Possums as Pets

I work with a guy who had one he found as a baby. He said it was a great little pet.

They are pretty cool animals and can be affectionate and friendly.

I know this as my aunt was very involved in a possum rescue group.

Ok OP, why not go all the way and adopt a velociraptor???

Seriously, opossums are harmless little guys, but they’re best left in the wild.

It looks like a barracuda with fur.

Meet Starfish!

They only live about 4 years, so there is that.

Impossumble.

They's good eatin'!

"He said it was a great little pet"

WAS?

O-possum.

From Animal Wonders Montana, they rescue animals.

They’re just so cute. It’s sad they don’t live very long

I've heard they are very sweet animals when raised from babies.

Why in tarnation would I want to make my dinner a pet?

r12

The only defense they have is to play dead.

r14

FUCK YOU

Rabies and sharp teeth.

actually, they are naturally immune to rabies r17. they also eat ticks like Courtney Love eats pills.

I have a friend who everyone calls if they find an injured one or a dead mama with a pouch full of babies. she rehabs them all. they're super sweet and very funny and affectionate.

Is that Muriel in OP's post?

Once I was out in the back of someone's yard, around 3 a.m., smoking a cigarette. Along came a juvenile possum who was checking on the outdoor cat dishes that were there. I was sitting on a low wall, near a big cement cistern that served as the cats' water bowl. After it polished off the food, the possum waddled over to the water and had a sip, and then it must have sniffed my (old) leather shoes nearby, because it trundled over to my feet and just sat there for about a minute, sniffing my shoes. I didn't say a word or move my feet. The possum just turned around and headed on its way. I don't think they can see very well.

No, possums don't see very well and whoever said they were immune to rabies is right.

Opossums are not immune to rabies. They usually don't contract the disease because their body temperature is too low. Usually once infected the virus dies before it can get to the brain, but if does get their, they can contract it.

[quote]Is that Muriel in OP's post?

Thin ice mother fucker.

Thin ice.

R14, you are the most wonderful husband, and son, I ever had!

There aren’t many animals that have their own day and a parade in their honor.

I love possums and appreciate all they do, eating all those ticks. But they should be left to wander freely in the alleys and the lanes. Btw, they are the only North American marsupial.

Everything’s fine until you wake up without your nose

"I call the big one Bitey!"

My spirit animal.

The thing about having a 'possum living in your house all the time, for me, is the fact that they are nocturnal. What use is a pet that is just going to be sleeping all day long? And then at night, when *you're* trying to get some shet-eye, the frisky lil thing is just going to be running around all over the place, probably getting into trouble (and I'm certain you'll never keep one out of the kitchen trash can). Impractical, is what I say, I don't care how cute they are.

R25 That’s right and we should keep it that way!

I've always hated (American) opossums, but R5's video has changed my mind. Thank you.

Aww, R32, why? They are so cute, to me anyway. We have a regular visitor every night here I enjoy watching from my porch.

I always thought they were ugly but then I found out they eat rats, so I have a greater respect for them now.

Varmints as pets? Oooh, look at the rich boy!

What’s next? Burying perfectly good roadkill?

They look just like rats

Good with gravy

The little bastards destroyed the basil plants and frightened the chickens, so I poisioned them.

Luckily they weren't the cute bushy-tailed variety with big brown eyes but like giant gross rats.