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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 0:34:02
I figured out who's been pulling out the drip-tray in my grill.. and it's out there gnawing something in the back yard, and there's my cat, just sitting there, co-existing with it. I don't know, shouldn't a cat keep the yard possum-free?
I hope it hasn't crawled up my dryer vent.
Posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 1:34:20
In reply to Yipe, a Possum!, posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 0:34:02
And have a prehensile tail, and opposable thumbs on their back feet, and generally stay for only a few days in one spot. And they get along with adult cats.
I love the internet.
Posted by Dinah on September 10, 2003, at 7:43:16
In reply to Re: It's OK, they eat snails., posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 1:34:20
And so Tabitha learned to get along with the possum, and the possum learned to eat snails, not drip pans.
(adapted from "The King, the Mice, and the Cheese")
I'm glad you're feeling better about it. Our family's second cat was remarkably sanguine about all sorts of critters sharing her food and her space. Our first one was a fierce warrior, able to easily vanquish smaller animals (not to mention people). And constantly battered by the larger ones.
How is life treating you otherwise, Tabitha?
Posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 12:30:29
In reply to Re: It's OK, they eat snails. » Tabitha, posted by Dinah on September 10, 2003, at 7:43:16
Well, I scrubbed out the drip-pan, so let's hope the critter dines elsewhere. Can't get rid of the huge grease-spot it made on the concrete patio though :-(
I'm OK. Kind of depressed the last couple weeks, but not in the pit. This total lack of structure is difficult, though not so bad as to send me out looking for a new job right away. This is week 5 of unemployment. I've sent out 3 contracts for house jobs, but no work has started yet. Still have to contract stucco and landscaping. I got kind of bogged down in sorting my stuff. The art/craft supplies effort dragged on for 2 weeks. It's nearly done. Nearly. Maybe it's partly this cold and ear infection that's beset me. I've slowed..
Garage sale this Saturday. It's an all-neighborhood thing I'm participating in. I hope to shed some stuff then. Plus I've never done one, so it ought to be fun.
I'm hanging in there.. Thanks for asking :-)
Posted by Phil on September 10, 2003, at 12:54:32
In reply to Re: It's OK, they eat snails. » Dinah, posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 12:30:29
I'd rather have snails, possums gross me out. Big rats. I throw snails in the air and hit them with a baseball bat. A raquetball raquet works especially well.
Posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 18:48:20
In reply to Re: It's OK, they eat snails. » Tabitha, posted by Phil on September 10, 2003, at 12:54:32
Posted by Dinah on September 10, 2003, at 20:26:40
In reply to Re: They eat rats, too. (nm) » Phil, posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 18:48:20
Posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 22:16:42
In reply to Re: Possums do? Wow. (nm), posted by Dinah on September 10, 2003, at 20:26:40
The opossum is omnivorous, feeding upon almost anything that it can find or catch: rats, mice, moles, slugs, snails, shrews, worms, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, crickets, frogs, garbage, fruit (especially persimmons), corns, berries, and even road kill. That habit gets about 8.3 million opossums killed a year. An opossum seeing an object on a road during the night may believe it to be road kill, and may either freeze in the headlight of a car, or try to run away. As opossums run very slowly, they often get killed. Opossums also enjoy eating snakes, and will kill and eat all snakes including poisonous ones. They are immune to the snake venom, and relish copperhead, water moccasins, rattlesnakes, and others.
Posted by Dinah on September 11, 2003, at 1:34:33
In reply to Re: and rattlesnakes., posted by Tabitha on September 10, 2003, at 22:16:42
I can keep one fat and happy for years with the ants around here. And if they eat rodents as well! Well, how lovely.
I'm not sure about the roadkill though.
This is the end of the thread.
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