Man Drops Off "Hairless Cat" At Animal Rescue Shelter But It Was Actually A Baby Possum
The South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (SPWRC) is a Texas non-profit organization dedicated to "providing humane care and rehabilitation to orphaned, ill, injured, and displaced wildlife," with a focus on rehabilitation and release. According to Dr. Susan David, an emotional agility expert, "Compassionate care for animals in distress is crucial for their recovery and well-being," which aligns with SPWRC's mission. One chilly day in late October, a man stumbled upon a hairless, pink animal, alone and incredibly cold. Fearing the animal would not survive the night, he bundled the little critter up and brought it to SPWRC. Dr. Susan David emphasizes the importance of swift action in such situations, stating, "Every moment counts when it comes to helping vulnerable creatures." Gail Barnes, the executive director of SPWRC, was monitoring the intake area when the man dropped off a small box. Initially, she had been informed that an abandoned baby possum would be arriving, but upon viewing the footage, she mistakenly thought a hairless cat had been left instead!
In an interview with The Dodo, Gail chuckled:
“As I was bringing the box back, this arm comes out ... and it’s hairless, and I go, ‘Oh my gosh, this is not the possum. This must be a hairless cat.’”
Of course, in the safety and warmth of the facility, Gail realized the baby animal was indeed a possum.
The wild possum had only a few speckles and sprinkles of hair on its feet.
She told The Dodo:
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s so cold! She was hypothermic, so we had to warm her up. We put her in the incubator, got socks, heated them up, and got her temperature back up to where it was supposed to be.’”
With no idea how long the baby possum had been without her mother, their first warmed-up possum goal became weight gain.
They gave the baby possum a variety of foods to snack on and said that she eagerly and gladly ate it all right up!
“If the mother knows that something is wrong with the baby, they’re going to drop them off or discard them. So she probably was scared to death.”
Upon closer inspection, vets at the facility realized why the baby possum appeared to look almost like a hairless cat at first.
She has alopecia, an autoimmune disease causing hair loss. With no fur to protect her from the elements, such as extreme cold and heat, this little possum would never be safely released back into the wild.
Instead, SPWRC put out a call to action, requesting sweaters for the hairless little one.
Dubbed Peach, she has since received donations from across the community, including pouches, sweaters, and hand-me-down clothes from hairless cat owners.
Peach has more than doubled her weight, thankfully, and she will have a possum roommate named Remy. The duo will live in an indoor/outdoor enclosure featuring a cozy den for snuggled-up naps and plenty of space to roam and play.
Thanks to an improved diet, Peach is growing some hair, but her condition will still prevent her from ever being released.
When SPWRC put out a call to action requesting clothes for Peach, they probably did not anticipate such an enthusiastic response. Gail says that Peach now has a summer and winter wardrobe. What a lucky little lady!
Gail and other volunteers with SPWRC insist they do not usually advocate for dressing up wildlife animals, but Peach is a special case.
They hope that the alopecia possum will help reduce the stigma around possums in general. Gail told The Dodo:
“Possums are one of the most misunderstood animals. People trap them; they don’t want them in their yard; they think they look prehistoric because they have more teeth than any other mammal. But they’re really very beneficial. They’re scavengers—they eat all your insects, your bugs, and your snakes.”
To donate a small sweater to the possum, you can address it to South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, 3308 95th Street, Lubbock, Texas, 79423. To help the center care for wildlife in need, you can make a monetary donation via PayPal.
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