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Baby Opossum! Tired Anon !EHsj4EGwIQ
So, /an/, I've been given a new task from the game park where I work. I'm in charge of socializing a baby opossum. I need to find the camera and get a pic of him, cause despite the 'ugly' trait, he's kinda cute. So far he's doing pretty well, eating, and isn't hissing when handled, which is a good start. Eating moistened dry science diet dog food and the canned science diet dog food (the boss provided me with those) and is pretty cozy in his carrier at night (heating pad and blankets included). But it's kinda funny how animals you consider ugly as hell grow to become cute after you half raise them.

I do have a question, if anyone could answer. What's the safest and most comfortable way to clean them? He's not too keen on the warm washcloth.

Anywho, will have pictures later. This pic is related, but not my opossum.
>> Anonymous
http://www.ehow.com/how_2077267_give-pet-opossum-dust-bath.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&ut
m_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
>> Anonymous
i hope it dies, its ugly as fuck.
>> Anonymous
>i hope it lives, its cute as fuck.

fix'd
>> Anonymous
look at thoes eyes, so fucking cute in that position in your hand, espically with the tail wrapped around your wrist while its in a ball.
>> Anonymous
The head is to large.. an the tail looks like a rat tail!?
>> Anonymous
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>>267812

It looks like a normal opossum to me! Opossums do have very large jaws (and heads) for their body size, plus the head is closer to the camera than its body is, thus perspective makes it look larger than it really is.

The little ones are indeed cute. Too bad they stink like hell when they get older.
>> Anonymous
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possum liek loli
>> Anonymous
>>267815
rabies imminent
>> Anonymous
I have had to kill so many of these bastards. they are pretty vicious but I'm guessing it's just like any other violent rodent. My rat is very good natured so I'm thinking this thing has the personality of a dwarf hamster. The best way might be to get him wet or place him in a tub with very little water in it, and then put shampoo on a soft bristled brush and comb the bastard.
>> Anonymous
>>267838

Uhm, Opossums are marsupials, not rodents.
They young are raised in the female's pouch, then they ride around on her back.
They don't have gnawing incisors like a rodent. They have large canine teeth for eating...well...anything it can catch or scavenge (carrion). They young are raised in the female's pouch, then they ride around on her back.
>> Anonymous
>>267838
LOL violent?
hell no. all they do is act tough. they want you to think they'll maul the fuck out of you but they are total wimps. i've had them stuck in my garage before and they would always hiss and bare their teeth. even when i picked them up they didn't bite me, they just continued to hiss at me.
>> Tired Anon !EHsj4EGwIQ
>>267799
Bah, that's not nice. He's got a unique charm.

>>267813
i think that it may be only due to that they're never bathed, or taken care of, and grooming isn't on their priority in the wild. The three year old one at the zoo isn't bad smelling, especially since her pen is cleaned every day. It's just like with the Ferrets and skunks, the cleaner their environment, the less they will stink.

>>267836
Protip: Opossums are less likely to transmit or become infected with rabies due to low body temperature and metabolic rate.


>>267847is right.
Never had one out right attack the cat, or dog, or myself, they mostly hiss and act huge and vicious, but they're more likely to play dead... and poo on you.

Anyway, figured out a way to clean up the little guy. He still didn't care for it, but warm soaked wash cloth with a spray bottle of '5 minute grooming formula' (has aloe and jojoba) and doesn't contain soaps. I'm nervous about using soaps on such a young animal. The little bugger is sleeping now, and it's d'aww worthy.
>> Anonymous
>>267838
Why have you had to kill opossums?
>> Anonymous
>>267847
This guy is right, one time a opossum was eating the cat food in my backyard and one of the cats that I owned was just laying down right behind the opossum playing with it's tail while it was eating. The opossum didn't do anything to the cat, it just finished off the cat food then left.
>> Anonymous
>>267868

I lol'd.
>> Anonymous
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I always thought opossums were pretty. Plus it's really cute when they try to bluff you by hissing, when in fact they don't have any defenses :3. They don't even run fast.
>> Anonymous
>>267887
>when in fact they don't have any defenses

SHARP TEETH, CLAWS, FUCKING RABIES, etc. etc.
>> Anonymous
>>267912
They have a very low rate of carrying rabies due to their body temperature.
>> Anonymous
i categories these with rats and ferrets, why would anyone want to keep these is beyond me....
>> Anonymous
>>268200
Ferrets suck, but rats are awesome pets.
>> Anonymous
>>267912
There are recorded cases of opossums getting rabies through inhaled bat droppings but it's so rare that it's commonly (though mistakenly) believed that they're incapable of catching rabies. Laboratory experiments attempting to infect them through injections of the virus were unsuccessful.
>> Anonymous
They have cleaning clothes you use for cats since they hate water. Its like a moist towelette and you just rub them with it. That's probably your best bet for bathing it.