Pygmy Possums in W.Australia, where do they sleep? On the trees or on the ground?

Question

Cat sometimes brings them in during night and often they are still asleep. I have always thought they sleep on trees, but maybe they sleep on the ground as well thus being easier target for a cat?

Answer 1

Pygmy Possums are nocturnal, so the cat would be catching them while they are awake if it's catching them at night. Re: why they appear to be asleep, I can only guess that they are in shock or playing dead.

During the day, when they sleep, they usually sleep in hollows in trees, but are also known to sleep on the ground at times, hidden under leaves etc..

It would be a good idea to keep your cat inside at night. Even if the possums don't seem to be hurt, they almost certainly are. Puncture wounds from cat's teeth get badly infected, and even if you let the animals go and think they'll be okay, they probably die.

Even well-fed cats kill lots of native animals at night. If you keep it inside at night, and only let it out during the day, that will cut down on a lot of the wildlife it kills.

Hope that helps.