Monday, April 15, 2013

'Possums For Monday Mystery...!

This little mystery is a bit different than usual, to say the least! I spent the weekend catching possums! That's right...catching possums!

The strange part is that I caught these possums at home, in my Mother's house. In her toilets, to be exact! Two on Saturday and another one on Sunday! Keep in mind, this is not in the country but in Houston! In a residential neighborhood! No opened doors...no opened windows! Just to make sure that folks knew I wasn't making this up, I snapped a couple of pictures.





The pictures above are of the possums just as I found them Saturday morning. By the way, that brown color in the water came from the critters and not from something else! Just wanted to clear that up! After catching these two, I moved them outside to the back yard! They were still very much alive!



Sunday morning Mom called me to come over to her house and look at something! Sure enough, there in her john was another small possum! This one was alone, and a little smaller than the other two!



Now, here comes the mystery! How the hell did these critters get into Mom's toilets? Did they swim up the sewer pipe? Did they come down the vent pipe? Were they left by the "possum fairy?" If anyone has any idea as to how these guys got in the house and the toilets, I'd be more than happy to find out! This is one mystery I'd like to have solved, ya know?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Don't worry...I moved the possum!

16 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

They swam up your sewer drain obviously; I've heard of rats doing the same. I occasionally caught possums in underwater muskrats traps when I was a young fellow. They were swimming out the underwater entrance to the muskrat dens.

Chickenmom said...

Ever hear the old question "Why did the chicken cross the road'? The answer is: To prove to 'possums it CAN be done!
They are such cute critters.
Coffee outside is fine with me - it's 35 here. I'll bring ginger snaps and apple butter.

Phyllis (N/W Jersey)

Momlady said...

I'd venture to say they fell down the pipe as they look pretty clean. Poor babies, that must have been a scary ride no matter which way they arrived. Or maybe it WAS the 'possum fairy.

Anonymous said...

That is very strange. My guess is the rooftop vent stack, but my question is why ?

Bet those pictures will cure some people of 'looking before they sit down', lol.

Hope this was the last occurance of the toilet invaders showing up.

B said...

Bubba -

Next time maybe don't be so nice and leave them in the garden - they might find their way back into their entrance and make another appearance. Glad you were there to take care of this "tiny" problem for Mom!

Big hugs -

linda m said...

That is really strange. I have heard about rats coming up the sewer line but never "possums". If you ever figure it out please let us know. Poor Mom must have been freaking out. Coffee outside sounds good - still raining here.

Anonymous said...

long ago my neighbor heard splashing and noise late at night. got up to find a rat in her toilet. cannot remember how she got rid of it. her husband had that job! the plumber told her it had come up the sewer pipe! i don't know how. i think it is rather narrow where it joins the toilet, isn't it? anybody know?

deb harvey

MamaHen said...

That is certainly one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen! I've heard of snakes coming up the sewer pipes but it's hard for me to imagine a possum doing that, let alone 3! Lol!

JO said...

Did you call animal control They will take them away from the city and may have an answer for you.
They are cute when they are babies. But yes things do swim up the pipes snakes 2 nasty things.

Coffee on the patio sounds wonderful to windy here to sit on the porch.

kare said...

Uh HuH!
It Twas the Sewer Fairy!

Did the little darlins Hiss at You?
The last one i saw live trapped Smelled like the Sewer Fairy had delivered it..but it was outside killing our doves one by one.

That was eons ago in a land far from here. i hear we have them here in Arizona too!
They can have at least a dozen live kits at a time..
....just sayin'.

HermitJim said...

Hey Gorges...
That's kinda what I was thinking! I didn't know for sure that they could swim underwater!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Phyllis...
They are cute when they are young, for sure! Grown...not so much!

I sure like ginger snaps!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Momlady...
After swimming all that way in water, they would be clean! They did leave a "ring around the bowl" though.

Pretty dang scary for Mom either way!

Thanks for coming by this morning!



Hey Anon 7:09...
It does make you want to look before sitting, that's for sure!

Who know why they came inside? I don't have a clue!

Many thanks for coming by this morning!



Hey Sis...
Just couldn't bring myself to killing them! The cats wouldn't even mess with them at all!

Better come for a visit soon! I'll catch ya another possum to take home!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Linda...
I think a rat would be worse than finding a possum. At least possums have a very small "cuteness" factor about them!

Thanks for dropping in today!



Hey Deb...
The trap on a toilet isn't so small that a critter like a rat (or a small possum) would be blocked, if they really wanted in!

I'll keep everyone posted on what I find out!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Anne...
I'll admit that this is a first for me. Like you, I have heard about the snakes but never a possum!

Strange city I live in!

Thanks, my friend, for coming by today!



Hey Jo...
I have someone coming over today to see if they can tell where they are getting in. If nothing else, it will make Mom feel better!

I appreciate you coming over, sweetie!

Dizzy-Dick said...

I have heard of rats doing that but never possums. I guess a possum is just a big rat, right?

Dizzy-Dick said...

I forgot to add that we had a squirrel come down the vent pipe and clog up our drains when we lived a city in Michigan. We only lived in the city for one year.

Tinabeane said...

Wow that is crazy! If you didn't show the picture I would not of believed it, and not just once but twice!!

Tina

possum said...

Congratulations! and Thank YOU!
Thanks for rescuing the little guys.Even more thanks for not hurting them. Congratulations for being blessed with some of Ma Nature's best little buddies. Possums are great to have around, really. Just think, a little critter that doesn't get rabies and eats copperheads for lunch - also eats mice and rats and all kinds of bugs and grubs...
Come visit my first possum at
http://possumlane.blogspot.com/2006/07/awesome-possum.html
Thanks! Possum

Anonymous said...

Horrible... Just hate these possum.. Pressence of possum just irritates me a lot.. I often spend money on possum removal brisbane to control them