The mother shakes them off when they still may appear quite small to us....and sometimes, they fall off. It depends on the size that it is. Is it the size of a new born kitten...or is it bigger? The best thing to do, if you know of a rehabber in the area, take it to them. If you want to raise it up a little bigger and then release it in a place that might be safe for animals...has water nearby, shelter...not too many people...then this is how to raise it.

Put it in a crate like you would carry a cat to the vet, or other small cage. Put newspapers down on the floor of the cage and give it some rags or an old t shirt to hide under.

If it is an open cage...cover it with an old sheet or towel.
Give it water and feed it cat chow or dog kibble, if the pieces are small, soaked in water. Stir in some fruit flavored yogurt...not sugar free. You can feed it boiled eggs, chicken necks or pieces of chicken with bones in it...like wings. Do not feed it fruit.

This is really not exactly how I would raise it, but by feeding it this way, it is adequate and would give it a chance to get bigger. If the eyes are open and it is walking around, it can eat on it's own.

Don't handle it any more than necessary. It won't bite you...or, probably won't. It does not carry distemper or rabies or anything that would affect your pets. Handling them is just very stressful to them.

Thank you for wanting to help it.

Well, thanks Marilyn

It is gone. I had to go out, when I came back it was gone. There is a what i thought to be a small gap between the gate and the rest of the fence...this is the second critter that I've seen in this yard in the last few days.

The yard is fenced, 6 ft. all around so the dogs can't get out.

Anyway, I was just very surprised to see this little possum. It's eyes were open...it wasn't teensy tiny, but still, very much, a baby. It hissed at me and the dogs, too. As you can imagine, the dogs were very curious. I did manage to get them away from that part of the yard. Our yard is divided into 3 separate fenced area's.

I could see how the baby would fit through that gap and the small bunny a few days ago.. but i really can't see a full size possum getting through.
I wonder if it will come back?

Thanks for trying to help...I appreciate it.

Sea

It's probably big enough to go on it's own. The mother possums shake the babies off when they are quite small. We like to keep them until they are about 9 inches from nose to base of tail, but in nature, they would have been long gone from their mother by then. Considering how prolific they are...plenty of them must survive to carry on....as they have for something like 70 million years.

If it has a food source, it might come back, but since there are dogs, it will probably go elsewhere. Possums are generally nomads. They don't really have a territory and are on the move all the time, unless they find a really
"cushy" place to live with plenty of food....like my Skeeter Davis, who refuses to leave. Well, she leaves, but she comes back to her bed every morning, and she is on hand for supper every evening. The door on the cage is open...so she stays because she likes her nest box and, of course, all wild animals (I guess all animals and even people) are opportunistic. If food is available, they take the opportunity to eat. ;)