An (Almost) Stinky End to the Week

It's been a very long, very busy, very problem-filled week -- especially for a short week that started out with a holiday on Monday.  I'll spare you the details, but this pretty much sums up how my week has gone:

And as I arrived home this evening, it almost came to a much stinkier end.

I pulled into my driveway after work this evening around 8:30pm or so.  It was dark out, is the main point.  As I'm getting out of the car I hear a squeak, like a kitten or a small cat.

I assumed that it was one of my little feral cat visitors.  This little one has been hanging out lately, and has taken to sleeping on my back steps in the evening.  I started leaving food out for the poor little thing, as you could see its ribs it was so skinny, and I put out a box with a blanket since it was getting down into the 40s at night.

Feral kitty friend

I didn't see the little cat on the steps, and I immediately started to panic that it had run into the driveway as I was pulling in and I had hit it.  I was already trying to think of the closest emergency vet that would be open as I started to slowly walk around the car, peeking underneath.

I was so focused on looking under the car that I was not paying attention to where I was walking.  I was almost to the back steps when I heard another little squeak. Well, that obviously did not come out from beneath the car.  

I looked up, and then I froze. 

There, sitting by the bottom of the steps, munching away on the dry cat food, was a skunk.  I don't know which of us was more surprised to see the other standing there.

I very slowly walked back around my car, as I did not want to startle my visitor in any way. Apparently Friskies Grillers is a delectable treat, as it went right back to munching away.

You just keep eating, buddy.  I'm going to slowly get the hell out of here.

Needless to say, I did NOT go in the back door.  

Thank you, little skunk, for not spraying me or the house.  Much appreciated.  Maybe my deer friend from the other day has spread the word amongst the fuzzy inhabitants of the neighborhood that I am a cool person, friend to the animals, and they should not mess with me.

Or maybe I should just thank Friskies for being a taste sensation for cats and skunks alike.  

Whatever the case may be, I'm just happy I am not taking a tomato juice bath this evening.