Phantom got to take her favorite bed with her (plus toys and treats) to her new forever home and got herself all set for the short road trip before it was even time to leave.
She's a good girl and I'll miss her. She was part of Orange's litter that was born in our house on June 28, 2022. Growing up, she and her sister Pengin lived in Spokane for awhile before rejoining our family here. (That might be why she was bullied. And/or I suspect that she and Pengin – who also got picked on – were seen as "different" because they possibly have a different father than their litter mates.1 Though probably the same grandfather. It's complicated.)
Meanwhile, our "baby" skunks that I mentioned exactly one month ago are continuing to thrive. They aren't really babies anymore. Definitely juveniles. There are four of them, and we still have some nights when all four visit. But more typically it's just a couple of them, including the one who is somewhat tame and fond of me. Going against Wildlife Wisdom, I did pet this skunk gently a few times while it was occupied with eating. But I will be smart moving forward and fully cease this practice. It's a bad example, it can make the skunk too tame (endangering it in other situations) and, most importantly, rabies is bad, bad news.
Still, I figure it's OK to name this skunk. I went with Pinky, because I've started to distinguish the different markings on their backs. One has a big black stripe in the middle of the white on the back. One has two small black spots in the middle of the white. And Pinky has an all-white back except for a tiny bare spot where his/her pink skin shows through. Thus, Pinky. Is good skunk.
Footnote
1. Today's Word of the Day, kiddos, is superfecundation.