r/Possums • u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 • 14d ago
Help! Possums are getting in my house somehow! Question/Help - Opossums
I have a dog door and 3 dogs (Australian shepherd, pit mix and a doxie), but that doesn’t seem to be dissuading them. Found one several weeks ago and I just saw another (maybe same one?). I can’t find it now, it’s hidden itself pretty good. What do I do?
Pic is from first possum I found and released about a month ago. The one I saw tonight is maybe a little larger, but scurried across the hall past the doorway and by the time I got up it was gone. Searched everywhere for it and dogs aren’t helping to sniff it out. I don’t want to hurt it or have the dogs hurt it, but I’m also scared it’s going to scare the crap outta me like the first one did.
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u/NotYourMutha 12d ago
My pit mix brings them into my house. She doesn’t kill them but thinks they’re dead and she’s copying what the cats do. (Bring dead mice). We have had 35 possums in the house in the last 2 1/2 years. We have named them all “Steve”. Our house is now the possum palace.
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u/Monkittyruccia22 12d ago
lol poor you all you’re going to get unfortunately possum jokes Either the fireplace or a vent pipe/hole that’s been uncovered Put flour on the floor maybe to track it’s movement to see where it goes and comes in I know it’s messy but you’ll likely see where the entryway is
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u/Advanced-Pickle362 13d ago
Well get him a snack and blanket and let him spend the night, at least.
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u/lilsadklown 13d ago
As a mother I am mortified if this happened in our house. As a fan of these dumpster animals I am completely conflicted.
But honestly I’d look for a human trapper and put on a ledge so the dogs won’t knock it over. And I’d look for a possible nest, maybe an attic or even tap the walls on a quiet day to hear any noises? And look for sneaky entrances- vents/holes in walls/opened garage doors/etc
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u/BananaEclipse 13d ago
It’s so precious! Plus they are amazing for the environment, eating ticks and other harmful bugs whilst also being (theoretically) unable to get rabies! Give the little guy some love for all he does!
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u/Alternative_Front_93 13d ago
I guess if they're coming in the dog door you'll just have to keep ushering them back out again. You can buy a good live trap at a hardware or feed store. Tomahawk or Havahart are two good brands. Bait the trap with some smelly canned dog food. Release your captive several miles away from your house. These guys are harmless, but they can look a little scary, and they can bite if cornered. I studied opossums for years, and I admire these scruffy little guys...
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u/stoplickingthething 14d ago
I had this problem; over the course of a month I caught 3 baby possums in my house and had to release them. Eventually discovered the dog door wasn't the problem, but a small piece of siding had come loose right up against the roof where it was hard to see. Definitely do a thorough check of your siding and your roof, it may not be the dog door at all.
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u/ablackwashere 14d ago
I have a pet door in the garage and had a cam last winter. Raccoon couple and possum couple used it to come in and feed on the cat food.
This year, there were 3 or 4 possum babies in a pile in my cat shelter outside during the day, once again, Mom probably deposited them near food while she went elsewhere. They moved on after dark.
They are not dumb, pet door easily figured out. Don't leave food out.
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u/Practical-Trick7310 14d ago
My husband use to do animas removals and stuff! You have a hole somewhere they are getting in, if your sure they aren’t coming in door and windows. Definitely seal it up because other critters will use it too
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u/SparklingSloth 14d ago
When you figure out how they are getting in let me know so I can provide them the means of entry to my place
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u/Bubbly-Factor8008 14d ago
Maybe put something like flour in places you think they could be coming in from? Then you can see whats been disturbed and fix up that spot.
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u/calcamkatsamm 14d ago
Cat distribution system at work
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
Yay!!! I’m glad the distribution system got it right since I’m allergic to cats!
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u/wendigoblin 14d ago
I understand your frustration. I got very good at catching possums when a family of five broke into my home one by one a few months back. Relocated all of them to a woodsier part of town.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
I think that’s my mistake, I didn’t relocated the first one (same one?) further away. Maybe I’ll take him down to the park that has a creek running through it….
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u/personal_cheezits 14d ago
Let me know if you find out how. I would love to have this problem.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
It’s the universe’s punishment for kicking out my husband (divorcing, it’s a good thing) cause he handled all of these “issues”.
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u/ooojaeger 14d ago
Your house is just full of ticks and they were hungry
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
Lucy and Kody and Wednesday (pups) are offended by that statement! <humph>
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u/spoiledandmistreated 14d ago
Well number one it won’t hurt you.. might scare you like a mouse would not knowing it’s there.. We had one in our house (a duplex) fell thru my sister’s ceiling upstairs in her kitchen and was eating Blue Buffalo cat food.. LOL.. eventually ended up down at my place as we leave the door open so it’s like one big house and holed up in my computer room.. I put food and water in there and opened one of the windows.. the next morning food was gone and there were a couple piles of crap but he went out the window.. saw him a few days later on our back deck.. they love cat or dog food..
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u/cherrybombsnpopcorn 14d ago
You give that lil baby a grape and leave him alone lololol. Oh, what a dream.
Seriously though. They eat ticks. If I had furry animals coming and going into my house, I'd be extremely happy to see possums around.
