Care of the Virginia Opossum
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Boredom Busters
The following are some ideas on what you can do to help enrich your possums’ lives. Always take into account your animals needs and capabilities. Not everything works for every possum. SAFETY should always be the top priority; you will need to decide what can be safely left with your animal and what should be used only under supervision.
Have any good ideas? Please submit them to be added to this list!
HIDING TREATS: Possum like to forage, and doing so not only keeps them occupied, it also provides exercise. Hide healthy treats throughout their area…..make some easy to find and others more challenging.
Diggs Groov Dog Training Toy:
You could smear just about anything on this, it wouldn’t have to be peanut butter.
Connfiton Dog Lick Mat Slow Feeder for Dogs Lick Pad:
Snuffle mats are cool because you can hide all sorts of treats in them!
LIVEKEY Pet Snuffle Mat
Piggy Poo and Crew Rooting Snuffle Pig Mat: https://www.chewy.com/piggy-poo-crew-rooting-snuffle-pig/dp/381412?utm_medium=email&utm_term=body_abb_p_fluid_0&utm_content=38610305&utm_campaign=52142685&utm_source=triggered&utm_audience=@Program_Campaign_ABBrowse_2021&mi_u=13772489&mi_ecmp=@Program_Campaign_ABBrowse_2021
DREAMSOULE 2-in-1 Cat Bed Play Tunnel and Mat
https://www.amazon.com/DREAMSOULE-Tunnel-Rabbits-Kittens-Foldable/dp/B086MFQFH1
Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Dog Treat Puzzle: I would recommend using this only under supervision with a possum:
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KONG – Jump’N Jack (Easy to stuff or smear with yummy treats)
Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Dog Interactive Puzzle Toy:
(These interactive toys are great, but I recommend only allowing these under supervision)
Outward Hound Nina Ottosson Treat Tumble Interactive Puzzle Dog Toy:
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DIY Play Gym: Some possums might like something like this, others maybe not so much. You could stuff treats in the plastic chains and hang whatever you think your possum might be interested in on the ends. (This particular one was not made for a possum).
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Cardboard Boxes! Never underestimate the lure of just a plain cardboard box full of crumpled paper, shredded paper or other fun stuff! It might make a mess, but it is almost always a hit. If your possum doesn’t seem to be interested, hide some treats underneath it all, that will get them digging down into it for sure!
Box of Dirt: If your up for the mess this idea will create, then I say GO FOR IT! Just use safe dirt! Avoid any that contains vermiculite, perlite, fertilizer, or composted animal poop etc and be sure to supervise your possum!
Bring the Outside Indoors with Exploration Boxes:
This is just a simple low sided Rubbermaid container that I would fill up with different things from our yard; branches, leaves, edible weeds and flowers, etc and I would hide bits of food for her to forage out.
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Dog/Cat Exercise Wheels: These are SO important you guys, especially if you cannot give your possum free roaming in your house. While you are sleeping, possums walk for miles every night exploring and foraging for food. A possum in a cage cannot do this so these wheels give them the exercise they need. Obviously, you cannot fit one of these inside a typical cage, but we’ll go into this in just a bit.
These wheels are pricey. The cheapest one I know of are the One Fast Cat wheels. They run around $199.00-$249.00 range. You assemble them at homes, but they are pretty easy to put together. They all come with these stick-on pads in various colors/patterns but I urge you NOT to use them. They are made of a sort of spongey material that will allow your possums urine to soak in. MANY possums will poop and pee on their wheels or at the very least, get on them with poopy feet and you will never get the smell out of those pads. We used a textured rubber runner type material on ours that was easy to scrub clean.
We still have one of the California Cat Wheels and its worth its weight in gold (pictured on the right above). Easy to clean, and its all one until so we can roll it right out of the door to hose it down. It’s very sturdy to and even a small juvenile can make this wheel spin with very little effort. Not sure if this company is still in business, but if you get the opportunity to buy even a used California cat wheel, jump on it!
Don’t overlook YouTube. There are tutorials on there that show you how to make a homemade exercise wheel. Many people have done it successfully. Just make sure not to use any permeable materials. You cannot disinfect wood surfaces so don’t use anything that is not easily washable. Also, give them a FLAT surface to run on…..do not use wire or barred, grated surfaces. You run a high risk of injury to their legs/feet/toes.
SIZE MATTERS! I have seen many instances over time with all kinds of animals developing spinal issues from running wheels, resulting in partial to complete lameness in their rear legs. You might be wondering why that is….. Ok, so when an animal (of any kind, right down to little hamsters) run on these wheels, they naturally arch their backs. The smaller the wheel, the more they have to arch their backs to run. This is why it is so important to provide the correct sized wheel. We used to have dozens of hedgehogs and domestic rats here at our rescue…..I never bought anything smaller than a chinchilla sized wheel for their cages. For an adult possum, I would not go any smaller than a 48-inch wheel.
FREE RANGE TIME: Many non-releasable possums become overweight, either from what their fed, how much their fed, lack of exercise, or a combination of these things. Exercise is critical. So, in addition to providing an exercise wheel and time outside, if they are allowed to free roam in at least some portion
of your house, that is good for them as well. You just need to make sure to possum-proof the areas they are allowed in. Unless your absolutely certain there are no hidden dangers, you should supervise their time out. It’s never a good idea to allow a free roaming possum to interact with other household pets.
