An interesting visitor this morning.

[Ardie/WI]

A little background: Our house has four doors and we feed our outside cats on the front porch because it's easily accessible for me and nobody comes to the front door. We bring it in at night and put it out in the morning to cut down on varmints.

This AM, Roger left before daylight and he put he food out. After I sent him off, I happened to look out there. It was dark but I could see something unfamiliar. I got the flashlight and angled it to see what it was. At first I thoght it was one of our many black-and-white kitties. Nope. It was a skunk! Oy vey! I very quietly turned off the light and put down the shade.

Not all black-and-white kittie-kitties are our friends.

[AngieM2]

Ardie - I've been told to watch for the white skunk that lives in the woods adjoining this small mobile home park.

I'm being watchful for that critter.

Angie

[tallpines]

Ardie-----sometimes you can be a real "stinker" with your comments.
I guess you weren't the only one in your house this morning!

[donsgal]

Originally Posted by Ardie/WI

A little background: Our house has four doors and we feed our outside cats on the front porch because it's easily accessible for me and nobody comes to the front door. We bring it in at night and put it out in the morning to cut down on varmints.

This AM, Roger left before daylight and he put he food out. After I sent him off, I happened to look out there. It was dark but I could see something unfamiliar. I got the flashlight and angled it to see what it was. At first I thoght it was one of our many black-and-white kitties. Nope. It was a skunk! Oy vey! I very quietly turned off the light and put down the shade.

Not all black-and-white kittie-kitties are our friends.

Where we used to live in 1990 we would feed all the stray cats in the neighborhood (my cats are indoors exclusively), and one night I chanced to look out on the porch and there was a big, fat possum helping himself. I dubbed him "Poncho", and although he ran off that first night, he got more used to me and soon would just sit there munching cat food as I talked to him. He was just huge!

donsgal

[FiddleKat]

My uncle loves cats, and once he even saved one from a trap. One of those horrible claw traps that snap on the legs. The poor thing was crying. My uncle released it, brought it to the vet (it was a stray) and the poor thing had to have its leg amputated. My uncle paid the $800, took kitty home and named him Gimpy. Had him until he was 15 yrs old.
Anyway, my uncle would always leave food out for the stray cats. One night he said he opened the door to check on them, and noticed a funny looking white one with a very long nose. It was a possum.

[AngieM2]

I put out food for the raccoons and such here. I regularly see a really fine looking possum. Never knew how neat their faces looked until I saw this one. Always thru a glass door.

I also see chipmunks and during the day birds and lots of squirrels.

My "wild" pets.

Angie

[chickenista]

I just love a possum. Many years ago in the dead of winter and in a deep snow with a hard crust I saw something down in the field. Went down and it was a possum struggling with legs all cut up from the crust. He looked at me and then crawled over and sat his bottom on the top of my foot and wrapped arms, legs and tail around my calf and closed his eyes. I walked him up to the house and put him in an old chest in the basement. Curled up happily until spring. When I lived in the city (uughh) I had one, cleanest critter you ever saw, gleaming white, would sit every evening with me on the front porch. Would wait under it until I came out and hop right up and set a spell.

[AR Cattails]

I feed the cats on my frontporch, also, and constantly see possums and raccoons come up to eat. I've seen up to 3 possums at a time on my porch and I always run outside to run them off. I don't like them because I've had many cats disappear since living here and I strongly suspect the raccoons.


Chickenista - very cute story about the possum.

[cc]

We have a little fox family that comes up and eats with the outside cats. They don't bother each other and when the raccoon that lives under the tack room comes out they don't mess with her. Funny how they all seem to get along. Guess as long as there is food they are OK. Have any of you fed the raccoons old donuts? They love them as do the fox family. I used to bring old ones home from work before I wasn't able to work anymore. If I have any extra money I go by the day old bakery and get them some. No, No, nothing around here is spoiled!

[Country Lady]

A few years ago, a friend and my daughter were riding the pasture on the 4 wheeler after dark. They came in all excited about this pretty white critter they chased in the pastured trying to figure out exactly what it was. Well, the rest of us hopped in the truck, rode the pasture until we found this cute critter. It was a white skunk!! It's a wonder he didn't spray them following him. We saw him several times that season.

[tn_junk]

I have a "pet" possum that comes up on my deck frequently. I put out kitchen scraps for it. It has gotten tame enough that it will come up on the deck with me sitting out there late in the evening.

galump.

[DoxieMom]

I had a beautiful male Burmese stray cat that I befriended at our old house. He was gorgeous...Beautiful green eyes. He was as wild as they come until I put a can of tuna out for him... After that, I fed him regular cat food, and he lived at our house keeping the moles, gophers, and mice down. He actually did a 180, and became the most tame of cats. He would go with me on walks, and "talked" to me all the time, even through my kitchen window. The girls called him "Bill-Kitty." I haven't yet tried to feed any strays here, as I haven't really seen any around, so I 'm afraid I'd wind up feeding those stinky black and white "kitties." LOL

[suzfromWi]

I sure hope you folks are careful that none of these animals have rabies....Ewwwwww

[charliesbugs]

When I was a kid we had a pet skunk.We got it for our Mom for her birthday.It was de-scented.It was a great pet- as good as a cat.Used a litter box.We were without telephone service for a storm and the telephone man came to the house.he was a little(???) afaid of Peppi when he came in, and 'asked , in a very shaky voice if she was d,d,d, de-skunked???????Oh, and she was vaccinated for rabies!

[hengal]

I'm so glad to have read this thread - we are not alone! We have been feeding a stray tom cat that has adopted us now for the past two years. We call him "gray kitty". So, we have set food out for him for the last two years and sometimes my neighbors old cat comes around for a nibble. Well, this past November we started having a very young possum coming over and eating. What funny little things they are! He too got used to us and would just sit and look at us and then go back to eating. My husband named him "Petey" the possum. We really enjoyed him while he was around for that month. Actually a cute littel guy. Since then we've only seen him maybe once or twice. There is quite a bit of extensive information about them on the web, including possum rescues. (who would have thought? )
Also - it is said on one of those sites that possums do not carry rabies.

[Ardie/WI]

Originally Posted by suzfromWi

I sure hope you folks are careful that none of these animals have rabies....Ewwwwww

That's very true! We discourage raccoons and possum here as much as we can because of rabies AND they kill kittens.

We've only seen(smelled) skunk here a few times. Like when Goldie the doggie went over to say hello or when the neighbor knocked over a colony south of us with they were working that field.

[WanderingOak]

Originally Posted by Ardie/WI

That's very true! We discourage raccoons and possum here as much as we can because of rabies AND they kill kittens.

I know racoons cary rabies, but I've heard tell that 'possums are immune. I'm not sure about the kitten killing as far as 'possums go.

[trixiwick]

There are some really, really nice people on this board. Y'all make me proud to know you (sniff).

[AngieM2]

On the front porch here, I've seen the racoons and the possum about 18" apart at two sections of food.

And I've seen the same with a semi-stray cat and the racoons. I guess they've worked it out.

And the semi-stray cat likes to come watch for the chipmunks in the evening.. hasn't caught any.

Angie

[DW]

We had an OLD cat (21) that would howl when the outside bowl was empty and sat up on the bench to watch the black & white "kitty" eat. The old cat never did get sprayed.