An Opossum Incident In The Middle Of The Night-Funny

[jujube]

Around here, we have armadillos......they're referred to as "possum on the half-shell".

True story. Many years ago, a co-worker of mine was home alone on Christmas Eve after imbibing a little too much at a party. She was in her bedroom when she heard "footsteps" coming down the hall toward her bedroom. She closed and locked the door, called 911 and got her gun out of the drawer of the nightstand (intoxication and gun = bad idea).

She opened her bedroom window and proceeded to try to crawl out, gun in hand (intoxication, gun in hand and crawling out open window = even worse idea).

She tumbled out her window into the bushes, gun in hand just as the cops showed up (intoxication, gun in hand, someone falling out a window as the police show up to investigate a breaking-and-entering = worst idea this century).

Cops pulling guns, much screaming of "DROP THE GUN!", "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!", "DON'T SHOOT ME! I LIVE HERE!", neighbors coming out in their pj's and gawking, well, you get the picture. There were enough red lights and hoo-doo to scare Santa off the neighborhood permanently.

After all the screaming was over and the guns put away, a huge and hugely traumatized possum was found cowering in the hallway and was liberated by the police and sent on his way. Yes, a large possum CAN walk loudly. I had an attic full of them in my first house in Florida and I swear they were wearing army boots.

 

[RadishRose]

Around here, we have armadillos......they're referred to as "possum on the half-shell".

True story. Many years ago, a co-worker of mine was home alone on Christmas Eve after imbibing a little too much at a party. She was in her bedroom when she heard "footsteps" coming down the hall toward her bedroom. She closed and locked the door, called 911 and got her gun out of the drawer of the nightstand (intoxication and gun = bad idea).

She opened her bedroom window and proceeded to try to crawl out, gun in hand (intoxication, gun in hand and crawling out open window = even worse idea).

She tumbled out her window into the bushes, gun in hand just as the cops showed up (intoxication, gun in hand, someone falling out a window as the police show up to investigate a breaking-and-entering = worst idea this century).

Cops pulling guns, much screaming of "DROP THE GUN!", "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!", "DON'T SHOOT ME! I LIVE HERE!", neighbors coming out in their pj's and gawking, well, you get the picture. There were enough red lights and hoo-doo to scare Santa off the neighborhood permanently.

After all the screaming was over and the guns put away, a huge and hugely traumatized possum was found cowering in the hallway and was liberated by the police and sent on his way. Yes, a large possum CAN walk loudly. I had an attic full of them in my first house in Florida and I swear they were wearing army boots.

No one could make this up!

 

[Nautilus]

We had one that would come in through the cat door and gorge himself on cat nuggets. I finally trapped him and deported him to a woods a few miles away.

 

[Liberty]

Around here, we have armadillos......they're referred to as "possum on the half-shell".

True story. Many years ago, a co-worker of mine was home alone on Christmas Eve after imbibing a little too much at a party. She was in her bedroom when she heard "footsteps" coming down the hall toward her bedroom. She closed and locked the door, called 911 and got her gun out of the drawer of the nightstand (intoxication and gun = bad idea).

She opened her bedroom window and proceeded to try to crawl out, gun in hand (intoxication, gun in hand and crawling out open window = even worse idea).

She tumbled out her window into the bushes, gun in hand just as the cops showed up (intoxication, gun in hand, someone falling out a window as the police show up to investigate a breaking-and-entering = worst idea this century).

Cops pulling guns, much screaming of "DROP THE GUN!", "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!", "DON'T SHOOT ME! I LIVE HERE!", neighbors coming out in their pj's and gawking, well, you get the picture. There were enough red lights and hoo-doo to scare Santa off the neighborhood permanently.

After all the screaming was over and the guns put away, a huge and hugely traumatized possum was found cowering in the hallway and was liberated by the police and sent on his way. Yes, a large possum CAN walk loudly. I had an attic full of them in my first house in Florida and I swear they were wearing army boots.

Ha ha... now that must have been a sight. She's lucky the cops didn't arrest her and sort it out later, down at the station. We have a family of the "armored rats - armadillos" living under the gazebo. The babies are so cute. We do have possums too...but the racoons are the real hunters and eaters! Armadillos love bananas.

 

[Keesha]

We had one that would come in through the cat door and gorge himself on cat nuggets. I finally trapped him and deported him to a woods a few miles away.

Our old neighbour used to have a raccoon come in through his cat door and he was terrified of them. It was actually kind of funny. He’d squeal real loud

 

[Liberty]

Always wondered how people could use those "pet doors" without being concerned about the "wannabes"... don't think the coons and possums and other varmits know they aren't pets!

 

[Nautilus]

Our old neighbour used to have a raccoon come in through his cat door and he was terrified of them. It was actually kind of funny. He’d squeal real loud☺

The neighbor or the raccoon?

 

[Tommy]

Although opossums can carry rabies, it's extremely uncommon. On the other hand, according to the "University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources Integrated Pest Management Program" (how's that for a title to impress your friends?):

"Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease. They may also be infested with fleas, ticks, mites, and lice. Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments. This flea infestation on opossums is particularly concerning for transmission of flea-borne typhus, which is increasing in prevalence in Orange and Los Angeles Counties."

Fun to watch, but not really a critter that you want to encourage to visit your home.

 

[win231]

Although opossums can carry rabies, it's extremely uncommon. On the other hand, according to the "University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources Integrated Pest Management Program" (how's that for a title to impress your friends?):

"Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease. They may also be infested with fleas, ticks, mites, and lice. Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments. This flea infestation on opossums is particularly concerning for transmission of flea-borne typhus, which is increasing in prevalence in Orange and Los Angeles Counties."

Fun to watch, but not really a critter that you want to encourage to visit your home.

Probably any animal can carry all those diseases; including our family pets that go outside. I don't pet or handle them; I just feed them. I have handled wild cats & let them sit in my lap, & I pull fleas off of them, but I've never gotten sick from them.

 

[Seeker]

Back when I had an outside cat...............