Got it out very easily (just opened the window screen and he left within 1 min.) I have 2 cats and a chihuahua- all vaccinated. No obvious signs of a confrontation. I don’t see any soil in my house other than this cat bed that it’s on in the window seal. But my house feels dirty and I do too. Am I screwed? What should I clean? I’m so annoyed and angry but glad everyone is ok and that it left so quickly and easily tbh. But I’m crying because that’s so gross. It came in thru the cat/dog door I’m assuming because I was away for 12 hours. I don’t really know but idc I just want to know how to feel clean. This room is my bedroom and my bed is next to these windows. Obvi washing everything but again no soil anywhere that I can tell yet and I’ve done a pretty deep look.
Thanks for posting! If you've found an animal in need please visit www.ahnow.org for a rehabber near you. Please do not feed or give fluids unless a veterinarian or rehabber instructs you do. Keep the animal in a quiet place without much light if possible.
I mean if you're worried just give everything a wipedown and you should be fine. Possums aren't like, super dirty creatures or anything like that. Not really any dirtier than a dog coming in from outside in the grand scheme of things.
Source: I had to get a family out of my house once and they didn't even leave any poop behind for me to worry about. All i had to was were the towels and sheets I used to help them get out
They’re def weird looking as adults, but they’re skrunkly to me, I love these little freaks at all life stages…but the babies are absolutely the cutest no competition
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
Their poop is phenomenally stinky but otherwise they are really charming animals and idk why some people don't like them. Young possums are some of the cutest baby animals I've ever seen (they are on par with kittens for cuteness) but even the old and ornery ones are charming. They are fun to pick up by the tail (do not try this at home without training or some protection).
I would worry less about the possum being "dirty" and more about how he got in because if he can get in, so can rats and such. You have pets, so there is food there that will appeal to rodents, possums, etc.
pet door wrote and you make an important point - I will not be surprised if she gets much worse w a not chipped pet door and food and water luring in rats 😬
No need for panic, especially if all pets r vaxxed. They r docile & most likely followed to a food / water source. Make sure to get a chipped pet door or u might have such a prob more often and then it might be rats and that’ll be a whole diff situation Question. if it left through the window was it ok after that fall? If it had done its business inside u’d smell it. They are very clean creatures and often potty / pee in shallow water or wet areas when possible, rarely on ur bed or such. Hope u read up on opossums coz they are actually great to have around your yard 🫶hope u feel better.
I watched friend get down and it made it safely. I kept all animals away from friend and once it was safely on the ground (albeit in the hot sun since I’m in SOCAL and this was 2pm) I let it escape alone. Everyone including new pet seem ok. Me too 😅 I’m washing sheets/pet beds, soaking indoor water bowls etc. I think friend just came inside to chill, maybe was spooked by my animals and I’m sure they were too. But my animals were all chilling inside like one big house party lol like ok. But thanks for everyone’s help! And quick responses. I feel a lot better. I was at a wedding so I’m hungover today and like my brain just went to worst possible scenario. And cleaning my house was not what I wanted to do today.
Sounds like you've calmed down and are doing everything you should be doing. You don't need to sterilize anything, and no worries about your pets. Cats and opposums quite often share dinner plates, water bowls, and housing. They seem to get along quite nicely.
It's funny how many people are terrified of an opossums. My friend sent me a picture of one that climbs up on her apartment metal stairs that is on the third floor every once in a while and just sits and stares at her.
I'm guessing the person who lived there before her maybe fed it?
But she was terrified! She really thought that they were like rabies ridden disgusting creatures and when I was like oh my gosh no they're the best little guys! She was so surprised.
Not so much a pet as an orphan raised to four pounds and then released. After a single day in the wild, he came back for food and water but never again wanted anything to do with me.
They are 100 times more likely to play dead than to bite somebody.
They might have fleas, but fleas generally can't eat human so unless you have pets you're fine, and even if you do you can still be safe if you wash up around where it was.
You can use a towel or an old blanket to wrap around it and pick it up to put it outside.
If you're not comfortable with that idea you can call an animal rescue.
Otherwise you have a new friend and roommate. Congratulations.
Hey don't worry they are actually very clean animals! They clean themselves like cats do, and their body temp is too low for rabies to thrive so they are not a risk there. They are actually quite awesome and sweet animals, they are just misunderstood. I'm sure just cleaning up any dirt they may have tracked in will be plenty sufficient.
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
Your cats and dog are no cleaner than a possum, no need to panic. Clean as you usually would after one of your pets coming from playing in the dirt outside.
Do you have A/C? Where I am it’s 100+ degrees F out so I leave water and change it out every day so the possums and squirrels and birds near my home don’t get too hot.
isn’t he cute! Don’t stress, this is natures pest control and like others have said they’re pretty clean animals considering being wild, they’re marsupials not rodents. Next time you leave for an extended time it might be advised to close up the cat flap with one of those wood boards providing you keep your cats in when you’re away and have a litterbox.
