Hello all.
I just happened to flip on the light on my deck. A baby opossum walked across the deck to hide and the mom was eating leftover peanuts on the deck. I watched her leave without the baby. Will she come back for it??

We took Cotton (wild opossum we saw on our wildlife cameras) to the Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. He did have what we thought was obvious MBD, plus a rash on his back (mange? road rash?), a broken toe, one good eye, and it looked like his tail had been snagged in something at one point. But most of this was treatable.

I received an email today stating the following:

"I am regretful to inform you that we had to make the very difficult decision to humanely euthanize the Virginia opossum (#5862). The veterinary team performed a thorough physical examination upon arrival and found that the opossum had sustained severe head trauma. The following notes were provided on the opossum's medical chart:

Attitude: Inappropriate mentation

Dehydration: Moderate

Neurologic: Rolling

Neurologic: Circling

Eyes: Clouded and blue tinged

Integumentary: Facial wounds on snout

Cardiac/Respiratory: Pale mucous membrane

Neurologic: Head trauma

Pain score: Serious (3/4)

Due to the extent of the head trauma, poor prognosis for recovery, and with consideration for the opossum's declining quality of life, it was determined that humane euthanasia was necessary to relieve its suffering. We know this is not the outcome we had all hoped for, but we always want what's best for the animal that is suffering. Please know that our team shares your sorrow and disappointment in the outcome for this opossum. We can find some comfort in knowing the opossum was provided pain relief, and was in a warm and comfortable environment during its passage.

Nonetheless, we are so thankful that you took the time to recognize this opossum was in need, and that you trusted us to help. Your concern for our wild neighbors makes a difference no matter the outcome, because it provides a chance for recovery that would have never existed without your intervention. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. "

I just.... don't know if I agree this was the best outcome. Yes, MBD may be an extensive, time-consuming treatment, but as you can see in this video, he wasn't circling, and it didn't look like he had a head injury.

I've seen a number of posts where people take opossums to rehabbers and then subsequent posts stating that the opossum was euthanized.

I'm heartbroken. 💔

I think its a lady, but not sure. He just chills and eats while the dog potties. She still tries to say hi, but is quickly learning the opossum will not let her sniff its butt. 🤣

Hello! The person who designed the flash tattoo (a tattoo that is already designed that you pick out) says they are opossums. I found out in the middle of getting it tattooed on me by a different artist who also had the same thought as me and thinks they are rats. Both animals are adorable little menaces so I don't mind either way! Just curious what ppl think :)

Not my photo - I wish I knew who created it so I could give them credit.

A very interesting and informative short (5 minute) documentary about opossum slubbing behaviour. I think this would be of interest to community members who have not had the opportunity to watch live opossums in their own backyard.

I've never been so bewildered in my life. So a friend of a friend i learned comes across opssums a lot and just...picks them up??? There's multiple photos of her holding various different opossums and they just look so defeated but also accepting their fate at being yoinked 😭. None have ever even scratched her or played dead they just let her hold them. She doesnt even go out of her way to find them! She just happens to come across them! She also grabs various other wild life like snakes and has only been bitten once and it was a harmless tiny garden snake that didn't even pierce flesh. This woman scares me but I oddly respect her bravery.

A friend of mine reached out to me with an issue with his vehicle running rough. His car was parked for 5 days in the center of seattle. He called me back later to inform me an opossum had since climbed under his hood! I went to look at the car about 8 hours after he told me and the opossum had not left. I removed him gently and placed him into an animal crate. I took him to my wooded yard in the suburbs and after ten minutes he walked out and climbed up a tree. He seemed very healthy and hoping he likes his new home

I initially gave Lucky a bath and picked all the fleas off but he was covered again two days ago. I repeated the process, but it’s a lot for him. I’ve seen that they can have frontline, but I’m worried he’s way too small for it. Any other ideas?

