Don't pet the fart kitty mug

There are moments in life that exist as pure, preventable tragedy. This is a warning about one of them. Somewhere in the great tapestry of human experience — between touching a cactus to see if it's sharp, eating the gas station sushi, and replying all to a company wide email — sits the timeless and wholly avoidable mistake of attempting to pet the fart kitty. They look so innocent. Black and white. Fluffy. Moving through the underbrush with a gentle unhurried dignity that suggests they have nowhere important to be and all the time in the world to get there. Small. Approachable. Seemingly delighted by your attention. They are not delighted by your attention. They are merely calculating. The North American striped skunk — known to science as Mephitis mephitis, a name so aggressively on the nose that even the scientists naming it couldn't maintain a straight face — is capable of deploying a sulfuric compound detectable by the human nose at concentrations as low as one part per billion, accurate to a range of ten feet, with a supply sufficient for multiple deployments. It will ruin your afternoon. It will ruin your jacket. It will ruin your relationship with your dog who will find the whole situation considerably more interesting than you do. This boldly illustrated design features our magnificently smug fart kitty in all their glory — drawn with the kind of quiet confidence that only comes from knowing exactly what you're capable of and having absolutely no reservations about demonstrating it. The expression says everything. Don't pet the fart kitty. This is your only warning. Perfect for animal lovers, nature enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, parents of curious children, dog owners who have learned this lesson the hard way, and anyone who has ever stood in a tomato juice bath reconsidering their life choices. A perfect gift for the nature lover, the curious child who needs a gentle deterrent, the friend who has already made this mistake, the dog owner with a suspiciously well-worn bottle of tomato juice under the sink, or anyone who appreciates wildlife from a respectful and aerodynamically safe distance. Out_of_Whack — For those who ask for forgiveness... Eventually.