Friday, November 28, 2014

Raise Orphaned Virginia Opossums

Opossums may be cute, but it is illegal to keep them as pets.


Opossums are nocturnal, solitary marsupials native to North America. Opossums are docile and have many natural enemies, including humans. Should you come across orphaned opossums, you should take action or they will die without the care of their mother. Ensure that the opossum is really orphaned. Sick or injured opossums and those under seven inches in size are in need of care. It is illegal to keep opossums as pets, but there are steps you can take to ensure the orphan's survival.


Instructions


1. Contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center, opossum society, veterinarian or state department of wildlife. It is illegal to keep opossums as pets. You must contact your local rehabilitation center to report the orphan or injured opossum. Take the opossum to the center for rehabilitation. (Ref 1)


2. Check the area for other opossum babies. You can listen for the "sneezing" sound they make when calling for their mother. Only remove the babies if you are sure that they have been abandoned or if the mother is dead. Opossums have a shock response to fear that will cause them to 'play possum' and pretend to be dead to deter would-be attackers. Leave the area for a couple of minutes and return to ensure that the mother is really dead before picking up the babies. (Ref 1)


3. Keep the opossum orphan warm until you can get it to the rehab center. Place a heat pad half under a box with holes for ventilation. Keep the lid closed.


4. If you don't have a heat pad, place dry rice in a sock and heat it in the microwave. Ensure that the rice is not hot enough to scald the orphaned opossum, then place it in the box. Or, you can place warm water in a plastic bottle and wrap it in a small towel. (Resources)


5. Treat dehydration by administering 1 cc of fluids into the opossum's mouth every hour for up to six hours. You can administer the fluids using a syringe, eye dropper or pet nurser. Use Pedialyte or a mixture of 3 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. salt in a quart of very warm water. Allow water to cool to room temperature before administering. (Resources)

Tags: illegal keep, illegal keep opossums, keep opossums, keep opossums pets, opossums pets, rehabilitation center