Virginia Opossum in Cat’s Mouth: Patient 20-233
The morning of May 5, 2020, we received a call from the Wildlife in Need Network of PA. WIN is a volunteer wildlife capture and transport organization that assists in getting animals to wildlife rehabilitators. A WIN volunteer picked up a Virginia Opossum joey in Carlisle, PA, that needed immediate help. The young opossum was found in a cat’s mouth.
Traumatic Injuries Lead to Difficult Decision
Upon admission, the opossum had several severe symptoms that are common when cats and wildlife interact. The opossum had spinal cord damage and head trauma, and he was unable to hold his head in a normal position or stand. We started emergency treatment but the trauma was too much for his body to handle. We made the difficult decision to humanely euthanized the barely-weaned opossum.
How You Help Prevent These Interactions
Both cats and dogs can harm wild animals even if their intent is not to kill. When cats or dogs clench their jaws around baby or adult wildlife, the damage can be deadly. In addition, any contact with a cat or dog’s saliva created a huge risk for secondary infection due to Pasturella and other bacteria they naturally carry.
Here are some things that YOU can do to protect wildlife.
Supervise your pets outdoors. Keep pets leashed or within sight. Before your pet begins playing in the yard, walk around your property first to look for wildlife like bunny nests, opossums, fox kits, snakes, etc.)
Never let your pets roam onto other properties. While you may try to keep wildlife out of your yard, other individuals may enjoy attracting more wildlife to theirs. This is also dangerous to your pets.
Keep your cats indoors! Feral cats pose an incredible threat to wildlife. If you wish to take your cat outdoors, they can be leash trained just like dogs. If your cat doesn’t take to a harness/leash, they can still enjoy fenced in yards or “catios.” Catios are enclosures that allow your cat to experience the outdoors while being contained for their safety and the safety of wildlife.
Train your dog commands such as “leave it.” This will allow you to quickly respond from across the yard if you dog finds a wild animal. Training your dog to listen to commands will help wildlife and prevent your dog from coming in contact with diseases and parasites.
Never release a domestic animal into the wild. This is illegal in Pennsylvania, unethical and considered animal cruelty. Domestic animals do not thrive in the wild and often succumb to the elements. They become prey to larger carnivores and predators to smaller wildlife. Because domestic animals are not natural predators, prey do not know how to defend themselves or may not even recognize them as a threat.
