Ugh, why me?

I just had one of those little hiccups in the day that really inhale.

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I have a pile of -irewood that I have been pulling part to keep the -ireplace going for the last rainy week.

The last -ew days I have seen some strays in the yard, helping themelves to the regular's bowls of food.

No problem there?

This morning I went to grab a wheel barrow o- wood while the weather was clear.

I grabbed a bunch, began to fill the wheel barrow then turned to see a rather large ball of -ur in the corner. I though it was a cat I had seen in the morning and wondered how it had died so quickly.:eek::( I looked closer and it was a giant possum. I almost -ell back in shock because I had leaned forward to check it out-I then noticed it had a snout, nails and ugly mug.

I said some "Sixth letter of the Alphabet" words and took my wheel barrow to the back of the house. I went inside and sat for a -ew minutes as repulsed as I have ever been.:o:rolleyes:

I gathered mysel- up to go take care of the critter-I grabbed gloves, a shovel, trash can and the thought that if I took care of it now, I would not have to worry about it later.


(I was thinking about him 'playing possum', but he was there just as I left him.)

When I made it around the corner I saw a stray taking off and wondered......Uh, what did I miss? I took a closer look and saw that he had been 'violated' by the strays from the area-I cringed, got him loaded up into the can and walked him to the larger trash cans.

When I came back in to the house I checked the computer and saw that I had a reply from a person who I mentioned it to earlier.

They told me that they hoped he was 'intact' and no one -rom the 'hood' had taken advantage!

Litttle did they know how prophetic their message was.

I had to hold it on the trip at arm's length, He landed in the small bucket looking at me!:(

He's somewhere across the rainbow bridge now and I hope he's playing hard...

I have oh so much more respect for the guys that big up the animals off the streets and highways, not a good job.

eeeeew, those things are gross when they're alive, let alone dead! Fortunately I have woods in the back yard. Any dead critters we find in the yard get returned to nature, LOL.

Those "professional" dead animal pick-up guys are a strange bunch. When I worked at the vet clinic we always had to call them to collect any horses that didn't make it, or to empty the carcass freezer when it got full. I think there was only one dude for the whole county. That guy was creepy quiet... and obviously had no sense of smell. You could smell that truck a block before it got there. Sometimes he had a work-release inmate with him- I really felt sorry for that guy!

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Originally Posted by aTailOf2Kitties

eeeeew, those things are gross when they're alive, let alone dead! Fortunately I have woods in the back yard. Any dead critters we find in the yard get returned to nature, LOL.

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This sucker was HUGE - he was about 20 lbs and was missing a huge chunka midsection, so he was way heavier than that. As bad as this seems? I would have pooped had I met him sooner.:rolleyes:

I've never seen one. Guess they don't like the cold.

Well Richard - as long as you leave food out for your little frens - you'll have possums too! :eek:

I found that out a couple of summers ago - one dark night - when I went to let the pups out for a potty break. I turned on the back porch light - and this BIG UGLY THING went slinking off from his feast of leftovers in the outside kitty's dish! Gave me the creeps - big time!!! He hung around for a couple of weeks and whenever there were leftovers, I could be certain that he would be around.

I finally learned my lesson and started bringing the cat dish in before dark - whether it was empty or not!

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Well Richard - as long as you leave food out for your little frens - you'll have possums too! :eek:

I found that out a couple of summers ago - one dark night - when I went to let the pups out for a potty break. I turned on the back porch light - and this BIG UGLY THING went slinking off from his feast of leftovers in the outside kitty's dish! Gave me the creeps - big time!!! He hung around for a couple of weeks and whenever there were leftovers, I could be certain that he would be around.

I finally learned my lesson and started bringing the cat dish in before dark - whether it was empty or not!

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I live in a residential area and there is nothing remotely resembling the woods out here, there is an airport two blocks away, but it's mostly houses, around here.

This dude was lost or couldn't get his GPS to work!

