This Really Stinks!

"I stink, therefore I am."

Fed the Beej earlier;  he's been eating so much lately, I opened up two pouches for him, figuring I'd mix a little hard food with what he didn't eat and give it to the cat that's adopted us.

She's a fussy little heifer, turning up her nose at the cheap hard food and leaves nearly all of it and then the ants swarm over it and making me have to throw it away.  She ate most of what I put out this time, though and to keep the ants from getting all over it I gave the remains a pitch just off the porch.  It was starting to sprinkle and I figured the rain would "melt" it.

I looked outside later to see if the Beej wanted in from the rain, but my porch light was burned out.  I grabbed a flashlight I keep handy and shined the light, looking for my cat.  I saw a bushy tail poking up from the side of the porch and thought "Well, you little *&^$%#@!  You won't eat it from the dish, but you'll scarf it up off the ground!"  I took the couple of steps over to the edge of the porch, then a movement caught my eye.  It was the other cat...hmmm, wonder wonder what cat it is eating that food on the ground?

One quick look with the beam of the flashlight told me all I needed to know.  It was a skunk and my movement towards it had made it turn backwards towards me, tail up in the air, its backside quivering, ready to fire.  I wasn't but a foot or two away from it!

I got back inside as quickly as possible.  Peeking out the door and shining the light, I saw the skunk had gone away.  Thinking that maybe I could pour some strong-scented cleaner on the ground to deter it from hanging around, I grabbed the bottle from under the sink only to find the skunk had gone back to eating.  As soon as the light hit it, it resumed its "offensive" position again.  I shooed it away several times, but it kept coming back.  I even threw an old slipper at it but that didn't keep it away for very long.  I figured I was pushing my luck, so I left it alone.

For a few seconds, I thought of getting out a .22 pistol and shooting it.  I keep bird shot in one pistol -never have used it, but I would if a dog was harassing my old cat-varmint.  It didn't take long for me to figure out that might be a bad idea, esp. if any shot ricocheted or I missed, because my truck was right behind the skunk. 

I hope it's gone by the morning;  I hate being held hostage in my own house by something smaller than a cat.   I hope B doesn't smell like a skunk in the morning or he'll have to take his meals outside.  I'll have to feed the other cat up on a lawn chair in hopes the skunk can't get up there.