Eeek, took the garbage out before and I saw the beady eyed possum.

[sbj405]

They creep me out.

[barb162]

1. They are around here. They're good to have around

They eat bugs, slugs, etc. And they are really harmless. I never try to scare them away.

[texanwitch]

2. I have two that live in hollow in the tree in the back yard.

I leave out some cat food for them.

[barb162]

6. I do too!

[texanwitch]

9. Mine were very young when I first saw them.

Something must have happened to their mother.

[barb162]

13. I've been feeding them for centuries. The first time I ever

saw them they were adults and it wasn't until the last year or so I saw the babies on the mom's back or the really young ones. They like sour cream a lot

[texanwitch]

16. Sour Cream.

I will have to get some for the not so little guys.

[barb162]

18. and cookies with white cream centers

also peanut butter cookies with penaut butter centers. At least I've never noticed they really like chocolate

[BeFree]

17. That's gonna be on fat 'possum

With both yall feeding it.

Well, if times get bad and you still eat meat, heard tell opossums are pretty good.

The mommas actually carry the babies around in a belly pouch. And when confronted they play dead... aka: "Playing 'possum."

If you ever have to MANage one, pick it up by the tail, ya know, the end away from their sharp teeth.

[barb162]

19. I couldn't imagine eating one. They're sort of like pets but still

wild animals. I don't try to befriend them, talk to them, etc.,as I don't want them friendly to humans. I do notice when they are startled they just stand still and "play possum." Mommas could have been coming around with the babies in the pouch and I would not have noticed. But it was cute to see them on her back...I guess they were too big already for the pouch. I have been feeding them for way over ten years

[texanwitch]

20. One of my dogs was stupid enough to corner one.

I heard the barking, went and saw my dog backing away from the babies.\

I saw the teeth.

[sbj405]

3. He ran away on his own.

I was just worried about idiot dog #2 trying to chase it. He's been known to tangle with some of our urban wildlife.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Awww, they're cute.

Check these guys out: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x6003659

[sbj405]

5. Those are tiny. This thing is huge.

How big do they get? Maybe it's not a possum, but it's got the eyes.

[barb162]

12. I've seen some really huge ones. The biggest male I ever

saw was maybe almost 20 pounds and I saw him about 10 years ago. But that was highly unusual.

[peekaloo]

7. I put out any/all leftover food for ones in my area.

They're shy creatures.

p.s. they remind me of the Spy Vs. Spy comics from MAD magazine. :-)

[barb162]

21. Yeah they are like garbage cans. I will give leftovers too

Now that you mention it, that Spy thing from Mad , yes!!!!

[SPKrazy]

8. Dinner!

greasy meat

but I hear they are good

never had one myself

[texanwitch]

11. My father said people ate them in the during the 30's.

I think they were called Hoover Hogs.

[jobycom]

10. Saw one a month ago when I was jogging. He was sitting in a small tree

I heard a noise, turned my head, and there he was... eye level, two feet away, in the shadows.

He was cute, once my heart started beating again. You think those eyes are scary on a cute little rodent? Try thinking they are on an unshaven person your height for a moment. BRRRRRR!! I still shiver!

[barb162]

22. Once I was in the garage with the door open and I thought

I saw something move on the counter. I turned to look and there was a possum about 3 feet from me. I decided to go in the house and just let him exit gracefully

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. We had one who used to hang out in the trashcan I used for yard clippings.

I guess she figured that it mad a nice bed.

[doc03]

15. They have quite a set of teeth. When I was young

visiting my grandmother she sent me out to the garden to pick some tomatoes and I ran into a possum that I thought was dead so I picked it up by the tail and took it down to the house and left it on the porch while I got my grandmother. When we came outside it was gone I guess that's where the playing possum phrase comes from. Thinking about it now he could have ripped me apart with those teeth if he wanted to.

[barb162]

23. I saw two of them fighting once. They both had their jaws locked

on each other not really moving too much. Both seemed to have injured each other. I tried getting a broom and gently swatting them with the bristle part so they would get scared and break up the fight. They sort of moved away a little with their jaws locked on each other just like I wasn't there. Then I tried talking loud with no effect. Yeah they have big and bad- looking teeth. I don't know what they finally did, if they mortally injured each other or walked away from each other relatively unharmed. It was late at night

[Rhythm]

24. we had one in the house a couple of months ago...

~Typo Edited~

A friend's 4-year-old daughter went to put something in the trash can (under the kitchen counter), and came running back, saying that it was "really real in there!!!".

We didn't know what she was talking about, but she happily led us into the kitchen to show us.

There it was... a baby 'possum, sitting on top of the trash can IN MY KITCHEN!!!

It took Oktoberain and i a couple of minutes to get it cornered and wrapped in a towel. We took it outside and let it go at the tree line.

2 days later, it was back... hiding behind the couch.
I opened the back door, then shoo-ed it out again.

The day after that... here's the 'possum again! This time, he was sharing dinner in the kitchen with our cat herd. They were unconcerned... probably just thought it was a homely-looking cat.
Back outside it went, after a merry chase with the broom.

Finally, a few days after that, we found it again in the kitchen, nose buried in the cat dish.
Oktoberain rounded it up, and dumped it in our cat carrier. I took it to a nearby park (maybe a mile from here), and let it go in the woods there.

So far... so good.

[Blue-Jay]

25. I tried to pet a possum once. That didn't work out very well.

A friend had just dropped my drunk ass off at my house. I used to leave out some cat food on the porch for the neighborhood cats. Anyhow, I staggered up the steps, saw an animal eatin some food, and leaned over to give it a scratch on the head.

"Hey kitty kitty!....."

HISS! (lots of evil looking teeth)

"YAAH! Dammit!" , as I fell into the bushes.

[xchrom]

26. i like oppossums.

they have a tough life -- don't live much past two.

everything eats them.

and they are terrible fighters.

they might look fierce -- but it's all for show.