Another Visitor Tonight (warning: might freak you out)

So you all know how I've been putting food out every night for Mr. Big.....the big orange stray cat who's been coming to visit for the past few weeks......

Well.....tonight I got home from the grocery store and as I was pulling into the driveway I saw something at big guy's bowl eating and I thought..."Oh good he came back again tonight!" But as I got closer....I saw that it was a huge possum!! He ran under the deck when I pulled up....but when I looked back out the window a few minutes later he was back....eating the cat food. I grabbed my camera and took a picture of him and I noticed that he was bleeding from his side. UGH! It looked like he has a big gash in his side.



I think he may be living under my deck...although I can't be sure if he's the same one I saw a few months ago. The first time I saw him was when Jamie had come home one night and I heard her screaming on the back porch. I jumped up and ran to the door and she was totally freaking and screaming hysterically. The possum had been sitting on the railing by the back door and Jamie didn't see him at first. Suddenly, she came face to face with him and he hissed at her.....then she screamed.....and then the possum screamed!

I wonder if there's any danger of the big guy eating out of the same bowl as that possum? Also, now when I see that the cat food is gone....I can't be sure if Big is eating it or the possum is.

Ewww, possums. I saw one when I was walking to my apartment one night, scared the life out of me because I thought it was a cat and was cooing at it.

Oooh and I had an experience like the one you had with Jamie... I was walking with a friend to her place, I told her I saw one and she didn't believe me... when she saw it, she screamed! Can't believe the possums hissed back at Jamie though... definitely creepy!

Poor baby- that wound looks nasty

Originally Posted by hissy

Poor baby- that wound looks nasty

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It really does. Jamie even suggested that maybe Big had gotten a hold of the possum. He seemed to be walking ok and it looked more like a gash than an injury he might get from being hit by a car......which is how most possums get injured I think.

If they tangle with a cat, the cat will lose- more often than not they fight among themselves over food, or tangle with a raccoon. If you have a wild critter rescue in your area, you might give them a call and tell them you have a wounded possum running around.

You won't believe what I just "googled-up" - or maybe you would. . .

http://www.possumrescue.com/

It looks very interesting. You might want to check them out.

Originally Posted by pinkdaisy226

Ewww, possums. I saw one when I was walking to my apartment one night, scared the life out of me because I thought it was a cat and was cooing at it.

Oooh and I had an experience like the one you had with Jamie... I was walking with a friend to her place, I told her I saw one and she didn't believe me... when she saw it, she screamed! Can't believe the possums hissed back at Jamie though... definitely creepy!

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Yeah they do hiss and make these noises that sound kinda high pitched.....can't really describe it.

Several years ago when I lived in a condo and had my cat named Traveller who liked to go outside during the day......we had a baby possum who came and ate the cat food on the patio every day. He was tiny and it was so cute how he climbed up the patio chair onto the table. The little guy was very persistent because he knew there was food up there and he really struggled to get up those chairs. I figured he probably lost his mom and was all alone since I never saw his mother. He didn't run away when I went out there while he was eating.....but he did hiss at me and squeal.

Oh yeah....and I had forgotten about this....but I found another possum in my backyard last summer who had obviously been hit by a car and somehow had managed to crawl into my backyard. He was dying and breathing really fast and I couldn't bare to see him suffer. So I went and got my next door neighbor who brought his gun and put the poor thing out of its misery.

woah that's one scary looking possum!!!

Originally Posted by hissy

If they tangle with a cat, the cat will lose- more often than not they fight among themselves over food, or tangle with a raccoon. If you have a wild critter rescue in your area, you might give them a call and tell them you have a wounded possum running around.

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Yeah we do have a place like that here in Nashville. I wonder how they will be able to find him? I suppose if he's injured and there's food close by....he'll stay put. I'll give them a call tomorrow.

Robin - I had this problem with coons under the deck when Mama was here and later , Mama and babies. Unfortunately, they are hungry, too. Pretty soon, you are not only feeding your kitty, but all the neighborhood coons and possums. I hear there are quite a few skunks down south, too. Feel sorry for him though, he's hurt.