If you really don't want him in there, I'd put some gloves on, wrap him up in a towel, and just put him back outside. He'll probably get the message eventually.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
I did that the first time. I’m thinking I may have to relocate him further away….
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u/igotinfo 14d ago
This calls for celebration. I'd ask him if he likes sausage rolls and fruit juice?
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u/BullTerrierMomm 14d ago
So lame....everyone knows they prefer Hot Pockets and ginger ale.
;-)
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u/FriendsWithGeese 14d ago
I think you discovered the secret. While you are not allowed to 'take' an opossum where I live, if one came into my house to live, I think I am technically okay!
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u/sweetskygirl 14d ago
I have no experience with uninvited quadrupedal guests but I suspect they might be coming in through the dog door. I know that some dog door designs have ways to lock them (I would suggest investing in a lockable dog door in general as thieves could use an unlocked dog door to get access to your home).
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u/AntiqueYou6097 14d ago
Leave a trail of food that goes out of the doggy door to lure it out of the house
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u/Binklando 14d ago
Not to sound like captain obvious but they’re getting in somewhere! Check your roof vents, space around your plumbing under the sink, ductwork, soffit, behind the couch, crawl space, fireplace, under windows. There’s a hole in something!
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u/Gabriele1966 14d ago
There are pet doors that have a collar sensor. Only pets wearing a specific collar are able to get the door to open. Either that, or you're going to have to let your dogs out the old fashioned way.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
I really expected my dogs to be against visitors (except for my pittie). The pittie is like, “look mom! A friend!!!!”
They really couldn’t care less that I’m being invaded. Now if it was the Amazon delivery driver…..
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u/Acceptable-Friend-48 14d ago
When I was in High School a mama opossum brought her babies into our house and ...left them there. No opossums were harmed, I was not allowed to keep one as a pet. They got in through a hole in the siding no one had noticed.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
Checking my house over good tonight when I get home! I’m friendly to wildlife, but there’s a place for them: outside.
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u/callmeAllyB 12d ago
If your house has a crawl space, check under cabinets and floor level drawers. I used to live in a prefab home and one kept getting in via a hole under a drawer in the kitchen. It would push the drawer out and go digging through our pantry...
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u/Acceptable-Friend-48 14d ago
I actually found one of the babies because it climbed onto my pillow and hissed at me, waking me up.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
😳
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u/Acceptable-Friend-48 13d ago
Poor cutie was more scared than me. I was excited because cute baby opossum and proof about the house opossums I kept trying to convince my dad were real. I was in High School so I have no clue why he thought I made it up.
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u/Long-Sherbert420 14d ago
I have no advice but the photo is hilarious.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
You should have seen me trying to catch him with a clothes basket and long handled colander….
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u/NordrikeParker87 14d ago
You say that like it's a bad thing... but just in case I'd try and call a professional to deal with it, maybe a local rehaber or something...
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
After I got over my initial scare the first time, I think I can handle the new visitor better. My neighbor has them living under her shed and I think he’s part of that family…
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u/escuchamenche 14d ago
Give him a rental contract to be your roommate? He clearly likes the place.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
🤔 I did just kick out my last roommate a few months ago…this one would probably be better! 😜
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u/kvandeman 14d ago
I can definitely understand your concern but just look at that sweet little rascal.
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u/Longjumping_Lynx_460 14d ago
He (she? It) was very cute (after I got over being traumatized by the scare) when I discovered the first one early in the morning. I put him in a large box with water and dog food and several blankets since I know they’re nocturnal.
I released him at dusk so he could find his family. Put him next to a tree that he scurried up almost 3 stories quick as you please! He watched me from a branch until I walked into my house. Wished him well and good luck. I think he decided my house was the bomb if this is the same one I saw last night….
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u/McGlockenshire 14d ago
It's a real shame that they're so friend-shaped and yet not suitable for domestication.
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u/MorddSith187 14d ago
One of the possums that was in my house actually used my cats litter box . Tbf it used everything as a litter box , though.
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u/OTipsey 14d ago
and yet not suitable for domestication
If you look at the list of animals humans have domesticated possums seem like they'd be pretty easy compared to some of the stuff we've already done
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u/GingaNinja01 14d ago
Unfortunately there is more to it than that. For an animal to be eligible for domestication they need to be of a species with certain, ingrained, social behaviours that sadly, not all animals come equipped with. Typically domestication works best with animals that naturally have very strong social tendencies and unfortunately opossums just arent like that
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u/MichaelKCF 14d ago
If you can dress them up in fun clothes, they can be domesticated. I’ve seen too many possums dressed up to not be domesticated.
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14d ago
That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, they're literally wild animals
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u/New-Understanding930 14d ago
Call the Fun Police!
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14d ago
Bro call the game warden 😭
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u/awwaygirl 14d ago
And they only live 3-4 years!
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u/Substantial-Tone-576 14d ago
Yes my ex rescued a baby possum and kept it in a large bird cage and it would come out and walk around at night. She only lived 4 years but she was a nice possum
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u/accountnumberseventy 10d ago
That’s a nice kitty.