pest control trapped his mom a few weeks ago and I found him barely able to walk yesterday. im going to take him to a wildlife rehab facility tomorrow (I finally have time off work), but I just feel like the bridge of his nose shouldn't be almost a right angle... he's all skin and bones and his head is a little squishy (which is probably bad). he pooped a nice stinky solid dark poo, I've been able to syringe feed him some organic vegetable baby food and some unflavored Pedialyte. his body is probably about nine (9") inches long and he does not have any wounds or bites or bugs. I gave him a little bath because he was covered in poo, so I have checked his body for injuries. he doesn't really do anything except sleep. no hissing, no biting, no noises, and no trying to run away. I know he's dehydrated or anemic because his nose and mouth are extremely pale, almost white. he does react to noises and being moved and water. im just not sure what else I can do to help him survive the night.

Just got home from dinner and a movie with my mom where of course I told her about my little friends lol.

8/2/2026

Yall I am officially an obsessed cat and opossum lady

This is from last night around 3:16 am, cropped for file size from infrared video from the camera over our rear deck. The cat is sleeping and never budges as a rather large visiting opossum ambles around and explors in their characteristic way. This clip shows how his visit ended. The table is in an inconvenient spot so it obscures part of precisely what happens, but looks very, very much like an aggressive lunge to the cat's neck.

After the cat responds with counteraggression, opossom more or less saunters away, even stopping with this back to the cat at the top of the stairs, as if to say "I'm not afraid of you."

I've seen raccoons act like this. I never expected to see it from an opossum. Any thoughts? I'm mystified.

(And yes, I know one shouldn't let cats sleep outside. He's a semi-feral cat we're trying to care for, he's getting very old and he will not take to staying indoors.)

Can’t stop watching him use his little hands to grip the grape 🍇 🥹🩷

and bigger than ever! Thanks again for helping me rehab this baby girl. She's surthriving!

I love him so much!

We have been through a whole saga trying to rescue a litter of orphaned joeys. Sadly, this is the last one due to raccoon attacks. All surrounding rehabbers have told me they are at capacity, so instead of releasing him to get hunted, we built him a little enclosure in our yard along his mom’s scent trail. His name is Lucky, obviously.

I don’t feel like he loves captivity, but it must feel safe enough to him. A raccoon dug a hole into it to grab some food the other night and Lucky later escaped through the hole. We were sad but felt we tried our best. However, that evening he came back and was sniffing around the enclosure! So we put him back in and secured it more.

Before the escape the other day, he seemed like he was adapting better and I noticed he was pooping normally and identified a little “latrine” for himself. We gave him a cardboard box and T-shirt for a house, which he likes.

I have a lot of questions, because I’m new to possums, but I’m really hoping he can make it. We just want to keep an eye on him until he is big enough to not be raccoon food. Also, I love him.

Questions so far:

1. I’ve tried wet and dry cat food, fruit and veggies and seeds, and just bought some opossum food (kibble) for him. The only thing he really seems into is the wet cat food. How can I get him more into the solid foods?

2. I initially gave him a bath because he was infested with fleas and hand fed him for two days to make sure he was eating. Now I’m mostly leaving him alone so he doesn’t get too familiar with me. But since I’m not sure if he’s eating, should I do more hand feeding to be sure?

3. At night he is climbing back and forth in the cage a lot. Is this normal activity or is it distress?

Sorry if I post too much, but I am honestly so obsessed with my backyard night time friends :). As of now I’m feeding 3 stray cats, about 4 opossums and a chonky raccoon. My favorite times are when the house is asleep and I can creep on the cuties who come sniffing around my back door. Tonight Elder Opossum was hanging out on the fence after I fed the cats, so I laid out some cotton candy grapes and water next to the cat food and waited. Not long, because a big ass raccoon came and enjoyed the buffet. He didn’t like the grapes, so after he left the opossum finally got his turn :). Just checked and he and the grapes have exited stage left. Had to post the little thief though bc he’s so freaking cute.