We have read Possum Magic by Mem Fox many many times but at the moment it is taking on a little bit more meaning.
We have a resident possum and her baby living in our cubby house. Even though this may sound cute, the reasons they are there are heartbreaking.
– The mother has huge gashes on her body either from a fellow possum fighting for a tree or from a cat – and there are way too many cats who roam our neighbourhood at night.
– They have not been able to find a new tree due to the many trees that have been cut down in our area due to recent development.
– Our chickens are not very welcoming pets and they did not like the possum and her baby living in their coop.
We tried to build a possum box but she just didn’t move to it. We placed it at the right height, put fruit, old fur and poo in it but she just found the pretend oven in the cubby house more inviting.
We hope that her mother has some invisibility tips for young hush as I am just not sure how well they will go with so many cats around.
Australia – we need to take more ownership of these so called pets. If you have a cat please lock it up at night, place a bell and collar around it’s neck (even if it is chipped) and provide stimulation for it at home. Check out the PETA website – they are against cruelty to animals and even they suggest keeping your cat indoors – that says a lot to me.
I’m drafting up several letters to send to councillors and I am going to be pushing this issue. If they can rid the national park near us of foxes, surely they can bring in tougher laws for cats.
Think about Hush.
