Around here, Animal Control won't do anything about them, unless they are dead.
They do get very BIG.
They do get very BIG.
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Look what was in my yard this morning
- Thread starter bella713
- Start Date
I don't know where you call home........BUT......here they can get quite large and can and will run a coon out of a persimmon tree. They can be aggressive. We feed outdoor cats also and sometimes it can be hard to keep the coons and possums out of the food. The outdoor cats just sit up on the deck banister and wait until BOTH coons and possums get their fill before trying for any. They usually don't.......but can have rabies. Its the coons that are the usual suspects when it comes to rabies. Also, a bat and a skunk can be "carriers" of rabies without showing any symptoms.Originally Posted by furryferals
No they are NOT nasty, neither dangerous
http://www.opossum.org/facts.htm
Americans should feel priviledged to have a marsupial living in their countryside
Winter Hawk
They remind me of HUGE RATS[/QUOTE said:
Crickey Helen i'd get such a shock if i saw one of those in my back garden
Eek! I'd be freaking out if I saw them.... I hope they go away and stay away!
I like them. We had them in different places when I was a kid. They never hurt any of the cats or dogs we had, although I have heard of it happening. Here in the city, I have only seen them at night.
My mom used to save them from my dad who would kill almost anything he considered to be lesser. We once found a bunch of babies in a feed sack. Mom waited until the mother came for them, then relocated the family. Another time, a mom with babies was hanging from the clothesline. Was too cute. Yet another time, she raised 3 little ones whose mother had probably been killed. She had to do this in the barn so my father wouldn't know.
They are just animals. All mammals can have rabies. Most mammals are a threat to others, especially when frightened or cornered. They aren't inherently bad. Just critters trying to get by as best they can.
Yes there is the chance they can hurt cats, so can dogs, coyotes, and other cats. Keep your cats at night and they most likely will never meet a opossum.
Of course, I don't mind rats, mice, spiders, bats or any of the other so-called bad/icky creatures either, so maybe I am just weird.
My mom used to save them from my dad who would kill almost anything he considered to be lesser. We once found a bunch of babies in a feed sack. Mom waited until the mother came for them, then relocated the family. Another time, a mom with babies was hanging from the clothesline. Was too cute. Yet another time, she raised 3 little ones whose mother had probably been killed. She had to do this in the barn so my father wouldn't know.
They are just animals. All mammals can have rabies. Most mammals are a threat to others, especially when frightened or cornered. They aren't inherently bad. Just critters trying to get by as best they can.
Yes there is the chance they can hurt cats, so can dogs, coyotes, and other cats. Keep your cats at night and they most likely will never meet a opossum.
Of course, I don't mind rats, mice, spiders, bats or any of the other so-called bad/icky creatures either, so maybe I am just weird.
As with every wild animal that wonders onto your property- practice extreme caution hon. They are beautiful little critters- but they can carry rabies and other diseases that could be contagious to you or your furbabies should you come in contact with one. I would call the local animal control dpt. in your area and put in a request for them to relocate them to a safe area are re-release them.
We had a call to relocate 8 baby opossum's today at our shelter
(Successfull! They were really cute too!
) We also have a little baby fox we're nursing back to health to relocate. So since you don't know this wild animal's medical history- do not let it come in contact with you or your animals......call your local animal control shelter and kindly ask them to trap and relocate it. That way your animals will be safe and the little opossum will be out of harms way
(if your area doesn't have an animal control office- many fish/game/ and wildlife resuces/facilities help relocate animals all the time!
)
I live in the Uk and I would love to have the Opposums over here and I know there
are fallacies and mistruths about them,but people who take the time to learn and
understand the wildlife around them would understand them a lot better.
We used to have wolves in the Uk upto the 18th century but they were completely
eradicated and hunted to extinction because of mistruths and fallacies,It would
be a shame if that happened to the North American Opposum
Opposums would rather bark than bite but obviously if they were backed in a corner
they would defend themselves or play dead,and who wouldn't faced with a predator
that could kill them.Opposums know a feral cat could kill it and so would fight to its
death,but an Opposum doesn't know the domestic cat just wants to play.
I wonder how many people who think Opposums are full of disease and dangerous
would think the same about a feral/stray cat?Hmm should we Just get rid of them all
and be done with it,Y'know.... just to make sure....I don't think so.
Now if more effort were put into eradicating rabies rather than wiping out the
animals....If it can be done in western europe and the UK then it can be done
in the US, by giving oral vaccines to the wildlife affected areas.
The UK is just starting the process of re-introducing wolves and have already
introduced wallabies ( a marsupial)
Helen I would really be chuffed to bits(happy) to have seen them in my garden,
especially knowing they are nocturnal and two of them together,I think they were
probably courting
are fallacies and mistruths about them,but people who take the time to learn and
understand the wildlife around them would understand them a lot better.
We used to have wolves in the Uk upto the 18th century but they were completely
eradicated and hunted to extinction because of mistruths and fallacies,It would
be a shame if that happened to the North American Opposum
Opposums would rather bark than bite but obviously if they were backed in a corner
they would defend themselves or play dead,and who wouldn't faced with a predator
that could kill them.Opposums know a feral cat could kill it and so would fight to its
death,but an Opposum doesn't know the domestic cat just wants to play.
I wonder how many people who think Opposums are full of disease and dangerous
would think the same about a feral/stray cat?Hmm should we Just get rid of them all
and be done with it,Y'know.... just to make sure....I don't think so.
Now if more effort were put into eradicating rabies rather than wiping out the
animals....If it can be done in western europe and the UK then it can be done
in the US, by giving oral vaccines to the wildlife affected areas.
