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down_home's avatar
down_home
Explorer II
Feb 23, 2014

Opposssssums

A little bit ago as I was opening up the puter, I heard a racket on the porch. Dakota didn't even care. Medium sized Oposuum had eaten all the cat's food and was rattling around the bowl. He sullied up and hissed at me. I hit him with a hoe but not hard enough to hurt him.
Cute for a possum. If he will cooperate and go into the trap next time. Might entertain the idea of making a pet out of him. I had a Client that fed them every evening but they were still wild. They petted the things. Not putting my hands on anything wild without a firm grip. Had pet Raccoon and getting anywhere near him while eating might aw well been a bear.

18 Replies

  • Happytraveler wrote:
    A couple of years ago our dog Katie had a baby opossum in her mouth heading for the doggy door. I stopped her in the nic of time, LOL. I think she wanted another friend :B
    My cousin feeds opossums in her backyard. She leaves cat food and water out for them. I have no idea why she doesn't have any damage in her yard because they are notorious for digging up the grass for worms. We replaced out grass with plants because of the opossums.



    That is interesting. In Florida, the armadillo is the one that digs up turf grass to get at grubs.

    Possums do NOT make good pets. Sharp teeth, poor vision, so they are easily startled, not the brightest animal, and have a poor attitude.
  • When I was a docent at our zoo, we always had a tame opossum that we'd take to schools. Folks would check for a pouch on fresh roadkill in the spring: it seems the babies can live about 24 hrs past the mother's demise. But even a hand raised baby doesn't exactly make a "pet".... they were just odd creatures with no personality who would allow humans to hold it or touch it.
  • A couple of years ago our dog Katie had a baby opossum in her mouth heading for the doggy door. I stopped her in the nic of time, LOL. I think she wanted another friend :B
    My cousin feeds opossums in her backyard. She leaves cat food and water out for them. I have no idea why she doesn't have any damage in her yard because they are notorious for digging up the grass for worms. We replaced out grass with plants because of the opossums.
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    Hey Darrell - we have a cat door in our garage door and you never know what you are going to run eye to eye with in there. We have a second cat door going into the washer/dryer room from the garage side. Our one indoor/outdoor cat knows pretty much where the heat is during the winter months... He will scratch on the door to get into the house from the washer/dryer room or go get up on the window air conditioner and stare at the window until the dog inside start barking. I guess the strangest animal was a ferret but he was a pet from down the street.

    The possum makes a big noise eating the cat food... He has to hold his head sideways to eat so it makes alot of noise and a big mess on the floor. I can tell when one is inside haha... I've had rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, probably all of the neighborhood cats one time or another, even birds. I guess the birds hop thru the door opening but then don't know how to get out. I have to open the garage to let them out...

    Roy Ken
  • We have lots of these nuisance 'possums in GA. Many end up as road kill.
  • You keep those things in your county Roy, we have enough. :)


    I don't think I wold have one as a pet. Unless we found it VERY young, and it lived outside. They will always be wild, I have see racoons kept as "pets" but they never are tame enough to really be safe, I suspect these critters are the same.
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    good luck with Making them your pet idea...

    Sure is alot of teeth here... They hiss alot as well...

    photo from google search

    I have managed to trap a few here and carry them off to the other side of the county. I think they beat me back home hehe...

    Roy Ken

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