File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
/an/ there is an opossum that's been sitting outside my dorm for the past few hours. public safety is down there just kind of staring at him, but he just looks so cold (it's about 33 degrees here) and scared and i feel terrible. it's also pretty small, so i don't think it's that old. is there anything i can do to help it, or should i just let it be?

pic related, but not of the actual opossum
>> Anonymous
Pick it up and carry it into your dorm.
PS: Enjoy your rabies
>> Anonymous
Public safety? Call "Animal control" or "ASPCA" or whatever it's called in the US and let them handle it.
>> Anonymous
its just a lonely kitten
take him in, he needs a home :'(
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>177379
And put up "cat found" posters!

It proabably has rabies. If you must do something, shove a towel in a cardboard box, dump some cat food in there, and shove it out the door. Don't touch it, just leave the damn thing alone. Its an opossum, it can survive on its own.
>> Anonymous
Opossum can carry rabies, but they will not show any symptoms of infection. Try to avoid getting close to it if all possible.
>> Hamster Boy
possum = mean. do not touch. Found one who had made a little home in a meter closet. He was all teeth and fury.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Opossums have very large jaws/teeth for their body size. (pic related)

However, they are just about the stupidest and slowest moving animals you will ever encounter. Seriously. It's never going to chase after you, though they do hiss pretty loud if cornered.

Definatley don't touch it. These are filthy animals that will eat anything, including roadkill, garbage, sewage, and so on...
>> Anonymous
>>177381
Opossums cannot carry rabies, their core body temperature is too low to support the virus. They will give a nasty bite with razor sharp teeth though, and along with 'playing opossum' their other defense, if picked up, is to poo and squirm, flinging it everywhere.

OP, your intentions are good but its a wild animal, and doing anything other than leaving it alone and maybe giving it a little kitty chow will stress it out and make it suffer. Its a wild animal and would rather die than be with humans. And if its outside, animal control, the SPCA, and public safty don't need to be called. Its where it needs to be and will probably run off its approced.
>> Anonymous
>>177399(same poster)
Sorry, I got it wrong. Rabies is possible but very rare. Quote from opossum society of the US

"Any mammal can get rabies. However, the chance of rabies in an opossum is EXTREMELY RARE. This may have something to do with the opossum’s low body temperature (94-97º F) making it difficult for the virus to survive in an opossum’s body."

http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/frequently_asked_questions.htm#Do%20opossums%20carry%20rabies?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
the little ones are so cute though!
>> Anonymous
I'd call animal control to put the thing out of whatever misery is causing it to just sit outside in the cold. At a guess I'd say it got stunned by a car and has internal injuries.
>> Anonymous
>>177403

If raised from birth by someone who knows how to deal with exotics, they can be rather charming. I don't think they should be bred for the pet trade, though, because they're behavior is far too wild for the average person to handle (not typically aggressive, but messy and destructive if not managed properly).

If you're genuinely worried about, try to get a hold of your local wildlife rehab/rescue. They will be able to tell if it is actually ill or just perhaps just young and disoriented, and take the appropriate steps.
>> Anonymous
Hit it with a shovel. I hate those fucking things.
>> Anonymous
>>177400
Alright, let's make sure we have this memorized.

Raccoons: Adorable, marketable, about 2 in 3 chance that any one you actually see (seeing them is rare for they are as ninja) will have rabies, blindingly fast, travel in gangs, will mug you for bus fare change. Have huge testicles and elude predators by turning into statues.

Opossums: Filthy, disgusting, snaggle-toothed, highly unlikely to carry rabies, 2 in 3 chance that any given one you see is a mother with a bunch of mucous-covered pseudo-fetuses in her kangaroo pouch. Not aggressive in the slightest. Elude predators by playing dead, ie. going into a coma involuntarily and emitting corpsesmell.

Both can be found in a North American dumpster near you!
>> Anonymous
>>177542
Possum...
exotic...

Do squirrels get filed under exotic? My mother had a couple of each, a skunk as well but I think the skunk was of a more domestic strain. The opossum was comparatively shy but docile and never really defensive.
>> Anonymous
>>177592
"Exotic" just means something your pet store doesn't carry, I think. With vets it's almost anything that isn't a cat or dog. Very broad term. So when>>177403says "deal with exotics" they probably mean someone who knows how to raise animals that require more than a kibble diet, daily walks, whatever.

So yeah. Squirrels, skunks, not your typical pet store fare -> definitely branded "exotic."
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>177598
Usually, when a vet says they deal with "exotics," that's code for "Yes, I will take care of your illegal/unlicensed animal."
>> Anonymous
>>177600
How can you be unlicensed to own something that would live in your garbage anyway?
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>177607
Cities make some really stupid laws, unfortunately. Usually the main reason is something to the effect of "not being able to vaccinate against contagious diseases" and general public safety, regardless of the fact that the animal would still be running amok in public.
>> Anonymous
The fear of Americans because of rabies is psychotic. It's nearly as idiotic as the fear of a hillbilly in Kansas over a islamic terrorist attack at his favourite bowling center.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>177590

Outside centers of rabies outbreaks, it is much more likely that disoriented raccoons suffer from other injuries or illnesses like distemper or they may even be just drunk. Also, seeing raccoons at daylight is no sign of rabies at all. They do this often, especially young mothers in spring and summer who have to find at much food as possible.

Getting too near at wild animals which do not visit your backyard every other day for a handout is a bad idea anyway.

The animals in Pom Poko are raccoon dogs! That's a totally different species!
>> Anonymous
>>177643

It goes way beyond Americans and rabies, unfortunatley. People have all sorts of irrational fears: distrust of genetically modified crops, raw eggs, less-than-charred beef, flu shots, etc.
>> Anonymous
>>177654
Fuck that I eat my beef nearly raw.
Possums are mean-ass animals, and they have lots of teef to bite you with. But they don't carry rabies.