Lots of Possums

by Patricia, Cathy, Bruce, Diana, Bill, Janet, Laurie Anne, Tracy, Jean, Kathy
(Prince Albert, Oshawa, Pickering, Welland, Barrie, Bradford, Guelph, Collingwood, Stratford, Port of Newcastle)

Patricia from Prince Albert, wrote ... I'm feeding a feral kitten living under my porch, but last night an opossum showed up to enjoy the cat crunchies. I was able to watch him/her at opossum eye level through the patio door. The food bowl is beside the door. The kitten thought he might be someone to play with, but the possum just ate the food, took a long drink from the water bowl, watched the kitten for while, then meandered off.

Cathy from Oshawa reported ... I let my two dogs out at 10:00 pm and couldn't get my small one in. I went out after him and found him circling a white faced pointy nose animal lying very still under the apple tree. I am hoping it was playing "possum" and moves on.

Bruce from Pickering reported ... I saw a possum crawl under my gate to my back yard in Pickering Ontario last night. We saw each other then he scurried away. At first I wondered if it was a field rat because of his large tail. I've always enjoyed the out doors here in Ontario but until now I had never encountered a Possum.

Diana from Pickering said ... one was headed southbound towards Frenchman’s Bay alongside Liverpool Road, going through a householder’s garden at about 7:00 pm tonight. S/he looked pretty healthy, maybe about 3-4 pounds, with a long snout, whitish fur, naked pink tail, & s/he seemed to totter side-to-side as s/he walked. We were surprised, but pleased, to see the wildlife, as s/he was simply going about his/her own business.

Bill from Welland wrote to say ... last night when I took my dog out to do her business before bed, she was sniffing around as she always does and then she centered in on a shrub beside the neighbors fence. She jumped back and then went crazy barking at this shrub base. As I was out there with her as I always am to make sure that there are no skunks lurking. It was obvious it was not a skunk or rabbit so I went over in my slippers to see what the barking was about. When I looked behind the shrub I saw a brownish critter with long hair. I was not sure what it was until I noticed the tail. I then attempted to drag the dog back and ended up on my back as my slippers did not offer much traction. Eventually I got the dog back in the house but now I will have to do more checks at night. As I have moved recently from Northern Ontario this is my first possum experience.

From Barrie, Janet said ... I just saw an opossum trudging through the snow along our back fence. We are in Barrie. I never expected to see one so far north. One good thing, the squirrels bolted when it appeared.

Laurie Anne from Bradford said ... I just saw a possum in Bradford! I wasn't sure if I was seeing things so I looked it up and sure enough it is possible. Cute. This one was large.

Tracy said ... we live in the city of Guelph and at our residence for 10 years. For the first time we saw a possum in our backyard tonight! It spent a little time under the bird feeder and then it walked around the pine trees.

Jean from Guelph wrote ... I was on my deck last night fall and spotted some animal on the fence that looked strange. I went inside to get a flashlight and my husband. We quickly realized it was an opossum!!! Cool 😎 It stayed still then turned and walked back along the fence. We saw it twice more then it was gone.

Kathy from Collingwood wrote ... I went to look out the door. We feed the chipmunks. They had left some peanuts. Well I look at see a possum I thought was a Big Rat at first but as I looked it was not. I looked online to find out it was a type of possum as I thought and what I looked up. He must have smelled the peanuts. He was right at the sliding glass door. I wish I gotten a picture but by the time I thought of it he was gone into the trees / bushes. It’s raining out so I was surprised to see it. I feel bad for these little cute animals from what I read. They get frostbite on their ears and tails, sad! Will be making sure NO peanuts are left outside again. But yes, my first ever seeing a possum or actually here. It was cute. Ohhh I did kind of bang on the door but it did not scare it away. I read they will faint. It did not faint, but kind of cool to see though.

A reader from Stratford said ... I did my usual morning trip to the feeder, early dawn so not dark, and I surprised a critter at the base of the feeder. It waddled off when I came closer so I was able to watch it for a few minutes and I identified it as an opossum. Sorry no photos as it was a surprise to both the opossum and me.

One of our readers said ... I live in the Port of Newcastle, and have seen an adult Possum quite regularly in the early evening. Has never seemed to bother anything, just sniffing around for food, near a bird feeder.