QoP,

They are ugly nasty looking creatures.

A bunch o- us went out to a concert and were on our way home. A semi truck was in front of us and as it pulled away from the stop we saw this thing writhing in the street, with this HUGE tail waving around. We all tripped out and because we did know what it was!

Later on we -igured it out. yuck.

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Originally Posted by Queen of Poop

I've never seen one. Guess they don't like the cold.

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Here is a map of their range -

http://opossum.craton.net/range.gif

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Originally Posted by Grace

Here is a map of their range -

http://opossum.craton.net/range.gif

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Wait, How do they get around, Rail Pass/Amtrak?:);)

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Originally Posted by RICHARD

I live in a residential area and there is nothing remotely resembling the woods out here, there is an airport two blocks away, but it's mostly houses, around here.

This dude was lost or couldn't get his GPS to work!

QoP,

They are ugly nasty looking creatures.

A bunch o- us went out to a concert and were on our way home. A semi truck was in front of us and as it pulled away from the stop we saw this thing writhing in the street, with this HUGE tail waving around. We all tripped out and because we did know what it was!

Later on we -igured it out. yuck.

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Unfortunately they have made their way into the suburbs. They really aren't too particular where they live, as long as there is food around to be had and a place to hide. :(

RICHARD,

Are you SURE it was a male??? It could've been a female with babies in her pouch. Hmmmmm....something to ponder, I would say.

I see them DOA in the road all the time but fortunately I've only ever seen one in my yard. Maybe the Raccoons ran them off, or possibly the one skunk I've seen, LOL

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Originally Posted by moosmom

RICHARD,

Are you SURE it was a male??? It could've been a female with babies in her pouch. Hmmmmm....something to ponder, I would say.

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It was pretty messed up from the cats. I really could not have been able to tell.

POM!

As I have been pulling apart the woodpile, I do remember seeing a little section over on the side that looked like it could have been a hidey-hole for it!!

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Originally Posted by aTailOf2Kitties

I see them DOA in the road all the time but fortunately I've only ever seen one in my yard. Maybe the Raccoons ran them off, or possibly the one skunk I've seen, LOL

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Since they are nocturnal, you probably won't see them unless there is a food source for them. They're like raccoons, and will get into the trash can if they have the opportunity, or anything else they can find too. As soon as I started taking the cat dish in at night, then my ugly visitor went elsewhere.
I've lived here in the boonies for 40 years, with woods all around, and I never saw one "up close and personal", or even alive for that matter, before the encounter on my back porch.
Sure see plenty as road kill tho, since they are so slow and stupid.

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Originally Posted by RICHARD

It was pretty messed up from the cats. I really could not have been able to tell.

POM!

As I have been pulling apart the woodpile, I do remember seeing a little section over on the side that looked like it could have been a hidey-hole for it!!

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Oh yeah - they love hiding in wood piles!

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Oh yeah - they love hiding in wood piles!

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lol,

This would be a great Stephen King story?:rolleyes::D:eek:

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Originally Posted by RICHARD

lol,

This would be a great Stephen King story?:rolleyes::D:eek:

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Yuk - no thanks!

Kujo and Pet Semetary were freaky enough for me.............:eek:

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Yuk - no thanks!

Kujo and Pet Semetary were freaky enough for me.............:eek:

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No kidding.

Do you remember the Lawn Mower man?.....I don't do grass either.;):eek:

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Originally Posted by RICHARD

It was pretty messed up from the cats.
I really could not have been able to tell.

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:eek:

Have all the Cats had Rabies Shots?

The critter might have been SICK and that's why the Cats were able to get to it.
Cats who *hunt* should be protected with Rabies shots.

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Originally Posted by Cinder & Smoke

:eek:

Have all the Cats had Rabies Shots?

The critter might have been SICK and that's why the Cats were able to get to it.
Cats who *hunt* should be protected with Rabies shots.

