Baby animals are cute, kittens included. Many humans fawn over these tiny and frail creatures. However, animals eat each other in the wild, regardless of how cute they are. Some predators will even eat baby animals like kittens. But how about possums? Do possums eat kittens? Cat lovers, possum owners, and nature enthusiasts may want to know. This article looks into it.

Possums do not eat kittens. Possums are timid, shy, and non-confrontational animals. Their diets include plant and animal matter, they can, but they won’t go out of their way to hunt and kill a kitten. They will only kill and eat a kitten if there is truly nothing else for them to eat.

Do possums eat kittens?

Wild vs domestic possum behavior: 

Possums raised by humans and possums raised in the wild can be very different animals.

Domesticated possums are quite tame and relaxed, they are not too desperate for food as they know that humans will feed them soon enough, these animals will likely not eat kittens.

Wild possums have more of a survival mentality, these animals may kill and eat kittens, that is, they will if they need to

You likely won’t see wild possums out and about because they sleep during the day. This article looks at where they go during the day

Are possums able to prey on kittens? 

If a possum does try to kill and eat a kitten, the process would not be difficult for them. Possums have 50 very sharp teeth consisting of four canines, 12 premolars, 18 incisors, and 16 molars. 

Kittens are small and defenseless animals, they have underdeveloped claws and teeth and they will not be able to defend themselves very well against a possum attack.  

If a possum decides to bite a kitten, this bite can be fatal or at least inflict quite a bit of damage to the baby animal.  The possum’s claws can cause some damage to the kitten’s body and subdue it quite quickly.

If a human is not around, and the possum really needs a meal, it will definitely kill and eat the kitten.

Will a possum eat a kitten?

Just because a possum can hunt and eat a kitten, doesn’t mean that they regularly do. There are few reported cases of possums ever attempting to, much less actually eating a kitten. 

Possums are more likely to scavenge and steal cat food or plant matter, these are much easier meals to find and eat. Plant matter and cat food will not resist being eaten and the possum will not have to worry about fighting off an adult cat in order to eat cat food or plant matter.

Overall, possums are non-aggressive creatures that technically can, but likely won’t eat a kitten.  

Do possums eat cats?

The only defenses that kittens have against possums are their adult parents, a mother or a father cat.

Theoretically, possums are able to kill house cats but this does not happen very often. Because cats are much larger than possums, possums see cats as predators, this is why possums will usually stay away from cats. 

The only time the two may get into a confrontation is if the possum feels threatened. It will try to defend itself but it will not try to kill and eat the cat

While possums are not quick to fight, they’ll bare their teeth to intimidate a cat, but, they will usually just run away. 

This article is a more thorough look into possums eating cats

Are possums aggressive carnivores?

Playing possum is a well-known phrase for acting dead when you’re really not. It’s a tactic that possums use to escape or deter predators. These animals are docile and prefer not to engage in a fight, they are not aggressive at all and will rather “play possum” than get aggressive

Possums are not carnivores, they are omnivores, (they eat both plant and animal matter). Their food choices are often based on their environment, they will eat whatever they can find.

A wild possum’s diet consists of fruits, berries, nuts, insects, frogs, rats, snakes, and even birds. In urban areas, possums are known to invade homes and ravage trash in search of food. 

They satisfy their hunger with whatever food they can find. These animals have superior immune and digestive systems. This makes them immune to snake venoms, many parasites, and even rabies, because of this, their diets can be highly versatile.  

Do possums eat dead cats?

If a possum stumbles upon a dead cat then it may eat it. Because these animals are opportunistic feeders they will eat almost anything, they prefer to eat foods that will not put up a fight when being eaten.

Dead animals are a good source of protein as well as being a filling and hearty meal for possums. If a possum were to find a dead animal, it would likely eat it 

What animals can harm your baby kitten?

Possums are not a major threat to your kittens, in fact, many people agree that they are not a threat at all.

If you’re worried about your kitten you should be aware of other predators that frequently prey on and harm unattended kittens. These include:

 

Birds of prey:

Birds of prey eat meat, they are also highly dangerous to your baby kitten.

Birds such as hawks, owls, and eagles don’t discriminate between small animals, they will eat whatever they can catch. They will not be swayed by a kitten’s cute appearance, their claws and sharp teeth will dig into the kitten regardless of how adorable it is.

These birds consider the vulnerability of the animal and its size before deciding to swoop in for the kill, small and fragile kittens are very vulnerable to these birds.

Because of this, it’s always best to supervise your pets and keep them inside while they are still very young.

Foxes:

Foxes are opportunistic omnivores, that can and will pounce on smaller vulnerable animals if they’re looking for a meal. They have ravenous appetites and need to eat often.

Foxes won’t think twice about pouncing on, harming, and eating vulnerable kittens. If foxes frequent your area, it’s best to keep baby kittens inside or kept supervised as often as possible.

Dogs:

While arguably man’s best friend, dogs can be very territorial and can be harsh playmates. Even the friendliest of dogs stake out their territory and are not always open to other creatures trespassing.

These animals can throw a fit and windup hurting other pets in the process. Even while playing, their teeth and paws can hurt and harm frail kittens.

What do possums eat?

Possums are both omnivores and opportunistic feeders. Their diets are versatile and they are immune to many venoms, parasites, and diseases; thus, possums enjoy a wide range of foods.

A possums diet can include rats, mice, your garden variety rodents, insects as small as ticks, fleas, black widow spiders, and even scorpions. They even eat venomous snakes as they are immune to venoms and most poisons.

In addition, they will dine on fish, crayfish, slugs, and worms too. They may raid home gardens and farms while on the hunt for chickens, corn, cabbage, lettuce, cherries, berries, and other fruits.

In desperation, they’ll hop in your bin to seek out scraps of food.

Here are some articles looking at if possums eat squirrels, and birds. Click the links to find out more.

You likely won’t see possums out and about because they sleep during the day. This article looks at where they go during the day

Conclusion

While possums have the ability to eat kittens that have been left unsupervised and vulnerable, they generally won’t.

There have been very few cases of possums ever attacking kittens causing many to believe that they would never do so. It is true that they have the capability to do this, but they will rather find and eat other foods 

Their diets include smaller creatures and fruits. If you want to keep your kittens safe you should protect them from other animals like birds of prey, foxes, and even dogs.

Possums are non-aggressors and would rather target pet food and plant matter than target and eat kittens 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other possum related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: What Do Possums Eat In The Garden? 11 Plants Possums Eat, Do Possums Eat Mice, Benefits, And Why They Prefer Not To, Do Possums Eat Carrots? Benefits,3 Reasons Why They’re Loved, Is there a rat or possum in your roof?, What Do Baby Possums Drink?, Baby brushtail possum care, what to do, How To Feed A Baby Possum, Precations, What To Do, And How , Do Possums Eat Bananas?, Can Possums Eat Cat Food?, Where Do Possums Nest?