Opossums

[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!

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

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. ) 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! It totally ignored me (the does saying 'playing possum' come to mind here?) I was afraid of it 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.
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.

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:



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?

[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.