I just found an opossum in my garbage can

BlueLucario · Apr 18, 2009

I had to get up early for school the other day, and I noticed something on my garbage can that looked like an oversized rat. When it turned to look at me I was very scared to the point when I felt like throwing a rock at it. I thought it had rabies or it's probably going to lash out and kill me.

I found out it was an opposum and he didn't want to hurt me. He just looked at me and went on with his business. I couldn't bring myself up to hurt such an innocent looking thing. I didn't have time to observe it since I was late for school.

A. Hamilton · Apr 18, 2009

if he's a problem, caall your local SPCA and ask if there's someone in the area who rescues these. we had an injured one in our yard, and a very cool lady took him in and tended to him, and later returned him to the wild but in a less populated area.

BlueLucario · Apr 18, 2009

He wasn't a problem. He's gone now.

Jersey Chick · Apr 18, 2009

My husband had almost 10 years of his life scared off him by an opossum in the garbage once. I'm not sure which was one more freaked out.

A. Hamilton · Apr 18, 2009

ours had managed to rip the screen off of the crawlspace vent openings under the house and had apparently been living there a while -they have an unfortunate musky scent that permeated into the house for a while. hat was interesting to discover is that cats and possums are known to cohabitate in the wild.

rugcat · Apr 18, 2009

I once opened my trash can only to find a possum that had crawled in there and died. Maybe he had been sick and looking for a safe place to hide. I went inside to call animal control to ask if they picked up dead animals. As I picked up the phone, the phrase "playing possum" popped into my head. I went to check again.

No possum.

Rachel · Apr 18, 2009

We've had numerous opposums in chicken coops over the years. They ate the eggs and chicken feed but, thankfully, left the chickens alone.

Wayne K · Apr 18, 2009

I keep a Opossum pie recipe in my kitchen window and I never see the buggers.

LaurieD · Apr 18, 2009

Wayne K said:
I keep a Opossum pie recipe in my kitchen window and I never see the buggers.

We have possum and armadillo and moles - buggers dig up my flower bulbs, have tunnels lumping up all over the place, and have left neat piles of dirt scattered about the yard. When we've chased them off, they're more annoyed looking than scarred, they just waddle off

Susie · Apr 18, 2009

Wayne, too funny! Glad your opposum went away, Blue.

Komnena · Apr 18, 2009

We had one literally drop into the house when the false ceiling didn't hold its weight.

Pagey's_Girl · Apr 18, 2009

I used to see the same possum on the porch just about every night - I named him Rupert. He was a cutie.

Magdalen · Apr 18, 2009

I kinda like possums. It's a marsupial thing, I think. Here's a poem I wrote about one.

Course I saw that possum,
out sitting in the snow
nibbling on the apples
rotting beneath the tree.

Ten full seasons, ten
Thanksgivings now
he's been there at night
searching for something to eat.

Ten full seasons then,
the tides ebb & flow.
In the dark, another wild thing
rummages through my debris.

So yes, I saw that possum,
out sitting in the snow.
He's an ugly varmint
but a comfort to me.

Matera the Mad · Apr 18, 2009

A friend live-trapped a big one in her garden and took it for a ride...it came back. I said, "Drop it off at my house, it won't come back."

It didn't. Awful lot of little bones in 'em, though, and bunny tastes better.

Bravo · Apr 18, 2009

i hate these things.

the devil's pet.

Grrarrgh · Apr 18, 2009

That happened to me once. Scared the crap out of me. Overgrown rats with those beady little eyes and creepy tails. I hate those things.

Joe270 · Apr 18, 2009

Now who would throw away a perfectly good possum? Shame on you.

Possums are cool.

Wayne K · Apr 18, 2009

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1937,151160-235199,00.html

Maryn · Apr 19, 2009

You can minimize opossum trash raids (and squirrels, raccoons, etc.) by using a metal trash can with a tight-fitting lid. Our trash hauler (we have to pay for garbage service here) gave us one at no cost after the second time the guy had his socks scared off by an opossum in our trash.

They're also attracted to the dropped seed from bird feeders and to the fresh stuff added to the top of compost heaps.

Like any wild creature, they can carry rabies, lice, and other diseases, but most do not. Just eliminate its access to food sources and it'll move on.

Maryn, veteran of critters displaced by suburbia

smoothseas · Apr 19, 2009

P.H.Delarran said:
ours had managed to rip the screen off of the crawlspace vent openings under the house and had apparently been living there a while -they have an unfortunate musky scent that permeated into the house for a while. hat was interesting to discover is that cats and possums are known to cohabitate in the wild.

musky odor? hmmmm, maybe that's what is. kinda smells like unsated kkitty passion, but we have no cat. there's a possum that come wandering around every night. and to think, he's the culprit!

BlueLucario · Apr 19, 2009

geez what's wrong with those things? I mean, as long as those things aren't dangerous, I'm perfectly fine with those things in my yard.

dgrintalis · Apr 19, 2009

rugcat said:
I once opened my trash can only to find a possum that had crawled in there and died. Maybe he had been sick and looking for a safe place to hide. I went inside to call animal control to ask if they picked up dead animals. As I picked up the phone, the phrase "playing possum" popped into my head. I went to check again.

No possum.

What an awesome story. I think possums are cute.

BradyH1861 · Apr 19, 2009

There is one that comes around my yard about once a week. I call him Boudreaux. I think he eats the cat food that my neighbor leaves out.

Priene · Apr 19, 2009

I found a queen wasp building a nest in my shed today. So I gave it a good critiquing with the back of my trowel.

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Apr 19, 2009

I tried to keep a couple of hens for eggs a few summers ago. Opossums like fresh chicken... and they're strong enough to rip the door off a well-made roost, too. Two times I replaced the chickens the opossum killed. Third time, he added insult to injury by killing both, eating most of one and leaving the other dead... before he left, he took a crap in the corner of the roost.

IOW: I got no use for the ugly things. I don't cry when I see one dead in the road.

I just found an opossum in my garbage can

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