DH's customers

15 years ago

I swear, he has the funniest customers. Years ago, we had a tree in our front yard and I had hung a concrete plaque of angels on it to cover the rotten hole. One of his customers stopped by to drop off a payment and she was admiring that plaque. DH told her he'd make her one and she said "Oh, I'd love that, but I don't have a tree in my yard". I didn't know what to say to that.

Now, today, this customer is over and she spots this little pink critter lying in the flower bed next to the driveway. She rushes over and scoops up the little thing and hurries off to the pet store to buy kitten formula and a dropper. As she drives off, DH's employee says "That lady obviously doesn't know cats"...because it was a baby POSSUM that our cat had dragged over. The pet store told her that it wasn't a cat, and she took it to a rescue organization that told her it wasn't going to live, but they'd take care of it for her. The State recommends drowning them (possums, NOT cats!) as they're not native and are considered vermin.

I just have to wonder about these customers of his.

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Comments (10)

dedtired
15 years ago
Well, she doesn't sound like the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it does sound like she has a good heart.
mahatmacat1
15 years ago
I love possums! We have them every year under our porch. They're fabulous animals, ancient and beneficial...makes me *sad* to know that Oregon drowns them when they can. I read that to DH and he said "well, remember they consider coyotes vermin too." We do not share the state's evaluation of either animal.

(Is your DH's customer's last name by any chance Magoo? I kinda got that vibe : ))
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Oakley
15 years ago
That's cute! But did you all try to tell her it was a possum and not a kitten, because I don't understand how someone could just take a "kitten" from the "owner" without asking first! lol.

We have possums too, and I love them. Our pets respect them which is good. I can't imagine drowning one.

They're not over-abundant here but we always have one living in our shed.

I wonder if there's so many in Oregon that's why they're considered vermin? They are part of the mouse/rat family though.
neetsiepie
Original Author
15 years ago
DH did confess to me that he played into it, but he didn't think she'd fall for it! This is not the same tree customer, but it's just an example of how silly his customers can be. We have a cat who is a lover baby and comes to greet all customers. One lady saw her and screamed bloody murder...she thought she was a rat! The cat is a full grown tuxedo cat, HOW she mistook her for a rat is beyond me.

I'm not a fan of possums, but I hate the idea of killing them. I just prefer not to see them around. Our neighbor's possum farm is what keeps the neighborhood full of them. They do make a horrendous mess around here. I hate that my cat Burrito is a hunter, but he keeps the rat population down (again, thanks to the neighbors contributions) and I guess this was just a natural thing for him to get the possum nest.

I work closely with ODFW, and they have a different mindset than some...they tend to be avid gamespeople...but have a deep respect for critters, too. They're charged with protecting wildlife that is native and threatened, and to help control the rest. It's got to be hard to be an animal lover and do that job.
deeinohio
15 years ago
Opossums are marsupials, not rats.
jakabedy
15 years ago
I'm sorry. Opossum farm? Really? Is there a market for that?
lynninnewmexico
15 years ago
OMG, I've been chuckling all afternoon about that baby kitten/possum story . . . how funny! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Lynn
neetsiepie
Original Author
15 years ago
My neighbor doesn't literally have a possum farm, we joke that he does because of all the junk and vermin habitat in his back yard.

Yeah, I know possums aren't rats...but I don't make much of a distinction. Like nutria, they're not welcome at my house!
jakabedy
15 years ago
Ha! You got me! I wondered if there was something I had been missing all these years: a use for opossums. All they have ever done for me is eat my outdoor cats' food and hiss at me when I try to shoo them away. Evil, hideous things, IMHO.
mahatmacat1
15 years ago
pesky, I just wanted to write to tell you that your posting about opossums led me to research at the Audubon Society site, and I've now learned the sad truth about opossums and their non-native status. I still like them because they eat slugs, but I do feel like you educated me about something that matters to us. Sometimes the native/non-native directive is a harsh one, but the best we can do. So thank you for your teaching.