VIRGINIA 
OPOSSUM
Copyright © 2005 - Laura Ledet - All Rights Reserved
This website is a work in progress. Although a lot of information has been added
already, there are still a couple empty pages (just click "next") to bypass
those, and keep returning. You never know what we will add next!
Dedicated to my beautiful little man, Kizzie.
I acquired Kizzie quite by accident. Some neighbor kids found him and took him home.
A couple days later I was called to go check him out. At the time I knew nothing
about opossums, but if there is an animal in need, I am there.
When I met Kizzie, he had been placed in a box with hard cat food and no water. He
was severely dehydrated, encrusted with feces, starved and infested with fleas
so bad you could not find a single patch of pink skin. He had obvious wounds,
the most pronounced was the spinal column, which was anything but straight.
To these people's horror, I simply scooped him up and held him against my
chest and took him to my Vet immediately. She checked him out and we removed as many
fleas as possible and we were sent home. I immediately got online to search
for possum care and found the
NOS (National Opossum Society) and luckily help
was right there.
Kizzie was perhaps 4 months old when he came to us and it was clear he could not be
released due to his handicaps. He could walk, but would fall over easily and
could not regain his balance w/o our assistance. Over the years arthritis set
in and he became more and more debilitated physically, until he could
finally walk no more at all.
I carried Kizzie everywhere, bathed him daily since he could not escape his own
urine and feces. We battled many infections and rashes, along with the
dreaded Crispy Ear. He survived them all. Then after he turned 3, he was diagnosed
with Congestive Heart Failure and with medication he survived several months
more. When Kizzie died, part of me did as well......you will never meet a more gentle
soul then my Kizzie was. He loved everyone, human or not. Always
willing to make friends. He touched hundreds of lives, and taught so many
people how wonderful opossums really are. It is in his memory that I have created
this website.
Every year I hear dozens of stories about people finding orphaned babies who are
unable to locate any information on how to care for them. As a result, many babies
simply died, and for some, it was a long and painful death.
I am not advocating keeping opossums as pets. They are wild animals and should be
allowed to remain so. However, there are exceptions......handicapped possums or
possums with other health issues which make it unwise to release them. To
release a truly friendly opossum who has really bonded and imprinted on humans
and dogs or cats is almost certainly doomed if suddenly it is set free to make
it on their own. Therefore, it is extremely
important not to allow this bonding to occur and to keep the opossum(s)
away from all other people as well as your pets. Once the babies are past the
stage of needing to have assisted feeding, you should no longer have physical
contact with them. Go into their enclosure only to clean and feed, during
the daylight hours while they are (hopefully) sleeping.
It is for all the non-releaseable possums, and the orphaned young who fall into
inexperienced hands, as well as the possums that are legal to own in certain states
that I offer this website to.
**** PLEASE think carefully about what you are doing
should you find a baby possum. They are adorable little creatures and you may
be tempted to keep it. Many people that have decided to do this, found
out as their "pet" grew into adults that they made a grave mistake.
Adult opossums have very large and sharp teeth. Their claws are
formidable as well. Males may get aggressive towards you during breeding
season. These no longer wanted animals end up living their lives in cages, or released
to fend for themselves without any major instincts on how to survive on their
own. It is cruel to let these beautiful animals end up in one of these
scenarios.
The information on this website barely skims the surface of what you need to know
as a rehabber, therefore
I whole-heartedly recommend joining and
ordering the NOS (National Opossum Society) book if you plan on rehabbing
orphaned opossums. Make certain you order the orphan baby care manual as well as the
adult book. They cost me $35.00 and are worth their weight in gold. They
will also provide you with a list of experienced rehabbers who can guide you
through the process of their care until they are releaseable. You can contact the NOS at:
National Opossum Society
" We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even
more temporary than our own
live within a fragile
circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept
its awful gaps,
we still would live no other way. We
cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never
fully understanding the necessary plan...."
In Rememberance Of Steve Irwin
INFANT DIET - DANGERS OF DISTILLED WATER
