The opossum is
one of the most unusual creatures on the earth.
All of us have heard of the term “playing
possum” which is how these critters defend
themselves. If confronted by a predator, their
common reaction is to pretend that they are
dead, releasing and odor at the same time that
makes the predator believe that this rodent has
died and is rotting. This causes the vast
majority of predators to move on, allowing the
opossum to live another day.
It is a very unusual defense mechanism to
employ, but no one should believe that these
animals are not capable of defending themselves
in other ways. They are wild animals, after all,
which means that they will attack if prodded
enough, and this can mean that your cat, dog, or
other pet can be in serious danger from one of
these creatures.
Most would think that are no possum would not
really pose a threat to their animal. Your dog,
cat, or other pet would come upon the possum,
the animal would pretend to be dead, and your
pet would move on. Unfortunately, many times
your pet, particularly your dog, may see the
pseudo-dead possum as a play toy. This is what
many pet owners have talked about, finding that
their dog couldn’t leave the animal alone.
What a situation like this arises, you can be
sure that the possum is going to fight back.
This will mean that it will scratch or bite your
pet, which poses all kinds of potential risks
for your animal. Not only do you have to worry
about the fact that these cuts and scratches can
be dangerous in themselves, but these animals
carry a large number of diseases that pose risks
for your pet as well. You may find that a virus
or parasite to get off of the possum and onto
your animal through saliva or even through just
physical contact with one another.
You also have to worry about the feces of an
opossum. This will frequently carry such things
as parasites that can burrow their way into the
skin of your pet, using your cat or dog as a
host as it slowly leads to the deterioration of
the health of your pet. These parasites can be
quite brutal, and this is why it is extremely
important that you ensure that you keep possums
as far away from your home as possible.
Should your animal come in contact with an
opossum it is a good idea to take him or her to
the vet immediately. These rodents are the
carriers of many potentially life-threatening
diseases for your pets, including rabies, and so
treatment is necessary as quickly as possible.
Be sure you try to protect yourself, by wearing
gloves and covering exposed skin so that you do
not come in contact with the blood of your pet.
This will protect you should your animal
contract some kind of serious disease from the
opossum.
Read more:
Opossum
Control,
How
to Get Rid of Opossums,
Opossum
Feces.