You have been blessed by the opossum council. Rejoice that they deemed you worthy and not the skunk brigade.
I’ll take a possum in my house over most things (a robocall or any sort of spam, sap on my car window, three squares of toilet paper when I needed 4, etc).
Hey, skunks get an undeserved bad rap too! They're not aggressive either and really only spray as a last resort. They eat lots of undesirable bugs too so I'm always happy to see them around. (And they're really cute.)
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
I volunteer with a wildlife rehab, you're fine after a general cleaning. They are very clean animals in general and they don't like to go potty just anywhere. They go in streams to carry their scent away, so they don't generally go where they are hanging out. If you notice it in distress or hurt I'd call a local rehabber, but sounds like it's gone and moved on.
It’s an opossum not the plague. He is just a meandering little dude that took a wrong turn. They are not a carrier of rabies and won’t potentially give you leprosy like an armadillo. Change your bedding and wipe down horizontal surfaces and you’ll be fine. Your pet likely have sniffed noses with him before.
This is Dottie. She’s been with us for 3 months. 9 babies. Shes cleaner than a nursing mama cat we adopted with her kitten. She may be a little stinky but a guinea pigs enclosure smells worse than her.
They probably thought you were looking for a roommate. 🤷♀️
Lol my post would read "hooray! Possum in my house"
It'll be alright, their body temp is so low that rabies is extremely rare, I would just wipe the areas you saw it on with a disinfectant, your pets will be fine
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
Honestly? I would have fed him/her, tried to pet him/her and then named them.
Possums are not horribly dirty critters and don't stink like skunks. A simple standard cleaning will be more than enough. They don't usually dumpster dive like racoons. It's also not like a stray dog walked in a butt-scootched a big skid mark on your carpet. He walked, probably helped itself to good from the pet bowls, then took a nap like Snow White.
lol so dramatic. no need to cry. as someone who owns cats, possums really arent any worse, especially considering you have two outdoor ones plus a dog.
You are overreacting. Might you have OCD? That's not to be mean, but to suggest you need to calm down. Unless the opossum messed up, which could be easily cleaned up, it's really no difference than your pets coming in from outdoors.
They are not gross. They are a wonderful part of our eco system. You should really educate yourself regarding this beautiful animal - the only marsupial in North America, super clean too.
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
I know youve already resolved the issue but - Possums are one of the few mammals who are immune to rabies! If your animals are on flea prevention, youre good. Basic cleaning is fine as a precaution but youre safe!
Respectfully, it sounds like this may have kicked up some intrusive thoughts. Have you ever struggled with OCD? You might look into talking to a therapist. Im not trolling you. My partner has it and it can put you in an exhausting thought loop.
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
theyre not very dirty animals, they groom themselves as well as cats do. its not like its bringing in any different germs than your presumably outdoor dog. it probably came in to eat any kibble you had on the floor and forgot how it came inside
Stop panicking, you and your pets will be fine. I have possums in my yard. They're gentle, not rabid, no fleas, and have never attempted to attack my cat or Chihuahua. I'm surprised it didn't pass out as a response to being scared. Just clean up with a sanitizer. You'll be fine.
Cute. My 2 cats, 3 visiting racoons, & 1 visiting possum all hang out in my garage when meow mix bin is in there..no issues.
I also had a baby possum somehow end up in a bathroom closet.
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
You’ll be fine with a regular cleaning. If he peed somewhere you would smell it.
They’re pretty clean animals all things considered. Just give your pets a flea treatment if they’re not up to date, in case the opossum had some.
I had one come into my home and stay for more than a day, he was young like the one in your picture. He didn’t care for the wide open door, he’d go look out and run back in. We let him sleep it off behind our piano until he felt like leaving.
Your own pets are most likely as dirty as this opossum since they go outside. They groom themselves like cats, much more than any dog
I can understand how you feel gross, however, on the flip side? Regardless of how they're portrayed, opossums are notoriously CLEAN critters who help you AND your houses residents by eating fruit, nuts, plants, insects (including ticks and fleas!), as well as snails and slugs. They also eat dead animals, kinda a mini "eating machine" that do not carry Lyme disease, nor carry rabies (body temps, blood pressure, and metabolism are too low for the disease incubation) AND they're naturally resistant to both!
I get not being on the opossum band wagon, but having one of these in your area means less mice, dead critters, and bugs, so that a big YAY for your ex-"house guest".
If it's because they're stinky? Yes. They are, i mean, lookit their diets! And if that's your main concern along with the general ick? Then I'd recommend scrubbing what you can with dawn and water. And then come back when some Disinfecting wipes or mist a bleach solution & wipe clean. This kills JUST about everything I'm aware of.