The UK is just starting the process of re-introducing wolves and have already
introduced wallabies ( a marsupial)
Helen I would really be chuffed to bits(happy) to have seen them in my garden,
especially knowing they are nocturnal and two of them together,I think they were
probably courting
We just came home after driving 50 miles one way to see a show that was cancelled, and were laughing about psyching out the kitties. We left with a bag and came right back. (they go nuts when the bag come out, because they know we are going for awhile) We were laughing that they were all nipped out or having a party. We looked on the porch, and there stood a nasty old possum! I hope the kits didn't invite it!
Originally Posted by krazy kat2
We just came home after driving 50 miles one way to see a show that was cancelled, and were laughing about psyching out the kitties. We left with a bag and came right back. (they go nuts when the bag come out, because they know we are going for awhile) We were laughing that they were all nipped out or having a party. We looked on the porch, and there stood a old possum! I hope the kits didn't invite it!
Diana is exactly correct in her previous post. I want to strongly correct some of the false beliefs held about opossums. We have rescued a opossum, Buddi is her name, and she has been living in our bathroom for about three weeks now. She is absolutely precious and has stolen my heart.
Please check out these informative sites! The National Opossum Society, Opossum Society of the US, Possum Rescue, and here is a great site especially well made by an opossum Mom who absolutely adores her babies with the same passion we love our kitties
Opossums are not "nasty" as a member has described. They are meticulously clean. Buddi takes frequent baths, as our kitties do. Before and after eating, and sometimes in the middle of her meal, she throughly washes her face and hands. Opossums are the least likely mammal to carry rabies. Even when exposed, due to their low body temperature, they most often do not contract the disease. They also do not get or carry any of the illnesses that concern us with our kitties such as Felv, FIV or FIP. They are even immune to snake venom!
Opossums are not aggressive in any way. They put up a good show when afraid by showing their sharp teeth or even hissing, but actually don't possess even the slightest defensive mechanisms. When faced with danger that doesn't respond to their scare tactics, they fall over and "play opossum", stiffening their muscles, opening their mouths with their tongue hanging out, their eyes glazed over, and emitting a foul odor. Most predators will move on if they think their prey is already dead. Their worst predator, however, is humans and the dangerous, deadly road.
Opossums have been shown to have a greater intelligence than dogs. They have very poor vision, which suits them perfectly since, being nocturnal, most of their activity is in the dark of the night. They have extremely keen hearing and smell.
A remarkable feature is their little hands and feet! They have opposable thumbs on all four, giving them an incredibly "human" appearance! I adore Buddi's little pinks hands and enjoy holding them when she holds my fingers with hers!
Above all of this, opossums are precious beings, just as our kitties are, capable of feeling and expressing love. Buddi enjoys being held and rubbed, with her special little spot, just like my girlies, being between her eyes, and when I scritch her behind her ears, she turns her head in such a cute little way to enjoy it. She has a need to feel secure, and likes to be wrapped in a blanket. When I hold her, she grips onto whatever I'm wearing with her sweet little hands and feet and wraps her tail around my arm. She then lays her little head on my shoulder or against my chest and fully relaxes in my arms.
Buddi is truly adorable, such a cutie, and has given me a new love for her species of which, up until now, I have known nothing. I feel absolutely blessed to have had this amazing, rare experience to earn the trust of this sweet animal.
Please check out these informative sites! The National Opossum Society, Opossum Society of the US, Possum Rescue, and here is a great site especially well made by an opossum Mom who absolutely adores her babies with the same passion we love our kitties
Opossums are not "nasty" as a member has described. They are meticulously clean. Buddi takes frequent baths, as our kitties do. Before and after eating, and sometimes in the middle of her meal, she throughly washes her face and hands. Opossums are the least likely mammal to carry rabies. Even when exposed, due to their low body temperature, they most often do not contract the disease. They also do not get or carry any of the illnesses that concern us with our kitties such as Felv, FIV or FIP. They are even immune to snake venom!
Opossums are not aggressive in any way. They put up a good show when afraid by showing their sharp teeth or even hissing, but actually don't possess even the slightest defensive mechanisms. When faced with danger that doesn't respond to their scare tactics, they fall over and "play opossum", stiffening their muscles, opening their mouths with their tongue hanging out, their eyes glazed over, and emitting a foul odor. Most predators will move on if they think their prey is already dead. Their worst predator, however, is humans and the dangerous, deadly road.
Opossums have been shown to have a greater intelligence than dogs. They have very poor vision, which suits them perfectly since, being nocturnal, most of their activity is in the dark of the night. They have extremely keen hearing and smell.
A remarkable feature is their little hands and feet! They have opposable thumbs on all four, giving them an incredibly "human" appearance! I adore Buddi's little pinks hands and enjoy holding them when she holds my fingers with hers!
Above all of this, opossums are precious beings, just as our kitties are, capable of feeling and expressing love. Buddi enjoys being held and rubbed, with her special little spot, just like my girlies, being between her eyes, and when I scritch her behind her ears, she turns her head in such a cute little way to enjoy it. She has a need to feel secure, and likes to be wrapped in a blanket. When I hold her, she grips onto whatever I'm wearing with her sweet little hands and feet and wraps her tail around my arm. She then lays her little head on my shoulder or against my chest and fully relaxes in my arms.
Buddi is truly adorable, such a cutie, and has given me a new love for her species of which, up until now, I have known nothing. I feel absolutely blessed to have had this amazing, rare experience to earn the trust of this sweet animal.
I think they are kinda cute...I think it would be interesting to see them walking around my yard
