Is It Legal For My Iowa Neighbor To Get This Unique Pet?

We love our pets and my neighbor is apparently getting a unique one.

I live in Davenport and my neighbor recently told me his girlfriend is getting a very different pet. He has dogs, I have cats, and she's going to have...well...an interesting one that my neighbor says will likely be a loving animal that's cuddly like a cat.

Evidently, he couldn't see the scratch marks my cat left on my arm.

Anyway, I was curious when he told me the kind of animal this is and wanted to know if legally, this could be owned as a pet. I'm not a narc, I wouldn't rat them out if it's not. Pets are a delightful part of life and not every pet parent wants to own a conventional critter.

Iowa Is One Of Three States That Allow This

World Population Review says that Iowa allows people to own skunks as pets. That's what my neighbor's girlfriend is planning to get.

via GIPHY

Iowa, South Dakota, and Wyoming are the only states in which you can own a pet skunk with no permit. In 12 other states, it's legal to own a pet skunk but you'll be subject to regulations, permits, applications, and home inspections.

But It Must Be A Certain Kind Of Skunk

My neighbor's girlfriend has done her research and she's going about this the smart way. There's a difference between a domesticated skunk and a wild skunk.

When domesticated baby skunks are about 3 weeks old, their scent glands are removed. There's an ongoing debate about whether or not that's humane because that's the animal's form of defense. That's why skunks need to be strictly indoor pets.

You can't just go out into the woods and capture a skunk, slap a collar on it, and name it. But if you want one, it's a good idea to do your research and find a domesticated one like my neighbor's girlfriend is. It could be a cuddly, sweet pet, who knows?