Espy, Nipsy, and the Possum Explosion

Whatever had their attention was almost certainly going to be trouble.

It was late summer, the door to the fenced-in backyard was open, and
the cats were free to wander in and out. So, why were Espy and Nipsy
sitting in the second floor hallway, facing each other, staring down
at something on the floor between them?

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable. Then, one of it's little rear feet reached out and
gripped the fence link, held it for a few seconds, and then dropped
into the ground cover. Yup, possum for sure. They're the only animal
with an opposing thumb on its rear feet. If having an opposing thumb
is what makes us human, possums are twice as human as we are.

But the day was still young, and there were more possum babies to play
with. Some mother possum had her graduating class very near my
backyard. A little while later Nipsy was running around the yard with
one in his mouth; so that one joined its sibling in the neighbor's
ground cover. I was careful not to get bitten this time.

There were a least two more spotted during the next few hours. I guess
it's not surprising that having possums in the area means having baby
possums as well, but I never saw any before or since that day. Not
exactly true; a few weeks later I saw a half-grown possum, maybe one
that I had liberated, on a neighbor's deck.

Growing up in the wilds of New York City doesn't give my little
obligate carnivores much of a chance to hunt. Sometimes I watch Espy
or Nipsy twitch while they're sleeping and I wonder if they're
dreaming about the day of the possum explosion.


Espy, Nipsy, Marlo
http://72.229.187.145/cats/

dgk wrote:
Whatever had their attention was almost certainly going to be trouble.

It was late summer, the door to the fenced-in backyard was open, and
the cats were free to wander in and out. So, why were Espy and Nipsy
sitting in the second floor hallway, facing each other, staring down
at something on the floor between them?

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable. Then, one of it's little rear feet reached out and
gripped the fence link, held it for a few seconds, and then dropped
into the ground cover. Yup, possum for sure. They're the only animal
with an opposing thumb on its rear feet. If having an opposing thumb
is what makes us human, possums are twice as human as we are.

But the day was still young, and there were more possum babies to play
with. Some mother possum had her graduating class very near my
backyard. A little while later Nipsy was running around the yard with
one in his mouth; so that one joined its sibling in the neighbor's
ground cover. I was careful not to get bitten this time.

There were a least two more spotted during the next few hours. I guess
it's not surprising that having possums in the area means having baby
possums as well, but I never saw any before or since that day. Not
exactly true; a few weeks later I saw a half-grown possum, maybe one
that I had liberated, on a neighbor's deck.

Growing up in the wilds of New York City doesn't give my little
obligate carnivores much of a chance to hunt. Sometimes I watch Espy
or Nipsy twitch while they're sleeping and I wonder if they're
dreaming about the day of the possum explosion.


Espy, Nipsy, Marlo
http://72.229.187.145/cats/

Thanks for the good story. MLB

That was fun to read. Thank you.
"dgk" wrote in message
...
Whatever had their attention was almost certainly going to be trouble.

It was late summer, the door to the fenced-in backyard was open, and
the cats were free to wander in and out. So, why were Espy and Nipsy
sitting in the second floor hallway, facing each other, staring down
at something on the floor between them?

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable. Then, one of it's little rear feet reached out and
gripped the fence link, held it for a few seconds, and then dropped
into the ground cover. Yup, possum for sure. They're the only animal
with an opposing thumb on its rear feet. If having an opposing thumb
is what makes us human, possums are twice as human as we are.

But the day was still young, and there were more possum babies to play
with. Some mother possum had her graduating class very near my
backyard. A little while later Nipsy was running around the yard with
one in his mouth; so that one joined its sibling in the neighbor's
ground cover. I was careful not to get bitten this time.

There were a least two more spotted during the next few hours. I guess
it's not surprising that having possums in the area means having baby
possums as well, but I never saw any before or since that day. Not
exactly true; a few weeks later I saw a half-grown possum, maybe one
that I had liberated, on a neighbor's deck.

Growing up in the wilds of New York City doesn't give my little
obligate carnivores much of a chance to hunt. Sometimes I watch Espy
or Nipsy twitch while they're sleeping and I wonder if they're
dreaming about the day of the possum explosion.


