Opossum as pet?

[P. Novak]

Alright, so I was out at dinner with some fam and friends and on our way back we found a baby possum about 5" long, not including tail, in the middle of the road. After quarantining and watching him for awhile, we got some gloves and very carefully bathed him and removed TONS of fleas. He looks really clean and great now. Keep in mind this was a couple of days ago, now after feeding him mealies, various fruits & veggies, almonds, bread, etc. I wanted to get some opinions on keeping possums as pets. I'm probably gonna let him go this weekend, it's a bit cold right now(still :wall, but I wanted to see if it was possible.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Depending on your state, it is probably illegal. Regardless of where you live, it is probably unethical. Wildlife belongs in the wild. I appreciate that you helped the little guy out, but the general response when you find distressed wildlife is to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who can properly treat it and prepare it for re-release. Opossums have highly specific dietary needs and young possums are VERY prone to metabolic bone disease. When I reared possums (yes, I am licensed) the food bills to make sure they got all that they need were massive. I already see some problems with his current diet, so depending on his age please either get him to a wildlife rehabber, or release him before he becomes ill from stress and poor diet in captivity.

 

[ametan]

Wow, surprising to learn that since I just saw a listing on craigslist yesterday for an opossum.

 

[Matt K]

Opossums are very difficult to keep as pets, even if reared from tiny babies. Occasionally someone will succeed in keeping one that is fairly tame, but they have a bad attitude and really large, sharp teeth in my experience with them... these days if I see one at night I kill it before it gets to my chickens (which they love to kill and eat for dinner!).

 

[Toirtis]

Opossums are very difficult to keep as pets, even if reared from tiny babies. Occasionally someone will succeed in keeping one that is fairly tame, but they have a bad attitude and really large, sharp teeth ...

That about sums it up...opossums are nasty little beasties, and hand-rearing only produces about one semi-tame specimen out of ten.

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Wow, surprising to learn that since I just saw a listing on craigslist yesterday for an opossum.

The ammount of illegal and morally questionable crap that happens on CL on a daily basis is shocking. I have seen numerous people selling primates on there in my state - which is completely illegal - as well as WC baby native snappers.

FYI: I ironically just got in a baby opossum as a wildlife patient this morning. He is on the post-weaning diet, and I spent easily $50 today alone for what will probably ammount to a week or less worth of food. If you are feeding bread, almonds, mealworms, and fruit/veg, it will not be healthy for long. These guys are very prone to MBD at that age. Please do hand it over to a rehabber or if it is healthy and old enough (3+lbs) release it.

ETA: And yes, the majority make positively dreadful pets. They are very "primitive" and don't really bond well, even to other possums and even their own mothers. If one falls off her back, she will not come back for it generally.

 

[pouchedrat]

If you ever are serious about an opossum as a pet, you probably should go with a captive bred baby, there ARE breeders out there. That's virginia opossum i'm assuming. OR at least caring for one that someone already owns just so you know what it's like first, or speaking to a breeder, etc.

If you want an opossum that can make a great pet, what about a small species like the short tailed opossum??? I used to have one, and he was awesome. He would travel in my front shirt pocket all over the place, and loved being pet. He was, however, definitely an opossum and although he didn't bite or run away from me, he definitely wasn't affectionate like a rat or prairie dog is, and preferred sleeping on me as opposed to playing with me or cuddling up.

There are four eyed opossums available (for something larger than those tiny STO's I love so much), etc, as well. Used to be mouse opossums long ago, but they were notoriously difficult to breed and I don't think there are any alive in the USA anymore. Only one generation ever bred, if I remember correctly, and after that, nothing.

Plus, like someone said, some states it's perfectly legal to keep an opossum as a pet, and others, no. Or exotic opossums are OK but native ones like the virginia opossum is not.

 

[kupo969]

Short tailed opossums are readily available in the pet trade if you are interested. As said above, there are many reason to not keep wild opossums.

 

[Snipes]

How is it that opossums need such a specific diet but thrive pretty much anywhere? It doesn't make sense to me. I mean, I thought they just kinda scoured the garbage and got some fruits,berries,carrion,eggs, etc on the side, and there are thousands of them without (I assume) MBD.
That makes me really scratch my head. Like this :? . Except I am not yellow. Or bald.

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Well for one, it is growing baby opossums like the one the OP described that are most apt to get MBD; in the wild they'd be getting supplemental nourishment from their mother that offsets this matter. Furthermore, the diet of a possum living off of human trash doesn't compare to their natural diet, and it's very likely that it DOES adversely affect their health. However, because wild opossums rarely live much past a year due to predation, disease, etc., I imagine that most of them are good and dead before their inevitable health problems from a poor diet manifest. When kept in captivity as pets, they have a longer potential lifespan, and thus fall prey to diet related illness rather that say, a coyote, car's tires, or contageous disease.

At any rate, regardless of how much it seems like they shouldn't get MBD and other diet related diseases easily... it doesn't change the fact that they do. It is extremely well documented in captive possums, both kept as pets and as wildlife rehab patients. Before a more appropriate captive opossum diet was formulated, the wildlife rehab community has - and still does among those less educated - have massive issues with animals being unreleasable despite persistent care because they had advanced MBD. Doesn't have to make a whole lot of sense to be true.

