Frolicking with the real Pepe le Pew!

I had the pleasure of photographing Sod Farms of Pasco yesterday for the Tampa Bay Times. After the shoot, I was standing at the front of the store when I looked to my left and saw what I thought was a sleeping cat. To my amazement, it wasn't a cat it was a pet skunk named Puzzola (skunk in Italian).

The owner of Sod Farms, Frank Balogh, was so awesome. Because skunks are nocturnal Frank woke up the sweetly sleeping Puzzola so I could play with him. Luckily for me, Puzzola's scent gland was removed so there is no unfortunate stinky moments!

What's it like to play with a pet skunk? It's sort of like playing with a large, clumsy cat/ferret mix but with larger claws and teeth. But don't let the fact that, similar to Pit Bulls, when a skunk bites you with its extremely sharp teeth it doesn't let go scare you off! Puzzola the skunk was extremely sweet! He likes to cuddle and loves to eat Doritos and pistachios. His favorite game is to rough house where he instinctively puts his tail in the air while he's on the attack!

It was such a pleasant surprise to end the day with a quick visit with the real life Pepe le Pew! Thanks Frank for making my day!!!

Me and Puzzola the pet skunk.

Puzzola the skunk curious of the camera.

Puzzola the skunk on the attack while rough housing with me.