Espy, Nipsy, Marlo
http://72.229.187.145/cats/

dgk wrote:
Whatever had their attention was almost certainly going to be trouble.

It was late summer, the door to the fenced-in backyard was open, and
the cats were free to wander in and out. So, why were Espy and Nipsy
sitting in the second floor hallway, facing each other, staring down
at something on the floor between them?

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable. Then, one of it's little rear feet reached out and
gripped the fence link, held it for a few seconds, and then dropped
into the ground cover. Yup, possum for sure. They're the only animal
with an opposing thumb on its rear feet. If having an opposing thumb
is what makes us human, possums are twice as human as we are.

But the day was still young, and there were more possum babies to play
with. Some mother possum had her graduating class very near my
backyard. A little while later Nipsy was running around the yard with
one in his mouth; so that one joined its sibling in the neighbor's
ground cover. I was careful not to get bitten this time.

There were a least two more spotted during the next few hours. I guess
it's not surprising that having possums in the area means having baby
possums as well, but I never saw any before or since that day. Not
exactly true; a few weeks later I saw a half-grown possum, maybe one
that I had liberated, on a neighbor's deck.

Growing up in the wilds of New York City doesn't give my little
obligate carnivores much of a chance to hunt. Sometimes I watch Espy
or Nipsy twitch while they're sleeping and I wonder if they're
dreaming about the day of the possum explosion.


Espy, Nipsy, Marlo
http://72.229.187.145/cats/

YAY!!!! A possum explosion!! That is so funny and a great story.
Those possums must have great stories about how the cats almost got them.

Pam S thanking you for the story

Enjoyed the saga.

I always leave food out for the local possums; they never bother the cats and
vice versa. I have one right now who will get within six inches of me if I
carefully open the sliding patio door and put out more food, as long as I
don't move too quickly. The other one is much more typical and runs if the
door starts to open.

As I've probably said before, I used to have one that taught himself to pull
open the sliding screen door and amble in each night to consume all the cats'
food he could find. Unfortunately, he never would close it when he left. He
grew into a pretty good-sized guy; I named him Goodyear as a consequence.

Art

dgk wrote:

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

You received a lecture-demo on the meaning of "playing possum".

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable.

If the bite drew blood, you might want to keep an eye on it. I don't
know what diseases possums carry, but they probably have some not-very-
nice bacteria in their mouths, and you don't want to get an infection.

I'm glad you were able to save a couple of them from your carnivores.

Joyce

--
The sun rose slowly, like a fiery furball coughed up uneasily onto a
sky-blue carpet by a giant unseen cat. -- Michael McGarel

Granby wrote:
That was fun to read. Thank you.
"dgk" wrote in message
...
Whatever had their attention was almost certainly going to be trouble.

It was late summer, the door to the fenced-in backyard was open, and
the cats were free to wander in and out. So, why were Espy and Nipsy
sitting in the second floor hallway, facing each other, staring down
at something on the floor between them?

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable. Then, one of it's little rear feet reached out and
gripped the fence link, held it for a few seconds, and then dropped
into the ground cover. Yup, possum for sure. They're the only animal
with an opposing thumb on its rear feet. If having an opposing thumb
is what makes us human, possums are twice as human as we are.

But the day was still young, and there were more possum babies to play
with. Some mother possum had her graduating class very near my
backyard. A little while later Nipsy was running around the yard with
one in his mouth; so that one joined its sibling in the neighbor's
ground cover. I was careful not to get bitten this time.

There were a least two more spotted during the next few hours. I guess
it's not surprising that having possums in the area means having baby
possums as well, but I never saw any before or since that day. Not
exactly true; a few weeks later I saw a half-grown possum, maybe one
that I had liberated, on a neighbor's deck.

Growing up in the wilds of New York City doesn't give my little
obligate carnivores much of a chance to hunt. Sometimes I watch Espy
or Nipsy twitch while they're sleeping and I wonder if they're
dreaming about the day of the possum explosion.


Espy, Nipsy, Marlo
http://72.229.187.145/cats/

All three are lovely. MLB

That's a really cute story! You must have felt like a possum nanny that
day! I enjoyed looking at your lovely kitties' photos, too!
Christine
P. S. We're near a golf course and often get wildlife in our yard. Late,
one summer at dusk, we saw a family of racoons looking over our back fence
and climbing around in the back neighbor's apple tree!
Christine
"dgk" wrote in message
...
Whatever had their attention was almost certainly going to be trouble.

