We saw our first domesticated Mephitis mephitis, or striped skunk, in March of 2002. We were immediately charmed by the little creature and started researching them. There was a lot of learn and we had many questions, but it didn’t take very long for us to realize that we wanted to add one of these delightful creatures to our family.

We made a trip to Critter Haven Exotics the week of May 27, 2002, to pick up our new baby. Troy and Jodi Grant breed skunks, lynxes, and foxes for the pet market, and the pet market only, and they don’t sell to pet stores. They have an excellent reputation and we were very lucky to find them. We didn’t want to buy from Ruby’s Fur Farm, which is the big breeder we kept running into in the pet skunk newsgroup circles. As you might expect from their name, Ruby’s sells to pet stores and the fur trade, and they’re a mill. We refuse to patronize any company that perpetuates travesties like fur or mass market breeding.

We named the new baby “Hobkin” because he struck us as the sort of critter hobs—fey creatures like brownies or bogies—would live with. He’s mischievous, inquisitive, and enchanting.

Hobkin is a chocolate chip specimen of Mephitis mephitis because of the white “chip” markings on his knees. Check out his photo galleries for more candids. He was born on April 8th. In November, 2003, we took him to his very first skunk show, the 9th Annual Supreme Skunk Show sponsored by the American Domestic Skunk Association (ADSA) in Oakwood, GA. He did very well, taking home four ribbons, including First Place-Prettiest Tail, Adult Division and 2nd Place (1st Reserve) Best in Show Chocolate Chip.