique needs. They are not an impulse purchase or a pet suited to every household.
But here’s what some people seem to miss: captive-bred skunks are not some brand-new trend. People have kept skunks as pets for well over a century, and captive breeding of skunks has a long-documented history. Breeding skunks specifically for the companion animal trade developed over time, and domestic skunks have been kept as pets for generations.
This is not some bizarre new development that suddenly appeared because society has lost its mind.
My skunks are not wild animals I pulled out of nature. They are captive-bred domestic skunks, and their care, personalities, and individual needs are a huge part of what I share here.
And honestly, comments like this are one of the reasons I continue sharing educational content.
Every person who has never encountered a domestic skunk has an opportunity to learn something new. Maybe they’ll learn about their intelligence, their personalities, their dietary needs, their behavior, or the difference between a wild skunk and a captive-bred domestic skunk. Maybe they’ll discover that an animal they previously knew only through stereotypes is far more interesting than they realized.
That’s the point.
I don’t expect everyone to want a skunk. I don’t expect everyone to agree with keeping exotic pets. I don’t even expect everyone to like them.
But there is a difference between something not being for you and deciding that something is wrong simply because it falls outside your personal experience.
You can dislike something without being disrespectful. You can be unfamiliar with something without assuming you already know everything about it. And you can encounter something that isn't your cup of tea without making it your mission to tell everyone else how ridiculous it is.
Or, here’s a revolutionary idea: you can simply keep scrolling.
I’ll keep sharing my three, their ridiculous personalities, their care, and the educational side of domestic skunk ownership. Not because I need to convince every person on the internet to love skunks, but because education is far more productive than judgment.
You never know what you might learn when you’re willing to look beyond what you already know.
And if nothing else, I hope Howie, Natie, and Mila can teach a few people that being unfamiliar with something doesn't automatically make it weird, wrong, or worthy of ridicule. 🦨❤️
Curiosity will always accomplish more than judgment.