It was late summer, the door to the fenced-in backyard was open, and
the cats were free to wander in and out. So, why were Espy and Nipsy
sitting in the second floor hallway, facing each other, staring down
at something on the floor between them?

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable. Then, one of it's little rear feet reached out and
gripped the fence link, held it for a few seconds, and then dropped
into the ground cover. Yup, possum for sure. They're the only animal
with an opposing thumb on its rear feet. If having an opposing thumb
is what makes us human, possums are twice as human as we are.

But the day was still young, and there were more possum babies to play
with. Some mother possum had her graduating class very near my
backyard. A little while later Nipsy was running around the yard with
one in his mouth; so that one joined its sibling in the neighbor's
ground cover. I was careful not to get bitten this time.

There were a least two more spotted during the next few hours. I guess
it's not surprising that having possums in the area means having baby
possums as well, but I never saw any before or since that day. Not
exactly true; a few weeks later I saw a half-grown possum, maybe one
that I had liberated, on a neighbor's deck.

Growing up in the wilds of New York City doesn't give my little
obligate carnivores much of a chance to hunt. Sometimes I watch Espy
or Nipsy twitch while they're sleeping and I wonder if they're
dreaming about the day of the possum explosion.


Espy, Nipsy, Marlo
http://72.229.187.145/cats/

On 30 Mar 2010 22:39:26 GMT, wrote:

dgk wrote:

As I got up from the computer I was already groaning. Something
formerly living was lying between them and I couldn't figure out what
it was. I could tell what it wasn't; it wasn't a bird. Though not very
often, one of the cats did sometimes kill a bird. I figured I more
than made up for that by putting out birdseed all winter and even
having a heated birdbath. Still, it's never pleasant.

No, it was some kind of animal. Not a mouse, certainly not a rat. Not
a squirrel. It had a pointed little pink nose and, as with all baby
animals, was pretty cute. Also pretty dead apparently. Maybe a vole,
or mole? Back to the computer, nope, neither of those.

Then I remembered the THING in the backyard from the year before. This
was a baby possum. I got some paper towels and picked it up, preparing
to possibly give it a burial at sea if that wouldn't clog the toilet.
But it wasn't dead. In fact, it didn't appear to be seriously injured.
I took it outside and started to slip it through the chain link fence
into the next yard where it would disappear into the ground cover and
be safe from my little hunters.

You received a lecture-demo on the meaning of "playing possum".

As it went through the fence it was healthy enough to take a little
piece of my finger with it. Not very sporting but certainly
understandable.

If the bite drew blood, you might want to keep an eye on it. I don't
know what diseases possums carry, but they probably have some not-very-
nice bacteria in their mouths, and you don't want to get an infection.

I'm glad you were able to save a couple of them from your carnivores.

Joyce

That was back a few years so if it was going to kill me it likely
would have done so already. I did call my doctor and go in for a
tetnus shot as I was long overdue for that anyway. But possums don't
carry many diseases - I read somewhere that their body temperature is
too low for standard diseases. That's also why they're so slow, their
metabolism is just low. Odd creatures for sure.

dgk wrote:

If the bite drew blood, you might want to keep an eye on it. I don't
know what diseases possums carry, but they probably have some not-very-
nice bacteria in their mouths, and you don't want to get an infection.

That was back a few years so if it was going to kill me it likely
would have done so already. I did call my doctor and go in for a
tetnus shot as I was long overdue for that anyway. But possums don't
carry many diseases - I read somewhere that their body temperature is
too low for standard diseases. That's also why they're so slow, their
metabolism is just low. Odd creatures for sure.

Well, I was just reading the wikipedia pages you linked to in your other
post, and it seems that marsupials in general have a much lower metabolism
than placental mammals. I didn't know this (so this day is not wasted,
either ).

The same article mentioned that opossums are pretty unlikely to carry
rabies - far less so than many other mammals like skunks or raccoons.

Joyce

--
The Internet is on computers now! -- Homer Simpson