Do opossums make good pets?

Opossums appear to be friendly and cute animals and many people might want them as their pets. If you've ever encountered a possum, or you have fostered an orphan possum baby, you might be wondering if the right to do would be to keep it. Some people to keep possums as pets, and many claim that they were happy with the relationship that they had with the animal. But, is it truly right to keep a possum as a pet? Can a wild animal live amongst humans, and is it safe?



In general, it is not recommended to keep possums as pets. Even though some people to it, more often than not, it turns out bad for the animal. At first, the animal can adapt to living with people. It may even cuddle and form a relationship with you. But, as it grows, your will notice that it is turning into a wild animal, and that it starts displaying some animal instincts. More often than not, adult possums are eventually removed and relocated from their home, because they can no longer cohabitate with people. But, is this a moral thing to do, and what are the repercussions this kind of behavior to the animal?

If your release a somewhat-domesticated possum into the wild, it will have slim chances of survival. It will lack essential skill that it needs in order to survive in the wild. It will not know how to find shelter, or create a den. It will not know how to search for food and water. Overall, it's chances of survival are not going to be very high.

On the other hand, keeping the wild animal in your home is not safe for your, either. Animals like possums pose a sanitary threat, because their feces and urine is extremely dangerous. It can carry numerous bacteria and illnesses, even if the animal is healthy. The animal is, also, going to display some wild behavior. There are good chances that it is going to have a temper, biting and scratching your every time it gets angry or anxious. Eventually, you might find that living with wild animal is simply not for you. One way or another, trying to keep a possum as a pet is not recommended.

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