Before we brought Hobkin home, we cordoned off a 6×9′ segment of the kitchen using seven 24″ tall panels of Rover Gate.

We bought a 6×9′ remnant piece of vinyl flooring to protect the hardwood floor in our kitchen. It’s held down primarily by a large shelving unit which has a base high enough off the floor for Hobkin to also use as a hidey-hole.

He’s got a litter pan, toys, hidey-holes, blankets, a water bowl, and food tray in his area, although he only spends an hour or two a day locked away in it.

We knew that it was very important that we skunk-proof every room that Hobkin was going to be in, so we installed safety plugs on all the vacant power outlets, and baby locks secure all of the kitchen cabinets. However, we missed a small section of the kitchen where the builders hadn’t secured a bottom panel on the cabinets, and Hobkin discovered it the first week we had him. Matthew caught him as his head and front legs were disappearing into the neverland of the cabinet. We both managed to pull him out, and then Matthew spent the rest of the evening screwing plastic over the hole while I crawled around the floor checking for any other areas we’d missed.

I don’t know what we would have done if we hadn’t caught him in time. Probably torn up the kitchen cabinets with a crowbar to get him back. That was a terrifying experience, and I’m very glad we’ve never had any more scares like that.