DiosaBellissima & Blake, I apologize. I wasn’t paying close attention.
I have punished myself accordingly by allowing my kitty to drool all over my shoulder, as she is wont to do, at least, when I let her.
Those animals don’t actively seek carrion. They’ll eat it, but it’s not their preferred food. Opossums seek the stuff out.
Once upon a time I was a small child in a remote part of West Virginia.
I went with my mom took to go visit a poor, half-blind, widowed neighbor down the road.
That nice neighbor lady welcomed us into her home.
She entertained us in the kitchen.
She was cooking a possum. Not only was this a possum, but it was a road-kill possum.
Being the little runt I was, I didn’t realize what she was cooking until my mom mentioned it years later.
As I read this thread, I realize I may be the only doper who has been in the room with a Possum Chef ™.
Wow. What a hilarious episode of Iron Chef possum could make.
Mr. Slant, I have family from the backwoods of Arkansas. So yes, I have also been in the room with a few Possum Chefs.
And I think we need to suggest that to Iron Chef America. Is there a more American ingredient?
Did your dad see it? What’s the verdict?
My dad “forgot” (frankly, I think he fears that there is an alien living under there…maybe that’s just me?). He is leaving town in the morning (hrm, maybe he knows for sure it is a breeding alien and is kicking rocks as quickly as possible…).
I think I shall be brave and move the stuff on my own.
Do possums (or aliens) fear garlic like Vampires? I think I’ll stick some in my pocket anyway. Any I’m bringing the shovel in case I need to whack some vile creature (from this planet or any other). Maybe Jimmy Hoffa is living under the stuff? Or! Maybe Jimmy Hoffa has bread with a possum and alien, creating a super hum–
I’m going to bed.
Diosabellissima, do you treat all examples of normal, harmless nature in this way? Dispose of it before the kids see it? Why not use this as a lesson to them, show them what you found, educate them that wild animals are not like puppies and kittens and cannot be cuddled by humans without unpleasant consequences? Look the animal up on the Internet, find out what it eats, how it lives, what its characteristics are. Then they have a chance to see some of that first hand, where others only see it in zoos or on videos. The kids might have an opportunity to see a family grow. They can name the babies and see how the 'possum family works.
It’s a golden opportunity!
We had a “neighborhood possum” in my old neighborhood. He waddled nightly on his rounds to all the outdoor cat food bowls. During the head of the summer he was known to take naps on the cool flagstones under the magnolia trees in my front yard.
This beast was huge. I think he was never hit by a car while on his rounds because the cars were afraid. Very afraid.
Don’t do anything about the possum. They’re harmless and just because you’re icked out is no reason to kill a perfectly innocent animal just trying to go on with its…well, whatever possums do.
I most certainly wouldn’t kill it, the big stick thing was a joke :). Animal control also wouldn’t kill it, they would take him out in…wherever possums go.
Musicat I would love to explain to the kids, but their parents aren’t keen on the idea. See, we have a lot of west nile birds in this area, so it is rather common to find a couple dead birds in your yard. One day I found a group of 6 kids playing with the bird in my driveway. I explained that the birdie was sick and had died, but they shouldn’t play with it because he had a disease (not that they could get West Nile from the bird, but it probably had other diseases-- not sure how long it had been there). I asked them if they could leave the birdie alone, so I could call the man who gets the birds so he can find out why the bird died (we have to call a special West Nile unit, then stick the bird in a plastic bag, then they pick it up).
I should note I was very sweet, very patient, answered the kid’s questions. The next day, some parents (a mom and a dad) knocked on my door and said they didn’t want me explaining death to their kids… 
:rolleyes: I told the parents that my intention was to get their kids away from the potentially diseased and dangerous bird, so they wouldn’t get hurt. The parents said they didn’t want their kids knowing about death and now they were asking questions. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: (God forbid a kid ask questions about his surroundings). It should be noted that, what I wrote above, is all I mentioned about death. Most of their questions were about how the bird got sick.
So yeah, I don’t teach the neighborhood kids anymore. Their parents are flaming idiots. Their kids would likely do something stupid to the possum and their parents would blame me. Worse yet, they’d probably hurt the possum, as I’ve seen them chasing around birds, cats, etc. Brats.
Anywho, I’m really looking out for Mr. Possum here. The kids would bother him or hurt him and my dog would likely scare him to death.
What do you guys think? Should I call animal control for a relocation? Or should I just leave Mr. Possum (or alien…I’m sticking with alien) to be?
I…sputter The parents…
Urgh. Whatever. I’m hung over and frankly, that kind of dumbassery is too much for me to deal with. Those people should be dealt with. Harshly.
As for our little friend, I would leave him alone. He’s probably not out to cause any harm. ‘Course that answer would suffice if you had normal freakin’ people living around you. I have no idea what you ought to do. If you’re suuuuure that animal control would just be down for a relocation, maybe that’s the best thing.
Idiot neighbors.
Ah, that is just my ex-wife. She went to California “on business” i.e. to bonk her accountant. Some time soon she should be back over here.
::: waves hand:::
I have a opossum story.
It was the summer of 1987, I was working at a Volvo dealership in the San Fernando Valley. The guy who worked in the stall next to me was a very nice fellow, but he had the worst luck on any man I have ever met. I could tell you stories, but that would be a hijack.
Anyway I am down on my knees replacing a headlight on a car when my fellow worker pulls into the next stall with a old 240. He opens the hood while standing near the left front wheel. He reaches in for the oil dipstick and lets out a scream, I look up and he is backstroking over the top of the car I am working on. WTF?
Turns out there was an opossum in between the firewall, the brake booster and the suspension strut. Whenever any of us got near it, it hissed and showed its teeth.
finally we wrapped it into a blanket, got it in a box and took it to the local park. 
Thank you for that link! After reading for the last little bit, I’ve concluded that I should leave my new, possibly possum buddy be. I will keep an eye out for the neighborhood kids (and their parents).
Faruiza- the best part was they said I didn’t need to protect their kids. Let me tell you about these kids and their friends. A group of six: 2 about seven year olds, 3 about 5 year olds, and 1 no older than 3. These kids all live about a block away and they were playing with a dead bird in my yard. …Yeah.
I don’t blame the kids, they don’t know better. When I explained Mr. Bird was sick, they all stepped back and asked if we should bury him. I explained why we couldn’t, answered their questions, and they promised they would find an adult the next time they found a dead animal.
Le sigh. Freakin’ parents.
Anywho, I’ll keep an eye out for our fluffy buddy and perhaps snap a picture. I think he/she needs a name.
All those animals will seek out carrion. Wolves have been known to travel over 10 miles following the smell of rotten carrion, while bears wil certainly travel several miles as overland as well, but will also dive down over 5 metres to scavenge rotten fish off the bottom of lakes and streams.
It’s very difficult to say what any animal’s prefrred food is bcause they are notroiously reticent about participating in surveys. But to the extent that they wil travel huge distances, fight off competitors and undertake quite strenuous tasks to get carrion then all those species actively seek out carrion. In no way do they simply eat it if they happen to come across it, they put in a hell of a lot of effort to find, steal and keep carrion.
You must have heard about the two vultures checking in at the airport. When asked if they wanted to check their bags, they replied, “No, it’s carrion.”
Nothing to see here folks. Move along… Carrion.
Where else would you put the opossum?
Good idea! And I think you just found out his name: 'Possibly 'Possum.
'Possible 'Possum sounds like a Disney character on Splash Mountain…sweet!