Do Possums Come Through Doggie Doors? (Solved!)

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From time to time possums will come through doggie doors. Even though they won’t do this very often, it does tend to happen on occasion. They usually do this because they smell food or something else that’s desirable within the house.

Understand, though, a possum that feels trapped will likely become nervous, panicked and scared. This can present a danger to small dogs, cats and other pets. If the possum is old, sick or injured, then young children may also be in danger. But, this latter case is extremely rare and usually the possum is more scared than anyone else in the household.

Why Do Possums Come Through Doggie Doors?

There are a couple reasons why a possum might come through a doggie door. The main one would be because they smell food or something like that which is delicious to their senses. Another reason could be that they were attempting to escape a predator and the doggie door was the perfect hideaway.

Also, because possums don’t have the best eyesight, they may have wandered in on accident. They may not realize it’s not their home until your dog is in their face and barking.

What Happens If a Possum Comes Through a Doggie Door?

The moment a possum comes through a doggie door, you’ll know it by how your dog begins going nuts. This will immediately raise the tension level and it’s important that you get control of the situation before someone gets hurt. If you can open several exits for the possum as soon as you can, this will help tremendously.

While you should quell the dog’s barking, don’t remove him/her from the defensive. It’s likely the possum will want to get away as soon as possible. So, hold onto your dog and both of you direct the possum to whichever exit is most convenient.

If the possum is pregnant, she may already be incredibly defensive and moody. In the event that a pregnant possum starts lunging at your little dog, get your dog out of the room. But, if you have a bigger dog, this shouldn’t be a problem so long as you give the possum a way out.

What Should You Do When a Possum Comes Through a Doggie Door?

The most important thing you should do when a possum comes through a doggie door is to stay calm and to keep your dog calm. This will prevent the possum from panicking and doing damage to your home.

How Do You Get Control of the Situation When a Possum Comes Through a Doggie Door?

When the possum comes in, hold your dog, give the command to hold, whisper “watch it” or whatever it is you can do to get your dog to stay yet NOT attack the possum. It may be that the possum will find its way back out the way it came in. But that’s not always going to be a sure bet.

While getting control of the situation, make sure you contain the possum in the room where it came in. Close off the kitchen or garage and etc. Whatever you do, don’t allow the possum to make its way further into the house.

How Do You Guide a Possum Out after It Comes Through a Doggie Door?

Then find a way to open as many exits as you can to give the possum some options to leave. You can open doors as well as windows. But, for windows, make sure there’s a step or some sort of chair so the possum can get out.

You and the dog can gently, yet firmly, coerce the possum to any of the exits. If you know what food attracted the possum, you can use this as bait. Either create a trail from the possum to the exit or show the possum what’s in your hand and toss it out the door.

What Do You Do If the Possum Won’t Leave?

If the possum won’t leave of its own accord with a trail of food along with you and your dog, find something noisy like a vacuum cleaner or banging a broom on a garbage can lid. Sometimes, possums “play dead” to avert danger and threats. If this is the case, you can leave the room with your dog and wait for about 30 minutes.

As a last-ditch effort, because the possum refuses to leave, you will have to call your local animal control department. This means keeping watch over the possum and the area until help arrives. Make sure you monitor everything it does during the course of its stay.

How Do You Prevent Possums from Entering Through Doggie Doors?

Make sure you have some sort of lock on your doggie door. This will prevent not just possums but also stray cats, coyotes, skunks and other unwelcome visitors from coming in. You could also place a piece of wood, Plexiglas or metal in front of the door once your dog comes in for the night.

There’s also the option of investing in a dog door that has a sensor you either put on your dogs collar or comes as a collar itself. This will allow only your furry four legged friend to come in or out.

What Shouldn’t You Do When a Possum Enters Through a Doggie Door?

Do not abuse, touch, harm, grab, trap or physically interact with the possum in any way. Whatever you do, do NOT try to handle the animal. This will be especially true if the possum is pregnant, nervous, panicked and/or scared; they’ll feel inclined to bite you.

You can guide or give it a gentle push with a broom, but do not hit it with the broom. While there are some people out there who suggest putting on thick gloves and grabbing the possum, this really isn’t wise advice. Unless you have experience with possums, have employment with animal control or are a park ranger, you shouldn’t touch the possum at all.


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