 

[Galapoheros]

When thinking of pet, I've learned to consider how sociable they are in their natural habitat with their own species. Native opossums aren't, they are loners, like Ren said. Nothing going on upstairs having to do with you in their heads, esp. when they get older. Maybe when younger and have that "needy" thing going on but after a certain age they go nomad on ya ..wherever I may rooooam, ..yeah, yeaaah! That's the opossum song

 

[ZergFront]

Short tailed opossums are readily available in the pet trade if you are interested. As said above, there are many reason to not keep wild opossums.

+1 Yeah, Critter Camp rescued a bunch of them from a neglectable pet trader not long ago. Seems these would be a better pet marsupial if you really want one as a pet.

 

[naturejoe]

opossums

I have used many over the years in education programs and I think they are great. Only one was nippy. They do require permits, in all states they are native to. By the way, I held wildlife permits for those I kept. Though MBD can be a problem when young, I have never had a problem as adults with commercially available foods. Enjoy.

 

[ThomasH]

They do require permits, in all states they are native to. By the way, I held wildlife permits for those I kept..

Hm... I've never heard of that, mind pointing me in the direction of info regarding that law?

Thanks,
TBH

 

[naturejoe]

Check with your state wildlife office. All native wildlife is considered the property of the state and as such are regulated by the states. Native wildlife, especially mammals, are regulated for hunting, commercial purposes, and even pets. Because mammals can theoretically carry diseases people can get, most states require permits to keep them. Also check with the state health department since they often will control keeping some mammals, especially raccoons, skunks and others. It can get messy if you want to be legal. I use my animals for public programs so I have to be legal.

 

[Rikamitsukane]

Wrong!

That about sums it up...opossums are nasty little beasties, and hand-rearing only produces about one semi-tame specimen out of ten.

No, that doesn't sum it up. Ive taken care of a rescued opossum as well and he has never had a problem. In fact, friends and family adore him. Yes, wild opossums are prone to biting or being aggressive just like any other wild animal but it doesn't make them nasty creatures. Most of an opossums aggressiveness is an act to frighten its predictors away. They do not see very well. And hissing is just the sound they make, no different than a cats meow and a dogs bark.
Unless he/she is I'll or has rabies or another unfortunate disease, they should leave people alone as long as you leave them alone. They are very slow simple minded animals and will only bite if threatened.

Opossums are my favorite animal, so it only irks me a little when people miss understand so much about them.

---------- Post added 01-23-2012 at 04:49 AM ----------

Opossums are very difficult to keep as pets, even if reared from tiny babies. Occasionally someone will succeed in keeping one that is fairly tame, but they have a bad attitude and really large, sharp teeth in my experience with them... these days if I see one at night I kill it before it gets to my chickens (which they love to kill and eat for dinner!).

You couldn't just capture it and take it elsewhere? ): (I'm an opossum lover)

 

[Dyn]

irks you enough to dredge up a thread from 2 years ago?

 

[Formerphobe]

+1 to everything RoachGirl said. I used to be licensed to rehab, and I really hated to see opossums come in. They were a royal P.I.T.A. - expensive to feed properly, messy, foul-tempered, and can deliver a nasty bite. Not a good pet.

irks you enough to dredge up a thread from 2 years ago?

Oops, didn't notice that...

 

[Animal whisperer]

+1 to everything RoachGirl said. I used to be licensed to rehab, and I really hated to see opossums come in. They were a royal P.I.T.A. - expensive to feed properly, messy, foul-tempered, and can deliver a nasty bite. Not a good pet.


Oops, didn't notice that...

Opossums are very good pets ! I have had several and they lived a very long life span .. they are very sweet and gentle animals ! I wish people would stop saying shit just to stop others from attempting it ... all it does is cause fear and make people hurt them ..

 

[Animal whisperer]

Wrong!



No, that doesn't sum it up. Ive taken care of a rescued opossum as well and he has never had a problem. In fact, friends and family adore him. Yes, wild opossums are prone to biting or being aggressive just like any other wild animal but it doesn't make them nasty creatures. Most of an opossums aggressiveness is an act to frighten its predictors away. They do not see very well. And hissing is just the sound they make, no different than a cats meow and a dogs bark.
Unless he/she is I'll or has rabies or another unfortunate disease, they should leave people alone as long as you leave them alone. They are very slow simple minded animals and will only bite if threatened.

Opossums are my favorite animal, so it only irks me a little when people miss understand so much about them.

---------- Post added 01-23-2012 at 04:49 AM ----------



You couldn't just capture it and take it elsewhere? ): (I'm an opossum lover)

Amen ! I have had several and they are very sweet and loving animals , just like raccoons and opossums are immune to rabies and snake bites .. they are far from simple minded as I've seen some EXTREAMLY intelligent activity from them .. it's just people that are only educated in a book and not enough hands on while using compassion from the heart !