Animal shelter takes in 15 baby possums following attacks by cats and dogs

AN ANIMAL shelter south of Adelaide has been inundated with injured baby possums following a spate of dog and cat attacks.

Bev Langley of Minton Farm animal sanctuary has had 14 rescued possums in the last week - most have been attacked by cats. Picture: AAP / Dean Martin

AN ANIMAL shelter south of Adelaide has been inundated with injured baby possums following a spate of dog and cat attacks.

The Minton Farm Native Animal Rescue Centre, at Cherry Gardens, has taken in 15 tiny ringtail possums, weighing between 45g and 120g, over the past two weeks after they were mauled by cats and a dog.

“There’s so many (baby possums) out and about and people let their cats out more because the weather is nice,” the centre’s owner Bev Langley said.

Sadly, the first possum to arrive at the centre was too badly injured and died last week.

“(It) had puncture holes through its chest and thigh where the tooth had punctured into the actual muscle,” Ms Langley said.

Others suffered what appeared to be pinprick punctures during attacks but even seemingly minor injuries could be fatal for possums, Ms Langley said.

The injured possums are recovering and will go on to live at animal shelters or wildlife parks. Picture: AAP / Dean Martin

“There’s lots of bacteria on (cats’ teeth and claws), which gets into the blood stream very quickly with just a pin prick,” she said.

“People think that the cat hasn’t hurt it but it need antibiotics... within five hours or it dies of a bacterial infection.”

It is for this reason Ms Langley advises people take swift action if they come across an injured possum.

“(They need to) get it to a vet or here or fauna rescue to assess it,” she said.

Ms Langley also urged people to keep pet cats inside, day and night, to protect native animals.

Luckily for the remaining 14 possums, they are recovering well.

“They’ve all come good – They’re all flourishing,” Ms Langley said.

“They’re all in humidicribs and they have little bits of fruit and native vegetation and they all hang around together – They’re very sociable.”

The possums will be hand-raised and will go on to live at animal shelters across Adelaide.

“We’ll get carers to take them on – Cleland (Wildlife Park) just took four (on Tuesday) and they’re going to raise them,” she said.