Do opossums make good house pets?

They are very good pets for beginners because of their cleanliness, omnivorous diet, and general good health. These opossums are small, generally friendly creatures with easy care requirements, and they certainly are cute!

Is it safe to have an opossum as a pet?

Question: Can I keep an opossum as a pet? Answer: No. All wild animals belong in the wild. Give the opossum the chance to live the life nature intended…in the wild.

Can possums be house trained?

Whether you’ve just adopted a short tailed or a Virginia opossum as a pet, you can train your opossum to use a litter box. Both opossum species are clean animals and both tend to choose designated areas to defecate and urinate. These qualities make litter box training easier to accomplish.

Are opossums affectionate?

Opossums, which have been in California for only the last 100 years, were introduced as pets, when let loose they flourished in the West Coast climate. … It’s a sign of affection, but it’s an experience when, in the middle of the night, you’re awakened by a big opossum licking your face.”

Is it bad to have possums around your house?

Do not make your place inviting to opossums! … Opossums eat tons of bugs and ticks, are immune to most snake venom, and not susceptible to rabies, so having them around are not a bad thing. They just need to be controlled. Watch the outside of your house at night to see if you catch an opossum leaving.

Can you tame a possum?

Opossums can not only be housebroken, but they can be taught to come when they are called and to even sit on your shoulder as you walk around. With a little patience and a calm demeanor, you should be able to tame a pet opossum.

How long do possums live as pets?

Captive opossums normally live between 3-4 years, however up to 8-10 years has been described.

Do possums like to cuddle?

Even now that she’s older, her favorite things to do are cuddle, eat and sleep – opossums sleep over 18 hours a day, according to Rice.

Are baby opossums good pets?

These exotic animals simply don’t make good pets. They have sharp teeth! It’s certainly cute when they’re playing possum but this behavior is to protect themselves from predators.

Do opossums smell bad?

When an opossum goes into this comatose state, they also begin to emit a foul odor similar to that of a decaying corpse. Their body secretes this smelly substance from their anus when the comatose reaction is triggered. This putrid smell along with their “dead” state is what really drives the predators away.


Can opossums bond with humans?

In the wild, the possum is usually docile and will not attack you without confrontation. By rearing a possum in captivity, you are suppressing their natural instincts. They do not like to be held captive and will need to seriously bond with a human when they are young if you can expect them to co-habitate peacefully.

Do possum bite humans?

Do opossums bite? Opossums are more likely to growl, hiss and show their 50 sharp teeth than to bite. They are a relatively placid animal and like to avoid confrontation at all costs. However, if cornered they do have the ability to bite.

Where do Possums sleep during the day?

&gt,&gt, Virginia opossums are nocturnal (most active at night). They sleep during the day in a den in a hollow tree or in an abandoned rodent burrow.

Should I let a possum live under my house?

To a possum, the crawlspace under a house seems like a good place to set up its own home. Dark, ground level and protected from the elements, a home’s crawlspace has the same qualities a possum would seek for its den in the wild. Most homeowners, on the other hand, prefer not to have a possum living under their house.

What do possums hate most?

Possums hate the taste of:
  • Molasses.
  • Garlic.
  • Onion.
  • Hot peppers.
  • Hot sauce.
  • Mustard.
  • Quassia chips.
  • Black tea.