Pet Opossums, Do They Make Nice Companions?
Can opossums be kept as pets? you may be thinking if you’ve discovered a young, abandoned potential pet opossum. The majority of the time, opossums are calm and even gentle. If you come across a juvenile opossum you think has been abandoned, you might wonder, “Do opossums make good pets?” due to their seeming submissive nature. Opossums, like all wildlife, are better off in the wild rather as in a confinement. However, some species are tamable.
Common Info On Pet Opossum :
Opossums are a successful species, and their marsupial ancestors (metatherians) have existed since the time of the dinosaurs. Despite the possibility that many of them will end up as road kill due to their sluggish suburban/urban habits, opossums are a successful species. Opossums’ adaptable diet is one factor in their survival. In the wild, opossums are omnivores and will consume almost everything. Fruits, nuts, insects, tiny animals, and even carrion, or dead animals, are among the foods they eat. Finding the ideal nutritional balance for them in captivity could be challenging.
Opossums also receive plenty of exercises because they are accustomed to walking up to half a mile in search of food. If kept as pets, they run the risk of gaining weight and developing health problems. Additionally, because they are solitary creatures, opossums might not get along with other animals. It might not be a good idea to get an opossum if you already have pets (such as a dog or cat). The best questions to ask if you want to know “Pet Opossum?” would have to do with how effectively you can maintain their natural lifestyle and whether you’d want to.
The Legalities Considering "Pet Opossum" :
Some states won’t let you keep an opossum as a pet, even if you find one that is injured or abandoned. It’s frequently necessary to obtain a wildlife permit, which can only be used for animal rehabilitation, in order to have a wild animal live in your house. If an abandoned young opossum is found, you might be permitted to care for it until it is strong enough to survive on its own. After that, you would be required to put the animal back in its habitat. A permit is also necessary if you wish to take an opossum home in order to get medical care. It might be challenging, if not impossible, to locate a qualified veterinarian willing to check such wildlife.
What to Do if You Find an Opossum :
It is advised against attempting to handle an opossum you find in the wild on your own. Leptospirosis, TB, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease are only a few of the human diseases that opossums may transmit. Additionally, they might be hosts to a variety of parasites like fleas, ticks, mites, and lice that can harm human and/or veterinary health. Possum handling could put you, your family, or your pets in danger. Keep them safe and your family too by keeping them at a wildlife sanctuary.
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Behaviour and Temperament of Pet Opossum :
Opossums that have been reared as pets since infancy can be amiable and submissive. They are curious, lively, and entertaining and are simple for people to manage. However, they make the finest solitary pets due to their propensity to fight with members of their own species. Cagemates will turn hostile toward one another and may even murder one another.
Pet opossum pairs should only be kept together for breeding purposes, and even then, only for a brief amount of time. When it comes to how they behave with people, there doesn’t seem to be a difference between the sexes; both sexes make excellent pets because they are both curious and sociable.
Opossums are marsupials, however, unlike most marsupials, they don’t have a pouch for raising young. When their young are born, which are exceedingly defenseless and preterm, they latch onto a nipple on their mother’s belly and remain there until they are fully matured. A child may not want to keep a short-tailed opossum as a pet because it is a nocturnal animal.
Housing For Pet Opossum :
Opossums are skilled at getting out of their enclosures, so it is important to make them as escape-proof as you can. A cage made of narrow-mesh wire or an aquarium with a tight-fitting lid and adequate ventilation (at least 20 gallons) should work nicely. The enclosure’s temperature should be maintained between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
A nest box is also necessary; it can be made of plastic or a commercially available woven nest, but make sure there are no sharp edges. To keep your pet active and stimulated, you should also provide branches for perching and climbing. Ladders and parrot climbing toys are great for opossums, just make sure they are non-toxic and untreated with pesticides.
In order to make cage cleaning simpler, place a litter pan in the corner where the short-tailed opossums typically choose to relieve themselves. These animals don’t produce a lot of smells, and their cage only needs to be cleaned once a week.
Feeding A Pet Opossum :
Owners of pet opossum frequently give their animals a wide variety of foods. If not, a commercial insectivore diet offers the finest nutritional foundation. Commercially prepared opossum food is an option. As an alternative, some people have had success feeding cat food, ferret food, and a number of other pelleted diets to their opossums.
The best diets are those that are high in protein and low in fat. Mealworms, crickets, fresh produce, hard-boiled eggs, and other delights should all be available as extras. Applesauce and baby meals are additionally quick and simple possibilities for opossum food.
Dry food should always be accessible, and live insects or fruit can be served once to five times per day. Larger foods like eggs or chicken are best fed at night, and if they aren’t eaten by morning, you should remove the food. Sometimes, special treats can include low-fat yogurt and tiny amounts of cooked chicken.
It’s also a good idea to take a general vitamin or mineral supplement. Since short tails can rapidly become dehydrated, it’s crucial to have their hanging water bottle readily available and filled with fresh, clean, clear (ideally non-chlorinated) water.
Common Health Problems Seen In Pet Opossum :
Opossums make somewhat tough pets. They can get sick if sufficient care is not given, but the majority of illnesses can be avoided with care and treatment. They do appear to have anal prolapse, which can be successfully avoided by taking ivermectin twice a year.
To take care of this uncommon pet, you should also schedule routine appointments with an exotic animal doctor. Before taking your opossum home, make sure you have one planned out and ready. As curious animals occasionally get into things they shouldn’t, you’ll need to schedule routine check-ups and you’ll want them close by to assist you in case of emergencies.
Exercising Your Pet Opossum :
Although opossums don’t require a lot of activity, you should provide them with lots of opportunities to be active, especially inside their enclosure. There should be lots of ladders or branches for them to scale and sit on. A solid-surface hamster wheel can be added as well to offer an additional option for exercise. They might also enjoy climbing through and into tunnels, cardboard tubes, flower pots, and other containers. Remember that opossums are most active at night, so you should put their cage somewhere where they’re playing won’t keep you up at night.
Grooming Your Pet Opossum :
Like house cats, opossums take their personal hygiene very seriously and spend a lot of time using their tongues and paws to groom themselves. As a result, you won’t need to do anything to groom your opossum because it will take care of everything on its own. If your opossum gets into something and needs to be bathed for whatever reason, you can either use a mild pet shampoo or give them a dust bath with chinchilla dust.
Training Your Pet Opossum :
Making a connection with your pet opossum is the first step in training it. Opossums should ideally be purchased while they are young and handled frequently (and gently) from the beginning. Opossums aren’t usually the kind of animals that are trained to perform tricks or certain behaviors, therefore it’s a success if they are submissive and relaxed while you are handling them.
Getting Your Own Pet Opossum :
The greatest time to bring home a newborn opossum is when it is three to four months old, although you can also get along with adults. Always check first to see whether a short-tailed opossum in need of a permanent home is available with local adoption organizations, rescues, and exotics rehabbers. The second-best choice is to locate a trustworthy breeder in your area; animal rescues may also be able to provide you with information on this subject.
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FAQs :
Are opossums challenging to care for?
It’s easy to care for opossums. They are an excellent choice for first-time pet owners seeking an exotic pet because they are amiable beings with simple maintenance requirements.
How long do pet opossums live?
In contrast to their native surroundings, opossums in captivity live longer lives. In the wild, they normally only survive for two years because of natural predators and other threats; as pets, they can live up to six years with good care.
Do opossums do better in their natural environments than in domesticated ones?
In a domesticated setting, opossums live longer and possibly have other benefits as well. They won’t have to go food hunting or compete with other opossums, which frequently results in physical violence.
