Wild opossum as a pet?
I have a wild opossum in my garage who looks very friendly.
He does not look like a baby, but it does not look like he is anywhere close to full grown yet.
He has seen me just a foot away and does not seem at all frightened.
Would I be able to tame him as a pet?
I know they have complex diet needs that can lead to MBD, but if I educate myself about taking care of him and take care of him accordingly, do you think it would be a plausible idea to have him as a pet?
Thanks so much,
Ariel
Update:I would not keep in cage, but in house.
I live in Cleveland where it is freezing cold outside with lots of snow.
It is EXTREMELY RARE that an opossum would have rabies
Comments
Not plausible at all if he doesn't look frightened something is probably wrong with him because no self respecting normal wild animal should not be terrified of you. It is illegal in Ohio to own a wild animal as a pet. I love opossum and can't stand for any harm to come of them but in this case he can't be your pet. Wild animals look at us (humans) as predators they think we want to eat them. That is why they should be terrified of us. He is probably a juvenile from last year's litter. It's great of you to care about him but wildlife really do much better without our misguided but well intended "help". We usually just mess things up for them. He would be absolutely and utterly miserable in your house. By chance do you have food in your garage that would invite him in? Honestly if you really care about him I would love him enough to let him be wild and consult a wildlife rehabilitator in the Cleveland area.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Home/resources...
http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/
If you really love virginia opossum why not volunteer for a wildlife rehabilitator or an organization.
BTW that person said they are "rabies resistant" which means they do not carry rabies as their body temperature is much lower than all other mammals and the nasty diseases found in other animals can not live in a cool 97degree opossum. (just a cool fact that makes them really amazing) They are virtually unchanged since prehistoric times.
The only way you could tame a wild opposum or really any wild animal, is if you got it before it opened its eyes and learned how to care for itself and new any better than a life in a cage in a home with humans. If you try to cage it, it will be miserable and never let you touch it. It will probably still eat, but I'm not sure if it'll drink.
THey arre dangerous animals-if you approach them or they feel threatened or cornered, they can and will harm you with their serious teeth (the most teeth of any land mammel in North America or I think anywhere). Not to mention, diseases it could have such as rabies which is not fun to get and if you have a dog, rabies is deadly to dogs.
Oppossums are not dangerous animals usually when just observed, but it will try very hard to harm you if you catch it. If you like it, watch it, let it sleep in your garage, see if its legal where you live to feed it and other wild animals (because it isn't legal to feed some where I live in nj), but leave it alone. It is where it belongs in the wild, and if you did see it during the day, it may even be pregnant, so please, let it be and you'll be giving it the life it wants-one where it is free-free isn't as great anymore for them due to human overpopulation, forests being destroyed, pavement everywhere, etc, but its where it belongs and where it wants to be. And anyone who tells you different is wrong-to tame it would be to crush its soul and make it your slave, though I don't think it'd be possible anyway anymore cause its too old. And if it tears your finger off or gives you a disease, society will feel the need to put it down and its death will be on your hands-'to love it is to let it be free'.
Please take what I'm trying to say seriously. It doesn't deserve a life in a cage. It deserves the life it has now with its own kind where it can mate and have babies and do what oppossums are supposed to do. Not entertain people.
And I just read the one above me-crows are not oppossums. While you are hand feeding this wild animal with many many many teeth who may feel trapped or cornered by you at any second or think you're the food once the foods gone from your hand, or when you go to stroke it, it bites off your finger or makes you bleed in someway and passes on one of its diseases it could very well have, and afterwards you have to go to the hospital getting stitched up, who will be there to tell the police not to shoot it? Or your neighbor or dad or brother or boyfriend? Who will protect the animal whose probable death is your fault? No one, because you aren't home. You're at the hospital getting stitched up and shots because you listened to someone whose father had a pet crow. Not to mention some fines you could end up paying beecause is it legal in your state to feed a wild animal such as an opposum or house one, because that is what your garage is to it. Keep your distance, leave it alone, and let it live the life it should be leading-not the one you forcce it to lead.
Again, Rabies is very rare in opossums, very common in raccoon. Depends on how early you get the animal if they act instinctive and aggressive toward humans or animals. Hand raised from babies by a human who is attentive and giving them the exact diet they need, they are great pets...Again, I don't recommend it. Nature should be allowed to be natural.
If you think your up to it this would be a good idea although, this is a wild animal who can bit and may carry diesease, he might not like living in a cage and you may not be able to tame him. If you really would like him as a pet go up to him in the garage and start feeding him then when you think you are up to it you could stroke him and if he's confatable go from thier but rember that this may take a few weeks to stroke him. Also it is good to make sure it dosn;t have anything children it is taking care of and what would you do if you caged him and he died in the night due to stress, to pretvent htis i would recomend that when he is comfable with you stroking him put some food in his cage and some bedding and he may start venturing in there and make a home there himself then slowly when he is comfable with his cage slowly start moving him out the garage day by day, good luck with taming him my dad had a tame crow who used to follow him eveywhere
Probably not a good idea.
Pet Opossum's can be VERY VERY vicious. A wild one would be worse. If it is an adult, it most likely wont be able to become a tame pet. I know they look cute and cuddly, but it is a wild animal that is known for being very dangerous. I wouldn't risk it.
DEFINITELY EDUCATE YOURSELF! It is worth your time. Possums are NOTHING like people say. They are rabies resistant, eat all the unwanted bugs and stuff in your yard, and the hissing and drooling thing they do is not in their control. It is to frighten you. They almost NEVER bite! I had a baby one I found in the street and I loved it to death. But, they do NOT like cages...so I let him go.
No way, Jose. Wild animals should never be taken in as pets. It is unsafe for you and for the animal. It would be so much happier out in its natural habitat. Also, opossums are known to carry many diseases that can be extremely harmful to humans.
Just stick to observing this animal in his natural habitat.