A TNR (trap, neuter, return) rescuer finally caught an opossum, a cute cat rather, that looked a whole lot like an opossum. And he certainly earned the name Possum. Because he evaded capture for almost five months even while needing help for a wounded leg. Poor Possum was probably a dumped pet with impaired vision due to a condition called strabismus, generally called cross-eyed.
“The people around here think he was dumped, and we all thought he was blind — turns out he’s just cross eyed and cute as all hell!” said the TNR rescuer from New Jersey.
Images and media via Instagram/pokeypotpie and nj_tnr_adventures
At the time, rescuers suspected that Possum may also have a condition called entropion which irritates the eyes.
At first, the scruffy tomcat was scared, growled, and lashed out inside the TNR trap. But with lots of patience, he revealed he’s a big mush, and thus, the rescuer hoped he could be socialized for life as a pampered House Possum. With his impaired vision, she knew he wasn’t likely to make it outdoors for long.
The rescuer shared his transfurmation with lots of patience and TLC.
Lucky for this kitty, an expert foster family who regularly cares for vision-impaired or “pirate kittens” decided to enroll Possum in the foster ‘Playschool.’ There, he was fully appreciated for his unique character, “goofy little face, and sweet chirps.”
“He’s cute, but he’s a hot mess and I love him all the more for it,” said foster mom Jen.
At first, the kitty was overwhelmed, but with more patience, his new foster fam knew he’d do great. To get him used to being petted, foster mom Jen wore gloves, wrapped him gently in a blanket, which he loved, and talked to him gently. He became “more comfortable by the hour” and enjoyed all the love.
Before long, Possum was purring and nuzzling his foster mom. Then, she began lots of grooming, and a bath, which he desperately needed. He even sat on her lap for gentle hand-washing and lime sulfur dip for embedded crud (and in case of ringworm). When it was time to dry off, a new foster friend Danica amazingly came over to comfort him. They remained best buddies from then on, playing and watching Cat TV.
