I had to read the beginning of your post 3 times before I actually could grasp the concept that it was IN your kitchen. (and not in a kitchen-type garbage can outside your house) Ugghhhh!

4 Raccoons visited our house last year to demolish & take the bird feeders off of our rather high deck. We watched from the INSIDE of the sliding glass doors. That was close enough me!

Take a good nap later today & wishing you a better night tonight :)

All the Best,
Tree

Well if the Opossum came inside it was probably more interested in the cat food than what was in the compost bin outdoors.

Kinda handy that it wound up in a metal trash can that could be easily hauled out to be tipped over. Had it been in something lighter weight, it probably would have tipped it over and you would still be wondering where in the house it was.

Consider yourself lucky! I have a "house" opossum. It comes in every night to help itself to my cats food through their door. A couple of nights ago, it came in and walked right past me in my chair, with the TV and the surround sound on. It went straight to their bowl of food - it really likes Iams! I try to discourage it by putting their food in the refrigerator at night, but it has found a home behind the hot water heater. It grins at me in the morning when I come downstairs for my coffee. Expensive to feed it - it eats more than my two cats. I hope it is not a female!
At least they don't carry rabies. Good luck that you don't have a repeat visit.
Steve

Thanks all! I did have a restless night after that. I use a regular galvanized garbage can in my kitchen, very industrial, and it didn't go for the cat food on the floor. It must be used to finding food in the cans. I'm looking at the compost pail next to the cat box next to the garbage can and thinking --hey, opossum steps. :)

Oh Steve! I couldn't handle a house opossum! I'm already thinking of whether I could get away with 22 pistol shot without the police being called.

It would add diversity to my pile.

Obviously you don't want them visiting inside the house but opossums are much more friend than foe. I hope you find a peaceful solution.
-O

organica, I've only shot two things in my life. I shot a starling with my brother's BB gun when I was 9, and I cried. At about 35, I shot a stray tomcat that hurt my cat and killed all her kittens but one--I was in a rage--hit that cat with a 'home defense' shotgun blast that basically exploded him. Cried for days. Cetainly I have a peaceful solution! I won't leave my door open when I'm out in the garden at night.

Still....if ever I can imagine shooting another thing, it would definately be a oppossum on my deck.

I had two encounters with opossums during the time I lived in California. The first time, as I sat in the front office of my workplace, a possum darted through the open door and into the corner. I phoned wildlife services and they tried to coach me to get a broom and shoo it out, but I couldn't do it, so finally they sent someone over to remove it. There was a drought that year and animals were going into unusual places to try to find water. I remember being struck by how much a real possum does not resemble Pogo.

The second time, I heard something in the kitchen at night, crunching on the cat food, and investigating in the dark saw the silhouette of a possum as it quickly made its way out the cat door through which it had entered. I think we started blocking the cat door at night after that.
-O

They are frequent visitors to my porch. I have a porch cat I feed outside and I have to bring the cat food in when it gets dark or they wolf it down (and it isn't cheap). Half the time when I hear a racket I'll come out and it'll be an oppossum and the other half it's the coons. They aren't usually terribly frightened of me -- we just look at each other for a second, then I'll shoo it and curse at it a little and he slowly ambles away.

One night I nearly scared the fur off of one and I'm sorry but it was pretty hilarious. I was up late about 2:00 a.m. and remembered I needed to take the cat food in. After doing so my porch cat was wanting attention so she jumped up on the porch rail and I stood there to pet her for a couple of minutes enjoying the still night air. When her ears perked up I knew something was out in the woods so I got real still and quiet and we both watched. Sure enough a big grey oppossum made its way from the woodline all the way up my terrace garden, up the porch stairs looking for cat food and walked to within about 3 feet of me. I stood perfectly still and it never realized I was standing right there until I just couldn't resist anymore and screamed at it to teach it a lesson. I didn't know oppossums could move that fast lol!! It took off like a bat outa' hell. Of course I've heard they're not the most intelligent creatures so he probably came right back the next night but still it was pretty funny.

My neighbor says I should shoot the oppossums & raccoons that take the food and get into the garbage but I can't quite bring myself to do so. They're a nuisance if I forget and leave stuff out but they haven't really hurt anything at this point. I much prefer to live with the few inconveniences most wildlife pose than to not have any around. Now if they ever start tearing up my daylily beds I might change my mind lol.

Danielle

One possible peaceful solution, I have had an ongoing possum relocation program here for several years. You never seem to find the end of them. No telling how many my dogs have treed in the yard in addition to those that I have trapped like this.
Bill P.
{{gwi:314494}}

My oppossum's number is up. I have a dominant and agressive tom that sprays so he lives on the front porch, and I put his food out everyday. Must've been some food left, or maybe not, I don't know, but in any case my tom's ear is torn up and another bite on the shoulder. I'm sure the cat started the fight as he drives off any other cat. Right or wrong, I'm looking at a stiff vet bill.

We've have the possums come in through the cat door too. But we usually take our cats in as soon as it gets dark and close up the door.