There is no way this makes any sense to me and there's no use in trying to convince me otherwise. Just last month, we learned that in the state of Iowa, you cannot legally own a pet raccoon. Do people do this on the low or regularly feed raccoons around their house? Probably. Keeping them as a pet is however illegal. You're telling me you can't own a raccoon but you can own one of these? You don't even need a permit to keep this animal as a pet in Iowa.

While these aren't technically rodents, I'd put these and raccoons in the same category. The big rat's category. Why would anyone want one of these as a pet anyway? They don't really seem that cute whenever I see them out and about.

Unsplash - Bryan Padron
Unsplash - Bryan Padron
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Okay... this little guy is kind of cute but once that cuteness factor wears off, you're left with an adult skunk. How can you own a pet skunk but you can't own a pet raccoon? They're kind of the same thing, aren't they? After a quick google search, the average skunk weighs about 13 pounds compared to the average raccoon, which weighs about 15 pounds. I'm sure there's some scientific explanation about how these animals are different and yes, I get it, they are but they're about the same size. How different are they really? 

It turns out there are 17 states where owning a pet skunk is legal and there are 3 states where you don't even need a permit to keep one. Iowa is one of those states where no permit is necessary if you'd like to keep a little Pepe Le Pew of your very own, according to World Population Review.

All joking aside, you do not want to try and capture a wild skunk and turn it into a pet. The biggest difference between a wild skunk and a domesticated skunk is the scent glands, which are used as a defense mechanism and create a terrible odor for wild skunks, are removed from skunks who are meant to be pets, at 3 weeks old.

Exotic Animal Laws In Iowa

If you're interested in owning a pet skunk, you legally can't go out and snag one on the side of the road. It does have to be a "captive-bred skunk." It should be noted that skunk ownership has been banned in Des Moines as part of their local dangerous animal ordinance. So if you happen to live in the state capitol, you're out of luck.

What would you name a skunk if you ended up getting one as a pet? The only name that I keep coming back to is Josh. Mostly because I have a friend named Josh who would be really upset with me if I named a pet skunk after him.

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