BEDDING

Hardwood chip bedding, such as aspen is the best. CareFresh Pet Bedding, Corn Cob or Pine bedding will also work as long as it is not dusty. The dust can cause upper respiratory problems. NEVER use cedar shavings, as cedar contains phenols, which can cause severe irritation to a Short-tailed Opossum.

ACCESSORIES

The Short-tailed Opossum like to have branches for climbing, such as arbutus and apple (not chemically sprayed). They also need a hamster wheel, a house and they love shredded paper or cotton batting for weaving their nest.

HANDLING

When you go to pick them up they will often “smile” at you, until they realize that it is you. The Short-tailed Opossums eye-sight is very poor, they rely on their nose for just about everything. Pick up a Short-tailed Opossum by either cupping your hands around them or scooping them up with your hand, if you need to you can pick them up by the base of their tail.
The Short-tailed Opossums sense of smell is very good, keep this in mind when you go to handle it. If you have just been eating, your hands smell like food. To a Short-tailed Opossums , your finger smells like the potato chip you ate 10 minutes ago, and it may try to eat your finger! Don't worry, it usually realizes that your finger isn't food. If you have anything on your hands that give off an offensive odour, you may not even notice it, but the Short-tailed Opossums will and it may bite in reaction to the smell. Always remember to wash your hand first. As they say "first impressions", well a Short-tailed Opossums first impression of you is your smell.

BUYING A SHORT-TAILED OPOSSUM

Whether you are buying a Short-tailed Opossums from a pet store or a breeder, you should ask questions, even if you know the answers from your own research. This will tell you how knowledgeable they really are. If they don't know what they are talking about, buyer beware! If they don't want to give you any information or want to help you, buyer beware!
Check out their facilities carefully. Look for overcrowding, dirty cages, unhealthy animals, smell the air. If the animals are overcrowded and/or the cages are dirty, be very cautious about buying a Short-tailed Opossums. There shouldn't be any sickly animals in sight, any good breeder/pet shop will have a "sick" room for any animals that aren't up to par. If the establishment/breeding facility has a very strong odour, be very careful, even if it looks clean, the smell is coming from somewhere. Any place, that has animals, will have a smell to it. The larger the facility, the stronger the odour. They just can't clean as fast as the animals do their business. But if the odour is overpowering, then there might be something else under the surface, use caution.
Check the health of the animal before you buy it and handle it. If they won't let you handle it before you buy it. They may be hiding something, WATCH OUT! Handling the Short-tailed Opossums tells you how tame it is and you have a chance to check its health. Look for discharge from its eyes and nose, sneezing, wet rear end and firmness of body. If it has any of these conditions or its body appears thin, don't buy it. Don't even consider another Short-tailed Opossums from the same cage as the other Short-tailed Opossums may also have the same problems. The Short-tailed Opossums you choose should be bright eyed and interested in what is going on without being too nervous. There eyes and nose should be clear, the rear end dry and the body firm to the touch.
If possible, check references. Referrals from other satisfied customers will tell you a lot about that breeder's/pet shop's quality of animals, their care and concern for the animals well-being, their "customer service" and how much information they are willing to share.

DIET

A diet consisting of a 50/50 mix of a high quality cat food and hedgehog food should be available at all times. In the evening offer them fruits and vegetables, such as (a few of the following): diced apples, cantaloupe, melons, mangos, corn, peas, beans or banana. A treat of yogurt or mealworms, 2-3 times a week is highly relished. Always keep a fresh supply of water with vitamins available.