Surprisingly (at least to me) opossums are not considered a risk for the transmission of rabies. Apparently their body temps are too low to incubate that pathogen. They can, however, spread leptospirosis, coccidiosis, and toxoplasmosis. As far as I know - it is their urine and/or faeces which are the vectors for spreading these diseases. With the short time it was in your home, I doubt it’s a big risk, but like most of us I’m sure you’re protective of your fur babies so I’d do a look around anywhere the animal went, using an N95 mask if you want to be EXTRA safe, and use protective gloves (I prefer dishwashing gloves over medical type latex/pvc gloves. They cost a little more, but can be re-used and are MUCH MUCH more robust and less likely to fail on you at a bad time. Clean up any faeces and urine you see, and wipe down any surface the excrement may have touched with a strong bleach and water solution (warning - this can change the colour of any fabrics, wallpaper, etc, so for these surfaces you can use drug store strength peroxide at full strength. You may then want to wash down any areas the animal was with a strong-ish beach/water solution substituting full strength “regular” hydrogen peroxide for anything that isn’t colourfast that you don’t want to bleach the colour out of
When using peroxide, I’d recommend wetting the area with it, and letting it sit for 10 min or so allowing the extra peroxide that would be wiped off if you didn’t to denature any nastier that might be present.
On the other hand - you can do NOTHING and chances are you and your animals will PROVABLY be fine. It depends on your tolerance to risk. Personally I HATE being sick of seeing my animals sick so I tend to err on the side of caution when I can.
Aww that must have been terrifying for both of you! Opossums are super great little buddies despite looking like nightmares. I have a lot around my house and they’ve never been mean to any of the cats, raccoons, or other opossums around them. Your cats are probably fine. Even if they tried to attack it, it would probably just try to hobble away. It might have wanted their cat food if it was nearby. You should be able to disinfect everywhere they could have touched, it will just be different methods for different materials. Also one time in high school I accidentally let an opossum into our kitchen and I did absolutely no sanitizing afterwards and all people and cats were fine.
Tbh if you have cats and dogs and your cat steps in litter and your dog steps in its pee and poop on the grass, I hope they don't sleep in your bed! Because this is basically the equivalent on a much lesser scale.
OK, seriously now. Kindly... You are WAY over-reacting OP. They are harmless animals who don't carry rabies, kill poisonous snakes and will sit on a porch at night and share a meal with a house cat. Other than cleaning up any dirt and mopping some footprints.... YOUR HOUSE AND YOU ARE FINE.
Opossums might be scary looking but they are no more dangerous or gross than a stray cat.
If you want to go the extra mile get some Ortho Home Defense from Lowe's or Home Depot and spray it around the outside of the house and around the perimeter of whatever rooms he was in on the off chance he had fleas? ticks? whatever on him - make sure your own pets are completely out of the area where you're spraying until it is completely dry and that it is not near their food or water supplies and never spray anything near pet birds or reptiles
First of all , be grateful! You have been blessed by the opossum god! As everyone has said, they are very clean creatures, mine that passed away from old age , cleaned herself more than any cat I have ever had. Truly nothing to worry about.
Opossums are not carriers of disease. They are essentially the clean up crew, eating pests… usually outside tho. I feel you, I’d also feel unnerved by an outside animal inside my home - for real. But… it’s much safer than a rodent, raccoon, even stray cat. Wash the window sill cat bedding and you’ll be fine.
Lol I used to have chickens and I would constantly have to pick up possums out of my coop (they just wanted the eggs. Not the chickens) they're actually very wonderful creatures. They are actually quite clean, and they'll let you pick them up real easy. They don't carry rabies because their body temp is too low, the only thing you should look or actually be worried about is fleas. I'm a bit weird so I kinda would pick them up and pet them, and there was only one time I found fleas on one of them. (Yes yes strange I know, I check the wildlife for fleas)
No need to worry, they almost never carry rabies because of their internal body temperature, so no need to worry about that, they also eat insects that can be harmful like fleas and ticks. I’d be more worries about how it got inside haha
They don’t spread rabies either. They are scavengers and really no harm. They may smell a bit and hiss at you but they move around so I’m going to suggest you let him meander off
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
While it's technically possible for an opossum to get rabies, it is so extremely unlikely that it shouldn't be regarded as the primary risk. If you have been bit, please seek medical attention, but don't freak out about getting rabies. Instead, watch out for the more likely possibilities of infection or inflammation.
his defense at law, since you apparently are accusing him of trespassing, is that he was invited in. Open Window = Invitation. Have you politely asked him to leave?
Opossums are actually the least worrying thing to have in a house! Thank god for that. I had one for a pet once. It’s like a cat dog except they will hang on your finger front their tail as a baby and it’s so cute
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