Possum in my engine!

[Chinniechantel]

I have a car I have not used in about 2 months. Well, I was letting the engine run for a minute, and I find a possum with babies (I assume since she did not run when I came near her) in my engine!

If I call animal control will they kill her? They have rabies right, I should stay away?

ETA- Animal control does not do wild animals.

 

[Chinniechantel]

Ok, the Wildlife care center said to spray the poor thing with water, to let her know it is not such a safe dry place to live. It worked, and now we are supposed to put a jar of ammonia (where do I get that, in what section?) with a cloth over it and holes poked in it, to keep her away. Her babies are still in the pouch, and she was very good at playing dead, what a cute, funny little creature. My husband was like..."NO...I will not have any baby possums or an adult, ever! Don't even think about it!" He knows me all too well, they are cute and eat cockroaches, which wins my vote. It had a pretty white heart shaped face, and was just so adorable. They are unlikely to have rabies too, and this one was so calm it would have been a good pet ;-)

I think it may not have babies, because it was pretty small, like a guinea pig, or two small chinnies, a long one. The long rat tail is kind of gross though! Not like a cat like I read they should be, and I thought I saw testicles as he was running away...haha. He was too unscared to have babies too.

 

[Rickman]

HAHAHA - Your husband is right - NO POSSUMS! I really hope you don't win the Lotto - you'd start "Chantels Ice Cream, Chinchillas, and Wildlife Center!!
But then you'd have to take in snakes, turtles, gators, whatever comes in!!

You could just take an old jar, poke some holes in the lid, a rag in it and about a 1/2 cup of ammonia. Put that under the hood where it won't spill! Available at any grocery store.

 

[eroomlorac]

I don't care what anyone says, 'possums are cute. We had one in our garage and they do not run when approached as their defense tactic is 'playing dead'. You can get ammonia in the cleaning section of any store. Thanks for treating that little 'possum humanely. Most animal control places, at least around here, will euthanize any wild animal they catch.

 

[Spoof]

Agree with above, my neighbor shoots them.

Ammonia is found in jugs, last time I got some it was in the laundry detergent section.

Anyone know a way to repel skunks? I've got one that is coming over at night and digging holes under my house.

 

[CTChin]

If I remember correctly, Opossums rarely have rabies. It's skunks and raccoons you have to watch out for.

I never thought much about them until someone on a forum I went to told a bunch of cute stories about hers (adopted as an orphan baby). Now I now they are more than just nasty looking growling beasts LOL They have personalities!!

 

[Jeanette]

You would know if it had babies.
I used to live in a neighborhood where there were possums and they were nuts!
They would flip out if you caught them. And if they had babies, they would hiss and get that look in their eyes as if to say "I'll rip anything that comes near me to shreds!"
It was cute when they would 'play dead' though.

Good luck!

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Thank you for treating the scared baby with care. Opossums can be great pets.. they are cuddle'y and friendly, curious..

...but I've never, ever seen one with "a tail like a cat" ..ever. They have tails very similar to rats.. a few coarse hairs... and good for balance, climbing, latching onto..



Btw, rabies is not as rampant as some would have you believe...

 

[pickles]

Don't have possums in Ireland I've never seen 1 properly befor she is really cute!!!

:thumbsup:

 

[addictedtochins]

My husband was like..."NO...I will not have any baby possums or an adult, ever! Don't even think about it!" He knows me all too well, they are cute.

Just tell him you rescued a sad little inbred chinny

 

[Jenn]

I don't think o'possums are all that ugly, it's just their rat-like tail that is ugly. We have them eating out of the outdoor catfood bowls from time to time. I had a baby opossum share food with the cats and watched him grow up. But they do have a nasty hiss when bothered.

 

[ErinB]

My dog used to bring me a possum on a weekly basis as a "gift". We had a very large female that was living behind our garage. (She had babies every year, so I know it was a female.) My dog would get near her and she would play dead. He would pick her up and bring her up on our enclosed back porch to the back door. I'd open in up to let him in and here is a possum lying at my feet. He was so proud of himself. The dog never hurt her (and luckily she never hurt him.) I would have to get a broom and sweep the thing back off the porch and into the back yard, her hissing the whole time. Then she would run off and I wouldn't see her again for a few days, until the next time Rex would catch her.

 

[Rickman]

Whoever has a skunk problem - get some ferret droppings, put it around their hole or wherever you see them - the skunks won't be back as they're natural enemies!!

 

[Chinniechantel]

Well, he/she is not back, yay! I thought she was so cute, that little heart shaped white heart on her face, I would have picked her up in a minute. When we went to spray the poor thing it took a good 20 minutes of water to get it out! They definitely had a cosey place to hide and did not want to leave. They said possums hardly ever get rabies, and yes, you would know it. They also said their bark is worse than their bite, so to speak. This one was so calm I really would have had it in my house, eating cat food and cockroaches if my husband let me.

Rick- I would even take in a few gators if I could do that, I would love it! I said I am turining into my mom, she was in vet school and we lived on a farm...you should have seen all the animals that showed up on our farm: raccoons, skunks, ferrets, 10 dogs, 20 some cats (or more!) a bobcat, pigs, I mean everything! I literally grew up in a zoo!

Chantel

 

[Rickman]

From what I can see, a possum would've made a silver 4cyl Dodge Neon faster!
[bet I'm close]
As one of 9 kids, my Ma was pretty passive - 3 robins that came back the next year, [with mates!] a suitcase of garter snakes, various dogs that wanted to stay, and countless cats that always had kittens in my brothers bed! Drew the line at "Banana Spiders" though!

 

[Chinniechantel]

Well even with ammonia, it is back! It made a nice nest now, and had snail shells everywhere. I would let it stay, but don't want to burn it starting the engine sometime. I hear you can make a possum box so they live there, maybe I will try that.

 

[addictedtochins]

I hear you can make a possum box so they live there, maybe I will try that.

Only you would think to give the possum a hidey house, fleece hammock and a water bottle in your car. :neener:

 

[Chinniechantel]

Only you would think to give the possum a hidey house, fleece hammock and a water bottle in your car. :neener:

I really will! If my husband were not such a softie I would not be able to, but with lots of begging I usually get my way, as long as I take care of them, even though he does more than half of the chin work!

 

[Chinniechantel]

Now a NEW possum is there! He/she left a nest and snail shells too. This one is bigger and looks to be a female and has different face coloring. I am so confused, I thought they were extremely territorial? Maybe the male was looking for a place for the female? Anyway, we don't know what to do, I am about to trap it in a live trap myself or just grab it and bring it a mile away or something. Any suggestions? I am so scared it will get burned in the engine and it hides really well in there so I can't see it. I have to spray the engine before I take out the car! It is cute, but I can't have a pet possum, they are terrible for birds I read!

 

[starleomach]

I would get a live trap. Trap it and take it somewhere else. Or get it out and move the car for a week or so untl they find a new spot.