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No, the cats that were at it were the over-the-wall kinds...I don't know if they are up to date with shots!:eek:

I've seen an American Opossum, and agree that they are pretty ugly fellas.
We have possums here, but their heads are not bald like yours, they have fur all over them and are kinda cute. Lots of people have them living in their roofs or bunking down under their houses etc etc, and feed them to keep them around.
But if they do get bothersome, then we have guys called Possum Men who will get the critters away to somewhere else to live....they catch them and relocate them.
Wom

Aw, poor thing :( I would be in shock to if I saw a 20 LB possum XD

I've seen quite a few of these guys, I don't think they're all that ugly. I worked in the games at an amusement park 2 years ago, and I was looking through the bears for a certain toy one day and there was a baby possum SLEEPING in the bears, needless to say I almost had a heard attack! Then it woke up and just stared at me and eventually wondered off. I had pictures of it, I wish I knew where I put them..lol no one believes this happen so I took pictures.

My Dad saw one in a tree outside the house some years ago putting up christmas lights and he said he almost fell off the ladder it scared him so much. They're kinda creepy when they just stare at you like that. I wouldn't call them disgusting, they're animals, they're simply trying to survive.

Here's one for you! This was from my DIL in Virginia. It was winter. A winter storm as coming and there were stray cats in the neighborhood so she set a storage container on her porch with warm blankets inside and a hole cut in it so they could get in. She also put a small light bulb in it for heat. During the night of the storm, she wondered how many cats took advantage of her shelter so she went out and removed the lid and took a look.. Piled up in there was a pile a cats and a possum... She recoverd it and went back inside..

I suppose if it's cold enough, these creatures forget about past differences and anatomical differences, hey ????
Remember those real bad bushfires we had last year in Aussie ??? You may have seen that most famous pic of the fireman giving a koala bear a drink of water out of his water bottle. Usually one can't even get close to a koala, but it was hurt, needed help, and simply recognised that the fireman was there to help.
Wom

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Originally Posted by Laura's Babies

Here's one for you! This was from my DIL in Virginia. It was winter. A winter storm as coming and there were stray cats in the neighborhood so she set a storage container on her porch with warm blankets inside and a hole cut in it so they could get in. She also put a small light bulb in it for heat. During the night of the storm, she wondered how many cats took advantage of her shelter so she went out and removed the lid and took a look.. Piled up in there was a pile a cats and a possum... She recoverd it and went back inside..

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LOL, Any "port" in a storm!

Of course,
You can drink hard liquor too?:rolleyes:;)

Yeah, they are god's little ones too!
But, he must have had a cruel streak to mush up the parts and make the little buggers ugly on each end!

Wom,
I remember following the koala story, may he RIP.:(

Yeah the poor little mite died not long afterwards, he was pretty badly burnt.

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Originally Posted by RICHARD

LOL, Any "port" in a storm!

Of course,
You can drink hard liquor too?:rolleyes:;)

Yeah, they are god's little ones too!
But, he must have had a cruel streak to mush up the parts and make the little buggers ugly on each end!

Wom,
I remember following the koala story, may he RIP.:(

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I was freaking out for the better part of a week.

I put my 'pal' into the refuse can a whole week ago.

This was on Friday, midday-the refuse collectors had just made their passes and I was really praying against warmer weather.:eek::rolleyes::o

I have tossed shrimp shells into the cans during warmer weather and paid for it dearly!!

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I woke up this morning and managed watch the truck come and empty the can.

I gave the poor guy a prayer and was kinda relieved that he was gone....:(

The end!:eek:

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Originally Posted by Alysser

Aw, poor thing :( I would be in shock to if I saw a 20 LB possum XD

My Dad saw one in a tree outside the house some years ago putting up christmas lights

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Now that is one talented Possum!:D:p

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Originally Posted by Cat Daddy

Now that is one talented Possum!:D:p

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It's that opposable thumb thing?:D

Too funny.