I was walking home at a brisk pace, listening to my iPod as I do, when the song I was listening to ended. In the silence I could hear a hissing sound, almost but not quite like an angry cat. I looked down and there, a meter or two away, trapped by me in an alcove of the building and with no escape route visible to it was a very small, very healthy-looking, very scared-looking young skunk.

I backed off a bit and it scampered away into the night.

It was very cute but I think it was best not to try to make friends this time.