Top Ten Bonding Ideas
For Short-Tailed Opossums (STO)
By Molly Kalafut
Handling
Short tail opossums are hardy little creatures when it comes to handling. There are many different ways to pick them up. If you coax them to climb onto your arm (often using treats) it can be very easy to transport them. You can also slide your hands underneath them and steady their back area with a hand at the base of the tail. A quick way to pick them up is by the base (not the tip) of the tail so it rests their back feet on your hand, and providing something for their front feet to grab onto (your hand, a sweater, towel, bonding pouch, or even a pencil.) Some owners who are worried about being bitten can wrap a towel or sweater around the STO to pick them up. If your STO is resistant to being approached and picked up, sometimes you can put your hands in front of them until they back up onto or into something you can pick up. The best method to use depends on you and your STO; the type of cage you have, how you have to reach into it, and what you are both most comfortable with. My first STO preferred that I slide my hands underneath him, but my second STO hated that and preferred to be grabbed around the middle and quickly placed onto my shirt.
Bonding & Ages
Evidence from breeders and pet owners suggest short-tailed opossums are best suited for taming after the age of 3 months, and handling prior to that stage that is stressful or traumatic may slow the taming process later. In the early ages, care should be taken to choose a STO from a low-stress environment, and minimize the stress of transition to the new home. The better the environment the babies are raised in (quiet, warm, no threatening or overpowering smells, good food, climbing toys, mother calm towards people, etc) the better their temperaments may be even if handled very little.
Avoiding Bites
Short-tailed opossums have poor eyesight and most bites are accidental because they smell food or mistake your fingers, buttons or jewelry for mealworms. Wash hands before handling them and remove jewelry. When reaching for a treat, some STO will lick or grab an insect with their hands, but occasionally they will grab at it with their mouths and may accidentally graze you. It usually doesn't break the skin, but as a precaution you can hand food to them using tweezers, a spoon, or lightly hold the treat between your thumbnail and first fingernail (even if they accidentally bite, their teeth will probably bounce off the nail).
Favorite Foods As Treats
A healthy yet effective alternative to unhealthy "treats" is feeding their normal food to them by hand. For example, instead of giving them 3 mealworms in their food dish, open the cage and hand-feed them 1 mealworm at a time 3 times during the day or evening. Crickets are usually difficult to use as treats because of the wriggling and jumping, but mealworms or waxworms can work well. Another idea is to ration dry food instead of leaving it as free-choice in their cage. Other favorites foods can be used, like your pet's favorite flavor of baby food, or small pieces of fruit or meat.
Most of the photos I took for this website were taken while bribing my little guy with regular dry Eukanuba cat food. For a few months I offered him small amounts of dry food in the evening instead of unlimited dry food all the time, so he started to view it as a treat. I could also lead him anywhere I wanted by letting him lick banana baby food off of my fingers.
Bonding Pouch
Many owners have excellent results using bonding pouches. Some short-tailed opossums may snuggle into the pouch to sleep, or use it as a "home base" to run back into after climbing around their owner and exploring. STO can be lured into the pouch using treats, or you can scoop them up with it. One tip to help make them comfortable with the pouch is to put some of their bedding fluff into it, or leave the pouch in their cage for a while. That way it smells more comfortable and familiar to them while they're out of their cage. Some STO get so attached to their bonding pouch that they will sleep in it if you leave it in their cage. My first STO absolutely loved his bonding pouch and would spend hours in it sleeping. My second STO hated being cooped up in it, but he liked clinging to the outside of it then exploring.
Bathroom Bonding
The bathroom can be a great place for bonding with your short-tailed opossum. With a closed door it can be hard for the STO to escape, even if they jump off of you. It is hard for them to climb out or escape from a bathtub. I like to sit in the bathtub with mine, let him run around, and hand-feed him treats. Make sure to move any shower curtains out of the way or else the little acrobats will try to climb it.
Warning - Toilet Problems!
Some STO are prone to going to the bathroom while out of their cage, particularly shortly after being removed from the cage. This can be unpleasant but you can minimize the problem by keeping a washcloth or wet-wipes near the cage or playing area. Pay attention to your STO's body language, and eventually you should be able to tell when he or she is about to "go" and either put them back in the cage or use the wet wipes. They tend to get a bit antsy and scoot around looking for a place to go, and the ultimate warning sign is of course when they squat down and raise their tail.
Mouth opening is a common defensive posture when the short-tailed opossum is surprised or uncertain. It is generally a bluff ("Look at how scary I am!"), and they usually close their mouths after they recognize your smell.
