Peej and the Possum

[PJ's Mom]

Sounds like a kids book. :D

Last night around midnight, Peej had a full grown possum cornered on top of our fence. First of all, I didn't know these little guys even lived around here. They're pretty scary looking especially when you shine a light at them and their eyes glow.

Are possums dangerous to dogs (or humans?) :eek:

[Dixieland Dancer]

Only guessing here but I believe they are carriers of rabies. Perhaps someone may know for sure.

I'm glad Peej didn't get tangled up with the possum on the ground!

[pitc9]

Ewwwww... yeah, those things freak me out!!! For the most part, they are afraid of everything, and will run away. Maybe he snuck up on him while he was sitting on the fence!
I'm sure like any wild animal, the chance of rabies is there, but other than that I've never come across a mean one, they are just scardy cats!! But they sure are U-G-L-Y!!!!

[tomkatzid]

Ohhhhhhhhhh PeeJ be careful. Your such a guy !!!!;)
Katz

[K9soul]

Not particularly dangerous but any animal can be if cornered and as others mentioned, they are possible rabies carriers. They are nocturnal so you wouldn't see them too often. When I lived in Missouri the only time I really saw them was the ones that got hit by cars at night in the road. I've never seen any in MN, I think they like warmer climates. Peej, you leave that opossum alone now, no tangling with the wildlife! :)

[petslover]

I used to own a possum. We raised it since it was a baby though so it was really sweet to us. Wild Possums will generally leave you along. We had our possum for about 3 years. The momma dropped him out of her pouch when they were really little. They are really smart creatures.

[PJ's Mom]

They kind of had a staring contest going when I found them. Of course Peej probably thought it was a squirrel because he was really excited about finding it...he was very happy to see it!. :rolleyes:


Now I'm afraid to let him out at night. :eek:

[micki76]

I wouldn't worry too much abou him encountering another one. As others have said, they generally run away, or they actually do "play possum" and pretend to be dead.

I think in the light of day they're kinda cute, but yeah, in the glare of a flashlight they could be scary. :D

[PJ's Mom]

Cute? :eek: I think the babies are cute, but full grown possums look sort of...freaky. :D

I came face to face with one on my patio in Arlington. Turned around and there he was, looking at me. Scared the s*** out of me. :D

[petslover]

aww!! Possums are so sweet though! They are intelligent animals. I hate to see them on the road now due to their eyes be near sighted.

We have possums around our house(we live like in the woods lol) and when the dogs bark at them they just stare or just run off.

When we had ours she would let us put our hand in her pouch and you would see the famous Possum Grin when you petted her! She was a doll!:D

[K9soul]

I suddenly remember I have seen one that wasn't hit, I almost hit it myself! I was driving home from work late at night and one trotted out into the road in my headlights. I wasn't going very fast so I was able to brake and it ran on across.

I'd actually be a lot more nervous if I ran across one in full daylight, same with a skunk or a racoon. They are all nocturnal species and I would fear rabies or sickness if I saw them out and about during broad daylight.

[tatsxxx11]

Wow, what an adventure for Peej and the 'poosum!:D I think they're cute and beautiful in their own very special way! Just glad no one was hurt:)

Some of the "old timers' will remember Logan and Honey's (or was it Lilly's?) weekly night encounter with the dreaded 'possum! :eek: Have to go find some of those thread!:D

[Oggyflute]

Just check all under the eaves of your house. Believe me, you do not want one running around in your roof. :D

[Logan]

I believe that a Possum or a Racoon could be very dangerous to your dog if they were to get into a spat. Maybe it is the Racoon that I am remembering more.

As Sandra said, we used to have these Tuesday night "Possum Parties" at my old house. It happened almost every Tuesday night and it seemed like it was always raining and cold. Lilly and Honey would chase them up the tree and then refuse to come inside and bark their heads off.

One night, several years ago (not a Tuesday this time), Helen and a friend of hers and I got home from a movie or something around 9:30 at night. We went out to get the dogs in the backyard and they were playing with something. Turned out it was a Possum and I thought it was dead. They were rolling it all around the yard with their noses. (Again this was Lilly and Honey). My neighbor provided me with some "pinchers" to bag him up , but that wasn't going to work because he was too big. I ended up using a shovel, lifting him up and putting him over the fence because I detected that he was still breathing. Sure enough, he was gone the next morning. He was playing possum!

Honey has killed two possums :( since we moved to the house where we live now, but we don't get nearly the number and variety of critters that we used to get at the other house. Turtles, rats, possums, snakes, raccoons, you name it, we got it, there! LOL!! And Honey and Lilly always had to see them and "play" with them!!!! :eek: Those were the days.......and I think I'm glad they are over! :D

[PJ's Mom]

Oh gosh that must've been so scary! :eek:

[cyber-sibes]

We moved into our new country home a year ago and the first thing Star and Rosie did was dig through a huge brush pile and root out a HUGHMUNGUS possom - I've never seen one so big! anyway, Star thrashed it around for a while, and finally dropped it and came away - and boy, did she stink! - phew!!! But when I took her to the dogpark, she was the total envy of every dog there! they all crowded around to smell her, and she stood there looking all alert and proud! I went out the next day to bag the body and guess what - the varmint was gone! Guess he was playing possom afterall!
So be glad all Peej did was bark!

[KYS]

Possums are good shy creatures.
Even though they look like a big rat, I believe they
are not in the rodent family because
they have a pouch like a Kangaroo.
I am not sure what they would do if cornered,
because all the ones our big dogs have come in contact
with will play dead when they feel threatened.

Rocky has a night curfew because he
catches Possums. Little Pepper has found
them too, but she just barks at them.