A Possum in my Pocket

About the Book

Web excerpt #1 Later on we had to take Goober Pea to the vet for a check-up. The possum came along too. Goober Pea rode in the pet carrier, and the possum rode...in my shirt pocket. I was wearing a baggy flannel shirt and the possum was so little it fit right in the bottom of the pocket and took a nap. After Dr. Bob had given Goober Pea his check-up, I pulled the possum out of my pocket. It scampered across the examination table like it wanted to get away; even possums must not like to go to the doctor! Dr. Bob caught it and gently pinched the skin on its back. The skin sort of stayed stuck the way he'd pinched it instead of springing back into place. Dr. Bob said that showed it was dehydrated, which means it hadn't had enough to drink in the last few days. The doctor gave us some puppy formula to dilute and a syringe for feeding it liquids. Well, guess what: the possum didn't like puppy formula. Come to think of it, it didn't like oatmeal either. Just like me! After the visit with Dr. Bob, we went to the grocery store. I don't think animals are supposed to go in the store with you, but nobody said anything even if I had a funny bulge in my shirt pocket and a tail curling out of it. Probably most people at supermarkets don't expect customers to be taking their baby possums grocery shopping. * * * * * * * * * * Web excerpt #2 We started sprinkling Elmo's food around in the leaves so that he has to hunt for it. When he eats he makes loud, smacking noises, and he doesn't chew with his mouth closed like grownups say you should. I think he really enjoys his meals: when he eats he looks like he's smiling. He especially likes grapes. He nibbles one until it is gone, then spits out the skin. He is still so tiny that one little grape looks huge in his hands. Picture me, gnawing on a football! Even though possums don't have very good table manners, you should see Elmo give himself a bath! He licks his fingers lots of times, making smacky noises, then he scratches himself with his wet fingers. He does that over and over again until he thinks he is clean. Sometimes he uses his hands to wash himself, and sometimes he uses his feet. Possums' feet really look like hands, because they have an opposable thumb like we have on our hands and like monkeys have on their hands and feet. (I read about this in one of the library books.) Having an opposable thumb on each hand makes it easier to hold on to things and helps keep us all from falling out of trees. Sometimes I get Elmo out of the cage to hold him or let him walk around. He doesn't like to be in my shirt pocket any more, but he likes to ride around on my shoulder. He probably remembers about riding on his mommy's back. He holds on with sharp little claws. Sometimes he snuffles around in my hair or breathes in my ear. It tickles! * * * * * * * * * * Web excerpt #3 I started to think we should keep Elmo so that she wouldn't ever meet any predators that would like to have her for dinner or humans that would make her into a coat, or even so she wouldn't ever have to cross a road. But then I started thinking that she might like to meet another possum and have babies and that she'd probably like to wander freely rather than stay in a cage all her life. We read that possums can have lots of babies in one litter, like cats and dogs do. I started to think that if Elmo had a family, she could help make up for all the possums that don't make it across the road. When we first got Elmo I could hold her in one hand, but she has grown a lot; she's almost as big as our cat Oreo. And she looks a little different than when we got her: she has long white-ish fur over the soft gray baby fur. Now she can put a whole grape in her mouth. She chews it with loud smacking noises while the juice runs down her chin. I certainly couldn't get away with manners like that! Besides grapes, Elmo likes cheese, catfood and eggs. Did I tell you that possums wi

About the Author

About the author Elizabeth Holtam lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, two daughters, and several cats. She is always on the lookout for possums, and enjoys sharing stories with other possum-lovers.