I am SUCH a sucker!!!

[amazondoc]

If you want to raise him for release, make sure he gets some experience with foraging and bugs and good stuff like that. I forget whether they like earthworms, but a possum will eat most everything so I wouldn't be surprised. They will definitely eat mealworms.

You could also use a tractor like a chicken tractor to give him exposure to the outside, and digging through the grass and such.

Good luck with the little guy or gal!

 

[warcard]

DH raised some possum babies when he was younger. He found the mother dead on the road.

They are smart little buggers. They would sit on his head, but climb down when they had to potty. I hear they are much easier to litter train than coons.

There's not a lot you can do when he's little to keep him from seeing humans as nice, especially since you have to feed him. Once he gets bigger I would try the "tractor" idea, or a covered kennel out near the edge of your property that you start visiting less and less, eventually leaving the door open and then providing less and less food.

Have I mentioned the squirrels and raccoons we used to have? Every now and then he brings up the fox idea.

I don't know what I'll do if he ever says skunk.

Yes, I do know they can be descented. The birds seem to be distracting him for now.

 

[amazondoc]

I love tame squirrels! Wonderful little things.

IME, tame raccoons tend to end up getting aggressive as they mature, unfortunately.

I've also known tame foxes, both red and grey, as well as tame skunks. Also "tame" coyotes. I'd stay FAAAAAR away from the coyotes.

The tame foxes were fun, but nervous. The skunks seemed mostly like blobs to me. But then again they were raised without too much environmental enrichment, so they would probably have been more intelligent and interactive if they had been raised better. And you DO need to worry about rabies in skunks.

 

[HillCountryMomma]

Excelent idea about putting Splash in a tractor as s/he gets older. I'm about to shuffle chickens through tractors pretty soon here, so will hopefully have one open by the time it's needed for the possum. Never thought I'd have a tractored possum!

I put him in a big cage (for guinea pigs, etc) out on the back porch yesterday. He really seems to enjoy the extra room. Bedded him down in shavings because I wasn't sure what else to use. I've noticed he dumps his food bowls, then digs holes and forages/plays in the shavings. So maybe it's a good thing after all!

Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and advice. We're really enjoying having Splash around. I sure wouldn't mind fostering a baby coon or fox. Heck, even a baby bobcat would be kinda neat. We have all of them around here. Cougars too, but I think I'd have to hand that one off to someone with more experience and fewer small children!

If you haven't read the famous 'beet pulp squirrel story' you need to go check it out. It's a riot.
http://www.shady-acres.com/susan/squirrel.shtml

Liz

 

[Toast n Jelly]

What a nice and wise way to handle the wild life around you! Kudos to you and good luck in catching the BIG one.