Opossums

[cassiesmom]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Opossum_with_grapes.jpg/275px-Opossum_with_grapes.jpg

We have so many opossums hanging around this summer. They give me the willies because of their hand-shaped paws and their tails. I know they don't transmit diseases, but they seem always to be hanging around. What is an opossum, anyway? I think there are also many more raccoons this year, but maybe that's just me.

[Ginger's Mom]

I am fairly certain they are marsupials. What really scares me about opposums are their mouths. They have very strong jaws and can open their mouths really wide (like at almost a 90 degree angle). I remember my first dog had a real interest in wild life and wanted to make friends with all of the skunks and possum in our neighborhood. Not what I considered to be a good idea. :rolleyes:

[kt_luvs_kitties]

I love opossums. I used to hand feed them at my old house. They usually are more scared of you than you are of them. I just wish I had some at the new house.

They might not be the prettiest things to look at, but I just think they are sweet.

"MY" opossums, would come to my house everynight and wait for me to bring them Peanut butter sandwiches. They would take them from me, and I could even pet them.

If I was you, I would either ignore them and make sure your garbage is contained or, do like I did and feed them. But they do keep coming back if you feed them.

Your opossum looks skinny to me. Poor little fella.

GOOD LUCK!

[lizbud]

We have a lot of them around my neighborhood. They only come out in
the evenings or after dark. They seem to be coming from a area south of
this block. They are really passive little buggers & never attack anything.

Someone told me they are attracted by dog/cat food left outside. They
are not pretty at all & Maggie & Smokey go nuts when they find one out
in the back yard on their nightly outtie.:) ( It quickly climbs the fence or
nearest tree)

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Yes, that is how we made friends. I was feeding the ferals, and looked out one day, and the opossum was sharing the food dish with the kitties, and the kitties did not mind.

After that, the opossum must have told his buddies, because I had 4-5 opossums that came every night. Then they had babies and we had them too. They would lay on the porch with the kitties. It was very special. If I could have packed them up and brought them with me, I would have. But they dont know this area, and with all of the strays dogs, and a couple of foxes, I was too scared to do it. I hope they are well:(

[Freedom]

Kate I am a amazed! The opossums around here EAT the kittens, up to about 6 weeks old. They are never permitted near our feral colonies! We shoo them and make them feel much more comfortable AWAY from the cats, kittens and colony turf.

[RockyRoad]

We`ve had a lot of those around here too lately. They usually keep to themselves, but I`ve had to hastily stop my car on numerous occasions because they walk right out into the street. Once one of them stopped and stared at me, and I got out thinking it was someone`s cat or small dog that they were missing (no ferals around here - usually a wandering cat is a runaway). Once it moved into the light, though, I saw it was an opossum. I always thought they were sort of creepy looking.. not sure why though. I think it`s because when I was a kid and I watched A Goofy Movie I always got scared of the machine possums that broke down. :rolleyes: But ours keep to themselves. They mostly hang out in the woods behind my backyard and rarely do I see them in the yard itself.

[Randy_K]

My mom has an opossum resident in her backyard. They just love snails so he keeps her flower beds clean of them. Opossums are timid creatures but will defend themselves if cornered. My mom's cat lets the opossum have the yard at night (he's sleeping on the bed!) but they coexist peacefully.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

I have pictures, when I go back to my moms, I will see if I can remember to post them, since they are saved on her computer! They would take the Peanut butter sandwiches, and then dip them in the water dish, and eat them.... TOO CUTE!:D

They also ate the cat food, if I was not there to feed them fast enough;):p

[Scooter's Mom]

Gosh... now I feel bad. My only experience with them is hearing them in the backyard growing up and my mom shooting them with her .22 handgun. Not legal, but the police officer next door never turned her in!

My mom was a character though - she used to take a flounder gig and chase those big old field rats... they'd come into the yard and eat Thibideaux (her poodle) food. I'd call her at lunch and she'd answer the phone all out of breath and when I ask why she'd casually say, "oh I was just gigging some rats out back." (We lived next to a pasture with horses...)

I hadn't ever seen an opossum up close... thanks for the photo!

[DJFyrewolf36]

I saw an Opossum last night. We have a lot of snails in the yard and I guess he was out looking for them. He looked pretty small though, maybe he was young.
Opossums arent native to Nevada so this was the first time Ive ever seen one out it the wild. It was pretty neat!

[molucass]

http://i36.tinypic.com/wvbswg.jpg
My aunt went outside in her backyard one night to let her dogs go potty, and she noticed this little guy swimming in her pool.. Lol..
Not a very good pic, but she took it with her cell phone.

