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#21
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Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
Sherry wrote: On May 6, 8:35 pm, "Kelly Greene" wrote: "Pat" wrote in message ... At least asphyxiation is one of the less unpleasant ways to die. I would have preferred to shoot it, or hand it off to the sheriff, but this was the only choice we really had. I feel bad about it, and will have trouble sleeping tonight. But what else could we do? You could have gotten it into the 5 g bucket and called the Police or for further information. Coud have, would have, should have. Hindsight is crystal clear, and even clearer when we are judging others and weren't even there. I can't even imagine trying to herd a *hostile* oppossum into a 5-gallon bucket. They have some wicked teeth. I'm all about protecting wildlife, but I would not try it. Come on, Kelly. Don't make her feel worse than she already does, okay? Sherry Kelly has always been an expert at that - one reason he/she/it mostly resides in my "kill file"! |
#22
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Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
catlady wrote: On May 6, 8:46 pm, wrote: Kelly Greene wrote: "Pat" wrote in message At least asphyxiation is one of the less unpleasant ways to die. I would have preferred to shoot it, or hand it off to the sheriff, but this was the only choice we really had. I feel bad about it, and will have trouble sleeping tonight. But what else could we do? You could have gotten it into the 5 g bucket and called the Police or for further information. I think you need to reread the post. They *tried* to do that, but weren't successful. Since the possum was rabid (or appeared to be), they weren't about to take any chances on having contact with it. That put a few limits on how they could approach that problem. They probably don't have a couple of hazmat suits just hanging around the house. They managed to choke the poor thing to death with no problem. If they could do that they could have gotten it into a bucket or even a carrier. I read the original post and Pat stated that before she went outside she heard loud noises. That is a clear indicator that there was some sort of incident as opossums are not known to run around making loud noises. Just because she didn't see another animal doesn't mean that there wasn't one- it probably bolted when it heard her door open. If an opossum can get in her carport, then any animal can get in and just because she might not see it doesn't mean it wasn't there. There are a lot of animals that roam in backyards, etc. at night that we never see but they are certainly there. The behavior of the opossum falls right in line with how it would respond when threatened and AFAIC it was killed for no good reason, and in a horrific and unnecessary way. Why do some of our posters here find it so easy to criticize the actions of others, when they weren't even present at the event? People who live in semi-urban areas are constantly being warned about rabid "wild" critters - more usually bats and squirrels, because they are more common, but 'possums and raccoons make that list, too. |
#23
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Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
Pat wrote: As to choking the possum, Dave made a noose, attached to a long stick. With another long stick, I herded the possum toward the noose. Dave then picked up the stick, and the possum's own weight slowly cut off its air supply. Sounds similar to what you see all the time on "Animal Planet" cop shows, when the officers are dealing with a hoarder's houseful of more-or-less feral cats or dogs. (They TRY not to injure them, but if the animal may be rabid, and you have any common sense, you're not going to take chances!) |
#24
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[OT] Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
"Pat" wrote in message ... While I was trying to go to sleep about an hour ago, I heard loud noises in the carport. I went out with a flashlight and found a huge possum, frothing at the mouth with a very hostile demeanor. Normally possums in the carport do not act this way, they just sort of ignore me or run off. Not this one, it was spoiling for a fight! I woke Dave up to help me figure out how to deal with it. We have firearms but it is illegal to discharge them in town. We tried to drive it into a 5-gallon bucket head first so we could slap the lid on it and then turn it over to the sheriff. That didn't work. Finally Dave made a noose and attached it to a long stick, and I drove it in the right direction. We soon had it by the neck. At least asphyxiation is one of the less unpleasant ways to die. I would have preferred to shoot it, or hand it off to the sheriff, but this was the only choice we really had. I feel bad about it, and will have trouble sleeping tonight. But what else could we do? you did what you thought best. once upon a time one of my cockerels was really ill, suddenly and i knew he could not recover. i wanted my neighbour to do the deed as i knew he'd have no problem but he came home really drunk so i had to do it myself. i hated it. i hope i will never have to do it again. |
#25
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Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
On May 7, 4:29*pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote: so i had to do it myself. i hated it. i hope i will never have to do it again.- I've done it with a rabbit-one of our old stud bucks had a sudden massive stroke my dad wasn't around and he was in such terible distress that I wanted to spare him a trip to the vet so I broke his neck (There's a way to do it very quickly and cleanly he died pretty much instantly) never want to do anything like that again Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furballs |
#26
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Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
"Lesley Madigan" wrote in message ... On May 7, 4:29 pm, "Christina Websell" wrote: so i had to do it myself. i hated it. i hope i will never have to do it again.- I've done it with a rabbit-one of our old stud bucks had a sudden massive stroke my dad wasn't around and he was in such terible distress that I wanted to spare him a trip to the vet so I broke his neck (There's a way to do it very quickly and cleanly he died pretty much instantly) never want to do anything like that again Lesley Slave of the Fabulous Furballs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Unfortunately, Pat described a really painful way to die--strangulation, by lifting the animal from a noose on the end of a pole. That is a slow, terrifying death. MaryL |
#27
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[OT] Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
On 5/4/2011 12:05 PM, Arthur Shapiro wrote:
Art (former member of the Oppossum Society of the United States) After reading part of this thread, I was just reading the FAQs from the osus site. I've seen them here many times, but only when I was feeding stray cats. I don't leave out food anymore, and I haven't seen opposums. |
#28
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[OT] Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
I was lurking and this topic grabbed my attention.
I read that possums are resistant to rabies. I did not know that until last year. I just assumed they were nocturnal as well until I saw one in the daytime and it was not afraid of me. it just wanted to sleep in my shed and eat cat food . I called the local police to come and get it because a receptionist at the vets said the possum was probably rabid. I felt really bad afterwards because I know it was shot. |
#29
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[OT] Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
Zoe Kate Gibson wrote:
I was lurking and this topic grabbed my attention. I read that possums are resistant to rabies. I did not know that until last year. I just assumed they were nocturnal as well until I saw one in the daytime and it was not afraid of me. it just wanted to sleep in my shed and eat cat food . I called the local police to come and get it because a receptionist at the vets said the possum was probably rabid. I felt really bad afterwards because I know it was shot. If the possum was shot, here are two possible reasons: (1) animal control is uninformed about possums being resistant to rabies, or (2) possums *are* capable of getting rabies and they didn't want to take chances. If the first is true - if even animal control can't get their facts straight about this, then I think people should lay off Pat about it, because evidently it's a very widespread myth. Or maybe that possum wasn't shot? Joyce -- May the great galactic kitten always purr you to sleep. |
#30
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[OT] Horrible Experience - Rabid Possum
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