# Help! There's a opossom in the laundry room! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722 "2003-08-31T00:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/21 "2003-08-31T04:16:20Z")
I’m famililar with the common possum, but this _o_possum of which you speak has me mystified. I don’t have any helpful suggestions beyond BE CAREFUL. I’ve seen a couple of pissed-off possums, and they can be _vicious_. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/22 "2003-08-31T04:47:38Z")
Try leaving a trail of cat food leading to the nearest exit. If all else fails, use Cheer. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/23 "2003-08-31T05:08:42Z")
Maybe Cecil can smite the ignorant possum? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/24 "2003-08-31T05:53:33Z")
I had one in the kitchen.once. I trapped him between a coffee maker and the wall. He gave me a toothy snarl and I realized I didn’t know what to do with him. I let him go and he ran like hell and I suddenly realized where he go in. I covered the hole and he never got in again. Later when skunks got under the house, we trapped them and a couple of opossums. You can get a trap at Lowe’s for under $50. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/25 "2003-08-31T06:24:53Z")
Get a dozen cats and throw them in the room with thte opossum. Make sure you have a video camera. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/26 "2003-08-31T08:26:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by viking \* > \*\*Heh. There’s an animal control outfit here whose slogan reads > > ``AAA Animal control: The animal’s choice’’ > > Every time I see that, I think `No, the animal’s choice actually seems to involve hanging around in my living room. This is why I need animal control in the first place…’ \*\* I just about fell off my chair laughing at that. But then it’s nearly 5am … ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/27 "2003-08-31T13:28:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*Virginia opossum = _Didelphis virginianus_ = common 'possum of North America. That’s “Virginia” in the broad sense – remember King James’s grant of about 60% of the continent to the Virginia Company? That’s when Linnaeus named it the “Virginia opossum.” \*\* **Poly** Whooshed. Who’da thunk it? 🙂 Say **bib** —what happened to the hairy little mutant? Give us an Update! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bibliophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophile)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722/28 "2003-08-31T21:45:21Z")
Well, thanks for all the suggestions, I knew if anyone would be able to help me in my hour of terror it would be you guys. After the hair on the back of my neck finally laid back down, I closed off the laundry room and awited the return of the designated opossom wrangler. Of course, the fuzzy little bugger had returned from whence he came by the time reinforcements arrived, but we kept the room shut off and avoided it. I’ve called the company Laughing Lagomorph recommended and left a message. With any luck in a day or two, we’ll be a oposom free zone. Thanks again for the help. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-theres-a-opossom-in-the-laundry-room/198722.md?page=1)