I think they are cute, but they do kinda freak me out a bit.

[Pam]

I have pictures, when I go back to my moms, I will see if I can remember to post them, since they are saved on her computer! They would take the Peanut butter sandwiches, and then dip them in the water dish, and eat them.... TOO CUTE!:D

They also ate the cat food, if I was not there to feed them fast enough;):p

I would love to see the pictures!! :) A couple of years ago, in the fall, I took a walk through the woods behind my house. (I can't do it in the summer because of the poison ivy. :rolleyes: ) I came across an old tree with a hollowed out part at the bottom and I almost walked past except that some fur in that hole caught my eye. It was an oppossum! :eek: It totally ignored me (the does saying 'playing possum' come to mind here?) I was afraid of it :p so I quickly came home. :)

Fast forward to the other day.... Bella killed some kind of baby critter in the yard. I am thinking it might have been a mole or an opposum. I even started a thread about it here: http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=144847 When I first saw the critter it was only for a split second before she ran off with it so I thought it was a mouse. Later on I found it again in the yard and took a picture of it which I will attach. Do those of you who have encountered opposums, think this was a baby possum? Molucass the picture you posted is adorable. :)

[Casper]

I suppose all of the opossums around here seem to have migrated up north. :D
Really, I haven't seen as many this year as I normally do... but, I have to admit that I think they are rather cute. Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who thinks hairless rats are cute, as well. Hehe.

We still have plenty of raccoons, though! There is a back road near me where a mama coon nests each year. If you go out at dark and shine a light up in the tree you can see a pair of glowing eyes looking down at you... sometimes you can see her babies looking down, too.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

Nope. That is not a opossum;)

Babies are born and kept in a sack kinda like a kangaroo, once older they ride on their mothers back. :D

From the picture, that looks like a mole...

[Freedom]

Oh yes, Kate, I would love to see those photos as well! Hope you can get to that 'chore' for us!

[Willow Oak]

One morning as I was prepring to leave for work, I stopped to say bye to my outside kitties. I usually will pick them up and give them a hug and check on their food and water. One kitty that I picked up felt kinda funny to me. I couldn't see that well because it was very early and still very dark. I put the kitty down and took a closer look. I went inside to get my camera, and here is what I was holding and hugging:

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii182/eulersequation/Possum/Oposso.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii182/eulersequation/Possum/Posso.jpg

Cool, huh?

[Freedom]

here is what I was holding and hugging

I bet SHE (he?) was as startled as you were! (What the heck? All I want to do is EAT!)

Oh my, lucky you didn't get a bite or scratch, as I don't believe that was anymore used to a hug from a human than a true feral! (If you were routinely hugging your outside cats, they had been socialized somewhat.)

So was it the long snout that gave it away? :D

[DJFyrewolf36]

Willow, be glad that most Opossums are concidered friendly! The one roaming around here is a very nice critter. The elderly ladies of the neighborhood feed the oudoor cats and there are a ton of snails about so he has quite a few reasons to hang around! Hubby was outside the other night and managed to coax the little guy into eating a snail right next to his feet!
It was kind of gross seeing him devour a snail but at the same time it was neat to know that our opossum friend is trusting of us. I hope though no one thinks of him as a pest and traps him, or worse, shoots him :(

[Edwina's Secretary]

When we lived in Chicago a possum got stuck in our window well once. It was sound asleep. While we figured out how to get it out of the window well (it was too deep for it to climb out) I went to the basement and turned on the light. That awoke the possum who then lunged at the window. I was very grateful for the glass as it was rather terrifying looking when startled!

We put a board down in the window well and Possum was able to climb out.

[Catlady711]

While I happen to like Opossums, think they are cute, and frequently name the ones in my backyard, I'd still never get close to one or try to touch it.

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0408/514790.html

Seems to me messing with wild animals, rabies being rare or not, is like playing russian roulette.

[Twisterdog]

We don't have possums here. I had never seen one until I went to college in the midwest. The first time I saw them, I stopped to let a mother cross the highway, with all her babies following her, single file. It was adorable.

However, I have to say, the pictures Willow Oak posted ARE scary. :eek:

[critters]

I like 'possums too! Some years ago I lifted the top of the trashcan to find a cute little "baby Meezer" sleeping on the very stinky trash bags (it was 90-100 degree summertime). It hissed cutely but never really woke up. As I stood there looking at it, trying to figure out what was weird about it, I realized it was a baby 'possum!! To this day, I don't know how it got into the closed trashcan.