Question about opossums as pets?

Question

I live in california and a family friend found baby opossums alive and their mother dead. He has been taking care of them until they are old enough and he gave me one. :) I love her But i have a couple questions. Is it legal to have one as a pet in ca? What do they eat? Will they get along with my min pin dogs (3)? If i keep her until she is older will she still have some wild instincts? Can they get rabies? What can i do about her sharp nails?

Ps. Please dont waste my & your time with mean comments. Thank you!

Answer 1

probably not legal. My sister and I caught one, and it did not make a good pet at all. First of all they're ugly and they have huge teeth.But then it was hissing at our neighbors when they came to visit. Yes, they are rodents and can get rabies. Kudos to the guy for keeping them alive. That's a very hard thing to do.

Answer 2

• no, it's not legal to keep an indigenous wild animal as a pet in cali.

• they are scavengers, they eat all sorts of things...from grubs to fruit to dead meat of other animals to vegetation...they eat a wide variety of things to level out their nutrients. opossums can die quickly from a metabolic disease if they are not fed correctly.

• no, it will not get along with your dogs once it's beyond the cute fuzzy baby stage.

• yes, she will develop her normal wild instincts over time, which will include biting you and your min pins. have you seen her teeth? they're razor sharp & quick. by nature they are not social critters and this is not something that can be trained into them.

• yes, they can get rabies if exposed to it. if she happens to bite, scratch or even just scare someone, animal control will take her. she will have no chance at being released - she will be euthanized immediately.

this isn't being mean, truly, but you need to realize that wildlife needs to stay wildlife. get a hold of a certified rehab person thru cali's DNR. they can continue rehabbing her so she can be released to the wild. if you truly care for her and want what is best for her, let her go. she will be a thousand times happier with her own kind and in her own habitat than she ever could be in captivity with you...it's just her nature to be wild, and to stifle that is just wrong, no matter how cute you think she is. it sounds like you have a big heart...perhaps you should take some classes on animal welfare and get a rehab license thru your state? they can always use caring people who'd like to raise these wild babies right and let them go back home. you'd be helping the wild world of california by doing so.

EDIT: for baby girl ginger below: there is NO approved vaccine of any type for opossums. this is one reason animal control will destroy them if they are deemed a potential rabies carrier.

EDIT 2 for the asker: then you didn't approach the right wildlife people. the state DNR or government wildlife agency has lists of people with licenses to take on cases just like this. get a  hold of one of them and ask for a list of contacts people. if all else fails, tell them you just now found it. but in any case, you are not the best thing for this opossum...her best interests dictate she go back where she belongs. to do otherwise and keep her is in neither her best interest nor yours.

Answer 3

on my way home i almost ran one over...it was eating a dead cat

soo hope this helps :)

Answer 4

i had an opossum too my dad found it in NY,,,, nd it was the frienlyest thing ever. i fed it grapes nd stuff like that. but it needs it mom. it cant live w/o it. my opossum [ killah ] died after to weeks b/c we gave him too much protien. =\ RIP<3 nd if you keep it long enuff for it to live by itslef it wont survive by itself in the wild. i wouldnt leave it on the streets now that u have it but it will unfortunatley die soon. their life span is only 2 years nd thats wen they kno how to survive in the wild :[

good luc k R.I.P. KiLLaH <3

Answer 5

In most states it's illegal to own native wildlife, so yes, that would be illegal.  And no matter how it's been raised, the chances of your possum being truly tame are slim...it's always going to have some of its wild instincts.  I would keep it away from the dogs and turn it over to a wildlife rehabilitation center.

Answer 6

yrs. ago my dad brought possums home. we gave all of them away. but yrs. later i asked one of the people about it and he said it made a great pet. As far as getting along with other animals i would guess that it would be like any other. Like i said this was yrs. ago be4 all of the rescue places. as for laws in calif. talk to your local vet. He would be up to date on that stuff. just make sure you get them their shots if your going to keep them. But i would suggestion getting in touch with a rescue facility, or after their old enough make sure they are out side. Good Luck with them though.any wild animal is going to have their basic insticts. Their hot wired into there DNA. as for nails ypu can clip them as you would for a dog or cat or have the vet do it. and yes, any animal or human can get rabies. get them vaccinated asap.