Cat Trees: These offer some cool opportunities for climbing, but be wary because once your possum reaches the age of around 1, the risk of falling increases exponentially. Our Mazzie fell off of hers, we’re not sure why or how, we only heard the “thunk” of her body hitting the floor and we found her laying on her side. She was OK, but it could have had a bad ending. I know others whose possums have taken a tumble as well. Possums, unfortunately, have relatively short lifespans. So, by the time your possum reaches a year or so of age, some have already lived about 1/3 TO ½ of their lifetime. They lose of some strength, and coordination and arthritis often starts to develop in many possums as they age. If their overweight, this just exacerbates their declining abilities. So, if you want to get them a cat tree, get them one that is no higher than say, 3 feet off the ground. It’s helpful to buy a cat tree that has a ramp leading up onto it.
Spoiler Alert: Carpeted cat trees can be challenging to clean! They do now make cat trees that have no carpet on them, but I would be a little concerned with how easily a possum could slip and fall on one of those because there would be nothing to grasp onto. Perhaps some stick-on rubber pads would help that issue. Cats are much more agile than possums are.
Fleece: Who knew fleece could be so entertaining for some possums? I have loosely tied thick strips of fleece onto the sides of the enclosure, stuffed them into PVC pipes or simply in a small box. Some possums get a real kick out of gathering them up to make a nest with. What’s great is they are easily washed, do not fray and can be used over and over again. To jump-start your possum’s interest, stuff a treat inside the fleece scraps. All kinds of stuff can be done with fleece!
Plastic Cups: Buy a set of thick plastic cups, (the ones below are actually a set of children’s bathtub toys), place them on a tray or just on the floor and hide treats under them. Your possum will have to pick the cups up or knock them over to find the treats hidden underneath. ***I do not recommend using disposable plastic drink cups as your possum might be inclined to chew them up, which could cut their mouths, or swallow bits of it. This set was only $4.99 on Amazon.
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Snake Skins (after they have been shed): Ok, this is gross (to me) but I am told possums LOVE them, so if your inclined and have any friends who keep snakes as pets, well, there you go……
Frozen treats: For those hot summer days
Most possums I’ve known love these, while others prefer to wait until they have thawed, but maybe its worth trying. If they don’t like it, you’ve still got yourself some cute little ice cube makers. I make smoothies using high calcium greens, a little nut-milk based yogurt, and a tiny amount of fruit, pour it into these ice cube tray and freeze. You can pop them all out and store in a Ziploc bag to save space in your freezer. If you have a dog or two, they LOVE these as well! These trays can be found on Amazon.
Cat Wand Toys:
Almost every possum (in my experience) has been absolutely enthralled by these. They will chase it, grab at it, try and chew it etc. But fair warning: you need the sturdiest one you can find…..or even better yet, make one yourself, because those flimsy toys on the end of most cat wands will be destroyed quickly and you don’t want them eating stuff like that…..and it’s NOT easy to get it away from them once they have it. You could instead have some food attached to the end…use your imagination, just make sure whatever is attached to the end, is SAFE for them to get a hold of if you cannot get it back from them quick enough. This nice sturdy one is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Squishy-Face-Studio-Flirt-Pole/dp/B085B1P649/?tag=1266924-shoppingdogtoys-20
JW Pet Hol-EE Roller Dog Toy:
These come in various sizes. I would consider this to be perhaps a toy to offer under supervision, only because I worry that a possum could get its snout wedged into one of the holes. Otherwise, this is a great toy to hide treats in. I fill mine with greens; turnip, collard, kale etc with maybe a small chunk of apple in the center.
MAKE SURE TO USE THIS TOY UNDER SUPERVISION ONLY! HEADS CAN GET STUCK DEPENDING ON THE SIZE BALL YOU BUY AND THE SIZE OF YOUR POSSUM!
Busy Buddy Treat:
Not only can you tuck treats in 3 different openings of this toy, you can also fill in the little grooves on the sides with something they can lick out. Available here: https://www.chewy.com/busy-buddy-barnacle-treat-dispenser/dp/48173
Snuffle Ball! Great toy to stuff treats into!
Trixie Mad Scientist Turnaround Toy: One of these could be easily made at home if you didn’t want to buy the one from Chewy. The DIY model is much sturdier to! You hide treats in the bottles and when tipped, they fall out of the holes at the top.
Muffin Pan DIY Enrichment Activity: Stuff a muffin pan full of fun things, hide treats under tennis balls, inside toilet paper tubes, inside a wad of paper or cups. Use your imagination!
Toilet Paper Tubes: Lots of stuff can be done with just plain old toilet paper tubes!
Yummy Scents: Make up a few bottles of edible/safe scents and spray these on chew-safe toys like a Kong.
PVC Treat Dispenser: Easy to make, just buy the pipe, and some end caps and drill a few holes.
OUTDOOR ENRICHMENT TIME:
Most possums LOVE going outside to explore, just make sure you allow them to do so safely. If you are outside of your fenced in yard, I strongly urge you to use a harness and a leash. But wherever you are, there are some things to consider:
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Are there chemicals on the lawn they are walking on?
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If their snacking on edible weeds, flowers or in your vegetable garden, have chemicals been used on those items?
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Wild bugs, worms and slugs are a HUGE attraction for them, but if allowed to eat them, they will likely pick up parasites and or ingest whatever chemicals have been used in you or your surrounding neighbors’ yards.
Outdoor kennels: This is a cool idea if you can provide it. What possum wouldn’t LOVE something like this to spend nice days in? Especially possums that are in the habit of being up for a while during daylight hours. Just make sure you put galvanized fencing under the substrate, attached to the frame so nothing can tunnel in OR out.