Should I feed a baby skunk I found?

So you have found a baby skunk in your property. Now you’re confused on what to do. You might think it could be starving and you are tempted to feed them with anything you find from your kitchen. You should be very hesitant to feed baby skunks because not all things you find are suitable for them to eat.

What you need to do when you find a baby skunk

It is important to keep the baby warm until someone picks it up. You can cover it with a towel or any unused clothing that is clean. For the record, it is highly recommended that if you find a baby skunk that you do not attempt to feed it. Baby formula, kitten formula, cat food, dog food, milk, etc. can be very harmful to the skunks and will not provide the proper nutrition they need. Moreover, they are not yet trained to swallow such food and it could make them choke instead. Your good intentions could do more harm than good for them. If you want to know what the best thing to do is, you should call the wild animal services to handle the issue.

The wrong nutrient will kill the baby even if you are not trying to harm it. Hence, keeping them warm until a rehabilitator comes will best help them to stay alive. Sometimes pets will want to disrupt or attack them, so it is best to keep them in protection and do not leave them outside in your yard. Always try to find a safe and quiet place to hide them until a rehabilitator arrives.

Another tip to warm them is to fill a sock with rice and then heat it in the microwave for one minute. This should give warmth for the baby. Or you can opt for a light bulb and have it shine on the baby; it should give the warmth that it cannot get from the mother. It is important for them to snuggle in the warmth because an orphaned baby might easily get chilled, especially during winter.

These suggestions will help the baby skunk more than feeding it will. Contact a wildlife professional to get advice on acceptable foods or hire a company to come retrieve the skunk and take it from there. Do not think that you can take the skunk in as a pet and feed it as you would a cat or dog.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Skunks page or email us if you have any other questions about Should I feed a baby skunk I found?