a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Possum Story...

Many of you seemed interested that we were dropper feeding baby 'possums.  It's not the first time.  When my girls were oh say about eight and ten the dogs killed a 'possum and Marcy saved one then too.

Melissa adopted him and called him Herman.  She dropper fed him.  He was even smaller than these I pictured yesterday.  Melissa kept Herman in a aquarium when she was not carrying him around.  He outgrew that and we moved on to bigger boxes. 

Herman would sit on Melissa's shoulder and wrap his tail around her neck and loved hiding in her hair.  As he was weaned, his favorite food became bananas and moist cat food. Melissa became his mom.

Marcy, my daughters and I decided to go to Branson for a week.  No problem.  Hubby would care for the animals until we returned.

Midweek, we got a call.  Herman wouldn't eat.  We told Hubby to take him outside and talk to him.  Hubby said, "I'm not doing that!  Someone will drive by and see me talking to a 'possum!"  We said, go buy bananas.  He grumbled but he tried.

Two more days passed.  Hubby calls and says, "Don't think Herman is gonna make it.  I've tried everything.  I've bought strawberries and bananas.  I've taken him in the BACK yard to play and I even talked to the #@*# 'possum.  He won't eat."

Returning home we feared the worst.  We walked into Melissa's room and there lay Herman stretched out, skinny and almost lifeless.  Melissa said, "Ohhhhhhh, Herman!"  He struggled to his feet and began to eat as Melissa handed him food.

Herman grew BIG and we talked to the vet about neutering him since he was a boar 'possum.  The vet said he'll always be a wild animal so it's best to let him go.

We just couldn't do it yet.  Our Herman was an unusual one.  Instead of the normal black and grey he was brown and white...beautiful.  We would let him in and out the back sliding glass door and he never messed in the house after he was older.

Herman was a good house keeper.  He would sniff the floor and find even the tiniest bit of food the girls had dropped and eat it.  Herman was also a good watch dog.  He was fine with the four of us but when someone else came that big 'possum mouth would open and he was hiss as loud as he could.

Eventually, he became accustomed to being outside most of the time.  One night he got confused and went to the neighbors sliding glass door and tried to get in.  Thank goodness they knew the girls had a possum. 

The same neighbor had a yard sale and left her stuff out over night.  The next morning a box of clothes was moving.  She carefully lifted the first piece and saw it was a 'possum and almost ran through herself getting away from it.  She called Maria as asked if we still had a 'possum.  Maria went down and said, "Ohhhh, Herman!" and swept him up in her arms.  The neighbor asked me how in the world Maria could tell one 'possum from another.  She also asked Maria to watch the yard sale while she drove to town to get something.  A customer came while Maria sat there with Herman in her arms.  Herman bowed up and hissed at the customer and she left.  Maria never told the neighbor.

Herman got married and moved away.  When we would see a 'possum that unusual color we like to think it was Herman's get.

So next time you see a 'possum know underneath that pointed ugly naked tailed body beats a heart of gold...if you get them young enough. 

Now, I've just confirmed for every one, I really am crazy.

14 comments:

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Oh darlin', your talkin' to a true born and bred farm chick here and I can only imagine!!!

'Just goes to show ya how far a 'mamas' love can go and yes, with only a face a mother could love.

It did make for a wonderful story.

Ya know when your in the Ozarks when ya see a 'possum in the house as a pet! Heeehehehee!!!

Have a gloriously blessed day my friend!!! :o)

Lynne said...

That possum knew what love was all about . . . What a wonderful story and TRUE! Any brown on the little possum living at your house today?

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I'm sure I'll get eggs thrown at me for saying this, but I think possums are misunderstood by humans. They have a job to do on earth and they're just...doing it.

T

Farm Girl said...

No you aren't I love that story. I had a raccoon and it was the best pet I ever owned.
Smart, clean and well mannered. It went every where I went.
I hope these possums turn out to be just as nice.

Rudee said...

Girl...I could never! I know they shouldn't, however, through no fault of their own, they creep me out, but then what did you expect from a city girl?

This was a great story. Thanks for sharing.

Country Gal said...

Then we will be crazy together cause I think they are cute big or small.I caught one in our live trap and wanted to keep him but he was a bit big and used to the wild so I let him go in the field beside us , he was hungry and ate all the lettuce in the trap , see we are over run by Bunnies which I also adore and were trying to trap them and take them to the woods across the river , kind of thin out the heard if you will lol. Loved the story it was awesome ! Have a great day !

Irene said...

If I had known what to feed him, I could have saved my own little possum.

Susan Anderson said...

I had a pet pigeon once that we adopted after helping him recover from a broken wing. Best pet I ever had. I could just go outside and call him, and he would come flying down and land on my shoulder.

=)

Tamara said...

This is the cutest story. :) Bless all of your hearts for caring for Herman. We've done that too...not with a possum...but with raccoons, bunnies, woodpeckers and other birds. Some made it and some didn't. You put a smile on my face. :)

LindaG said...

Great story Gail. Loved it. :o)

carolina nana said...

Your possum story sounds like a friend of mine's ground hog story.That ground hog did some of the most amazing things you would never have thought a wild animal could be that tame and sweet.
Blessings
Marilyn

Pat said...

Herman sounded like a sweet old fella but believe me, I couldn't do it. One time I opened my garage door and there was a possum sitting on top of my garbage, about 2 feet from me. I screamed like the girl I was!

LilliStJohn said...

This is such a sweet story - I just loved reading it.
We used to have a groundhog that lived under our barn and every day when I came home from work, he and his family would wander up on the deck and wait for me to bring out their 4 small bowls of food and fresh water. This went on for approx 4 years and then they all just didn't come anymore. I think the kids moved on when they grew up and the parents might of retired south :)
Thanks for this - it was just lovely.

Far Side of Fifty said...

What a great share! I hope Marcy has as much good luck with her new possum..they sound like characters:)

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