Acrylic and Watercolor on Wood
16" x 20"
Perfume Skunk
Bred By; Rutherford B. Haze
Rutherford B. Haze is a man of scents. Throughout his life Haze has experimented with a wide range of fragrances from lavender to wormwood essence. In 2010 Haze took a leave of absence from his geneticist job, and explored the Amazon for rare and peculiar scents. Unfortunately his two year expedition was a failure, and all he discovered was palm oil plantations. Upon return Haze detected The Cultivated Critter’s competition, and his spirits were promptly lifted. Haze stated, “The Cultivated Critter’s competition could not have arrived at a better time. I was feeling disgruntled from my trip to the Amazon, and needed a new project to occupy my mind. I am a man of fragrances, and knew I was going to create a scent based critter. After much brainstorming, I landed on the skunk. An animal I have always respected for its pungent spray. However the skunk is flawed... its odor is putrid! I wanted to create the perfect skunk, a skunk that blows an exquisite perfume out of its anus”. Haze began by creating the scent his skunks would spray. He made three variations of Perfume Skunk, and crafted rosewood, lavender, and coriander based fragrances. Haze then gathered striped skunks, and isolated the genes responsible for its spray. Through chemical treatments, he saturated the genes with molecules from his fragrances. The molecules intoxicated the skunk’s genes, and they produced an odor comparable to the exposed scent. Haze continued the molecular manipulation of the skunk’s scent glands, and bred the skunks who underwent the treatment. By breeding the skunks at the earliest possible age, Haze was able to create a generation of skunks born with rosewood, lavender, or a coriander spray. In addition, Haze also provided supplements to dye the skunk’s stripe in coordination with its scent. Pink for rosewood, purple for lavender, and light green for coriander.
The Perfume Skunk is tricky to care for, and may cause mischief around the house. It’s wise to lock cupboards and draws, and keep debris off the floor. Consider hiding valuable objects, and remember that the Perfume Skunk will climb cabinets. Like all skunks, the Perfume Skunk is a nocturnal animal. Allow the skunk to rest during the day, and be active at night. Due to chemical exposure, the Perfume Skunk is susceptible to cancer, and regular checkups are necessary. The wild skunk’s spray is the animal’s primary form of defense. Since the perfume skunk no longer has its noisome spray, the animal is especially vulnerable to predators. Make sure that your skunk does not wander off alone, and always keep an eye on it while it’s outside. A predator may be around the corner, and it’s up to the owner to protect his or her Perfume Skunk. That being said, the Perfume Skunk must be kept indoors for its safety. Due to this, the skunk should be played with regularly to prevent a sedentary life. While difficult to care for, the Perfume Skunk is a wonderful pet. This animal is as loving as any dog, and its spray will freshen your home for the foreseeable future.
