Baby opossum rescue?

[ZEROPILOT]

Yesterday someone here at work bought in an opossum because their dog had killed it's mother and other babies.
It clearly is not eating, so I've decided to bring it home and attempt to nurse it to health until it is big enough to let go in a park near my house.
Am I correct in using kitten milk formula? Kitten flea shampoo?
I have a big cage out doors that used to have an injured iguana in it. That should serve as a home with a hide box.
Wish me luck.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Sure.
Good luck.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Yesterday someone here at work bought in an opossum because their dog had killed it's mother and other babies.
It clearly is not eating, so I've decided to bring it home and attempt to nurse it to health until it is big enough to let go in a park near my house.
Am I correct in using kitten milk formula? Kitten flea shampoo?
I have a big cage out doors that used to have an injured iguana in it. That should serve as a home with a hide box.
Wish me luck.

I wouldn't set it free to close to your house when it starts eating cause your torts may be on its dinner plate ! So instead of good luck let's say be careful . Baby's are always cute and adults are always ungry !

 

[Moozillion]

How WONDERFUL of you!!!!
GOOD LUCK to you and the new baby!!!

 

[phebe121]

Good luck im also saying dont let go near your home could fine his way back takr it about 20 min away to a park or wooded place

 

[naturalman91]

kitten formula or even puppy formula would work just as long as it's getting the nutrition it needs from the milk

good luck i hope you can save him/her but i really wouldn't let it go near your house i'd also talk to fish and game wildlife control because it maybe illegal to set it free after being in human care

 

[4jean]

Good luck, it is very cute! Keep us posted please!

 

[bouaboua]

I'm not sure I will do that.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The park is actually more than 15 miles away. It's the one nearest to my house.
I washed him with some natural kitten flea shampoo and he is eating solid food. His gums aren't pale and I only saw one critter on him. So now I'll just let him put on some pounds. He's in a rabbit cage in the bird room for now.
It is amazing how irresistible the babies are and how horrible the adults look and act.

 

[kathyth]

I was recently at a meeting for Opossum rescue, in Calif. They nurse them and let them go in area's that are secluded with tree's and definitely water.

 

[Momof4]

Do you have a wild life rehab near by? I have taken a few wild animals and they are rehabbed and put back to the area where they were found.

He sure is stinking cute!

 

[Jacqui]

How is he doing? Len (member here) had raised one a couple of years back as I recall.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

He eats like a little piglet and sleeps during the day as he should. Other than the flea shampoo wash. (for kittens) We are keeping the handling and interactions to a minimum.
I don't know how quickly they grow, but he's still large mouse sized. IMO still perfectly sized for any predator to eat.
He's been very easy to deal with. He eats all of his food then poops in the food bowl for us to remove it.
He's on hay with a house to hide in. He had a more extravagant cage before, but he kept getting out.
Now he's in a 54 gallon tote with the lid mostly closed. He can't climb up the sides.
Thanks for asking.
Both my wife and myself are suckers for animals that seemed doomed. Together we have nursed wild birds and several mammals back from the brink and let them loose. The insect eating baby birds are much easier to feed than the seed eaters. ....etc.
This is our second opossum rescue. The last was a larger one that a dog had chewed on. It went well, too and we released him in the back yard of our old house. "Roosevelt" lived in a shed for two more years, then disappeared one day. I'm told they only live a few years. I don't know.
There was a crane type bird that we found that was cut up and badly wounded in fishing line and an alligator that was cut up by a boats engine....That kind of stuff I call my brother for. He works for Florida Fish and Game and has contacts.
I tend to know my humble limits.

 

[Moozillion]

He eats like a little piglet and sleeps during the day as he should. Other than the flea shampoo wash. (for kittens) We are keeping the handling and interactions to a minimum.
I don't know how quickly they grow, but he's still large mouse sized. IMO still perfectly sized for any predator to eat.
He's been very easy to deal with. He eats all of his food then poops in the food bowl for us to remove it.
He's on hay with a house to hide in. He had a more extravagant cage before, but he kept getting out.
Now he's in a 54 gallon tote with the lid mostly closed. He can't climb up the sides.
Thanks for asking.
Both my wife and myself are suckers for animals that seemed doomed. Together we have nursed wild birds and several mammals back from the brink and let them loose. The insect eating baby birds are much easier to feed than the seed eaters. ....etc.
This is our second opossum rescue. The last was a larger one that a dog had chewed on. It went well, too and we released him in the back yard of our old house. "Roosevelt" lived in a shed for two more years, then disappeared one day. I'm told they only live a few years. I don't know.
There was a crane type bird that we found that was cut up and badly wounded in fishing line and an alligator that was cut up by a boats engine....That kind of stuff I call my brother for. He works for Florida Fish and Game and has contacts.
I tend to know my humble limits.

YOU AND YOUR WIFE ARE AMAZING AND LOVING PEOPLE!!!!!
The world needs more people like YOU TWO!!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hear! Hear!

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

He's very cute
I admire you for taking him in for a while, I hold grudges against those little buggers.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Fat and happy, baby Opie was set free this evening in a nice tree canopy area near a lake in Tree Tops Park.
Still unfriendly but healthy and ready to roam.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Fat and happy, baby Opie was set free this evening in a nice tree canopy area near a lake in Tree Tops Park.
Still unfriendly but healthy and ready to roam.

Job done.
Hope he makes it.
And top marks to you.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Man that is one nasty, smelly sucker.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Oh, you met my mother-in-law?