I put Ferk out around 2:30 this morning. Turned on the porch light, and checked to see if there were any critters out there, cuz there's skunks and raccoons and any number of cats around here. Nothing, so open the door and put her down at the top of the ramp only to hear chittering and see something shooting up the huge old lilac tree beside the ramp. All I could think of was "Please don't let it be a skunk!!!" repeated many many times.
Ferk went out, totally oblivious, did her thing, stopped for a minute to sniff the air, then came back up the ramp. Whatever it was (either raccoon or skunk) scurried off into the undergrowth and we went back to bed. Ferk back to sleep, her mother not so much LOL. Deef, blind and not much sense of smell left is a Very. Good. Thing!!!