Originally Posted by Emma's Friend

You won't believe what I just "googled-up" - or maybe you would. . .

http://www.possumrescue.com/

It looks very interesting. You might want to check them out.

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Wow.....the possums on that site are way cuter than the one on my back porch!

Thanks....I'm going to read up on them....since I seem to encounter them so frequently in my yard.

Originally Posted by captiva

Robin - I had this problem with coons under the deck when Mama was here and later , Mama and babies. Unfortunately, they are hungry, too. Pretty soon, you are not only feeding your kitty, but all the neighborhood coons and possums. I hear there are quite a few skunks down south, too. Feel sorry for him though, he's hurt.

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Yeah.....I know there have been skunks under my deck too because the deck is right outside my bedroom and you wouldn't believe how strong that smell can be coming up through the baseboards!

Great.....I'm going to have to get a second job if I'm going to be known as the best place in town to get a free meal!

Originally Posted by KittyKook

I'm going to read up on them....since I seem to encounter them so frequently in my yard.

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The only time I seem to encounter them is squished on the side of the road. My husband's parents used to live way out in the Mississippi Delta and they always had armodillos in their yard. That's the only unusual animal I've every been in close proximity to (not counting trips to the zoo).

I was just thinking the same thing Chris..........poor little possum. I hope the wildlife rescue is able to help him.............

Originally Posted by kittylover4ever

I was just thinking the same thing Chris..........poor little possum. I hope the wildlife rescue is able to help him.............

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Poor little possum with very sharp and numerous teeth! I wish the animal rescue folk GOOD LUCK!

Aw poor thing looks really hurt. He is kinda scary though. The ones on the rescue site are so cute. But not this one...





Anyways, I hope you can help him.

Originally Posted by Emma's Friend

Poor little possum with very sharp and numerous teeth! I wish the animal rescue folk GOOD LUCK!

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I agree. I do feel sorry for him and obviously I don't freak like my crazy daughter always does.......but this guy just really looked nasty. I don't know if he was just injured....or if he was sick also. There have been numerous cases of rabies in the county right next to mine......so I guess I worry about that a little too. I don't live in the country.....I live in a residential neighborhood that is several miles from any rural areas. So hopefully, there wouldn't be a risk of rabies....but I don't really know.

Originally Posted by KittyKook

There have been numerous cases of rabies in the county right next to mine......so I guess I worry about that a little too. I don't live in the country.....I live in a residential neighborhood that is several miles from any rural areas. So hopefully, there wouldn't be a risk of rabies....but I don't really know.

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I just read on that rescue site that possums are not carriers of rabies. I don't know why they wouldn't be, but that's just what it said. I'll see if I can find that spot again.

Here it is:
Are Opossums Rabid?: Opossums are not carriers of rabies, unlike raccoons, fox, bats and skunks. There have been a few cases but it is VERY RARE that an opossum will ever have rabies.

Originally Posted by Emma's Friend

I just read on that rescue site that possums are not carriers of rabies. I don't know why they wouldn't be, but that's just what it said. I'll see if I can find that spot again.

Here it is:
Are Opossums Rabid?: Opossums are not carriers of rabies, unlike raccoons, fox, bats and skunks. There have been a few cases but it is VERY RARE that an opossum will ever have rabies.

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Thanks....that's reassuring.

Originally Posted by hissy

If they tangle with a cat, the cat will lose- more often than not they fight among themselves over food, or tangle with a raccoon. If you have a wild critter rescue in your area, you might give them a call and tell them you have a wounded possum running around.

Click to expand...

I don't know...in my old neighborhood, there used to be this big stray cat that came to my backyard. This cat would kick the crap out of all the other cats around...I know, cuz they'd fight in my yard (which meant I was getting no sleep).

Well, I also saw this cat kick the crap out of a skunk before the stray got skunk-juiced...skunk spray stopped the cat in its tracks but it was killing the poor skunk upto that point...

Same cat beat the crap out of my friends beagle puppy.

Same cat beat the crap out of a possum, possum scurried away limping.

Same cat tangled with a racoon and FINALLY lost...the stray took off running, but didn't seam injured after the confrontation.

Big strays can DEFINITELY hold their own...