Oddly, I am feeling a little protective of my opossum. She is pictured here fast asleep inside the ceramic pumpkin I keep in the corner of my balcony. It was a warm day and both her tail and the bottoms of her back feet could be seen sticking out to keep her cool. It seems that she had decided that her den for the day (opossums are nocturnal) was my pumpkin. This did not go unnoticed by the cats who were glued to the sliding glass door that leads to the porch. Every once in awhile they would come over to me to ask to go outside. They were like small kids hoping that if they pester their parents enough they’ll give in to their demands. When that didn’t work, they went back to window patrol - periodically chittering, twitching their tails, and crying plaintively.
I sit outside frequently and am often visited by wild beasties. Currently there are a couple of racoons, a red fox, and a barred owl living behind my place. The big racoon is the most bold, and has no fear about coming right up to me when I'm sitting on the porch. He has been within reach on several occasions, not that I would ever try to touch him. The hardest thing in the world with these animals is having to let nature take it's course. It is an element of human nature that we have an urge to care for and help our fellow creatures, especially when they're fuzzy and cute. But it's a mistake. For one thing, I don't want them to lose their fear of humans. The moral dilemma presented resonates so strongly with me, that it inspired a poem that attempts to address my ambivalence on the matter. Several years after that, my internal dilemma is strong as ever.
If you know when the cleaning crew is coming, you could remove the pumpkin just the night before and then put it back right after they are done. - Or you could crate the pumpkin with the possum inside if you have a crate on the day the crew is coming? - Maybe the internet has answers...I am sure she will be OK, but I I can tell you would be sad if she left for good due to disturbance (and I would be sad as well...). Good luck!
Send it to info@critterkin.com
I sit outside frequently and am often visited by wild beasties. Currently there are a couple of racoons, a red fox, and a barred owl living behind my place. The big racoon is the most bold, and has no fear about coming right up to me when I'm sitting on the porch. He has been within reach on several occasions, not that I would ever try to touch him. The hardest thing in the world with these animals is having to let nature take it's course. It is an element of human nature that we have an urge to care for and help our fellow creatures, especially when they're fuzzy and cute. But it's a mistake. For one thing, I don't want them to lose their fear of humans. The moral dilemma presented resonates so strongly with me, that it inspired a poem that attempts to address my ambivalence on the matter. Several years after that, my internal dilemma is strong as ever.
If you know when the cleaning crew is coming, you could remove the pumpkin just the night before and then put it back right after they are done. - Or you could crate the pumpkin with the possum inside if you have a crate on the day the crew is coming? - Maybe the internet has answers...I am sure she will be OK, but I I can tell you would be sad if she left for good due to disturbance (and I would be sad as well...). Good luck!
Jena! Your Possum! I love the photo in the pumpkin! May the gods keep you both safe and happy!
I am praying your little animal spirit will be safe Jena. 🙏🏻🌟🙏🏻