# new short-tailed opossum



## SincerelySasquatch (Feb 4, 2014)

Hey guys! I don't actually have a hedgehog, I found a thread from this forum on a search for short-tailed opossums. I recently bought one and am wondering if any of you have experience with them?
I used to keep rats and missed them, and I wanted another but my boyfriend really is unnerved by them, so when I saw the STOs at the pet store and asked about them I bought one. I have a little female named Peggy, I think she is a young adult but I don't know her exact age. The pet store has had them in a month or two and the associate said they have grown a bit since coming in. I am keeping her in a wire cage, she has an exercise wheel she hasn't started using yet and I put a sock in with her that she loves sleeping in. She has never hissed at me but isn't tame either, unless I am cupping her against me in my hands she tries to run away. From my reading though even adults will tame up with time. So far I have fed her crickets and a hedgehog food the associate suggested, it is what they were feeding her in the store. It is called ultra-blends select hedgehog diet. I have read that high-quality cat food is better than any hedgehog food, but that the hedgehog food I have is one of the better ones. What cat food do they like? Probably whatever cat food hedgehogs like since they are both insectivores. I am going to boil her an egg soon and maybe try some fruits and veggies.

Today she let me pet her while she was cupped against my chest while I was on the couch, she seemed to like it. I have a 2 month old son so my days are pretty busy but I plan on spending time bonding with her every day when he is napping or down for the night.



I've read about all there is offered on them online and am looking to connect to other sto fans and get some tips. How long does it usually take an adult sto to tame? What kind of foods did yours like? What are their favorite fruits and veggies?


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

From this couple-years-old thread, it looks like you might be able to find a STO-centric forum on yahoo that might be more useful for having a higher concentration of owners.

Here's a more recent thread discussing them; if you don't hear from any current owners on this thread, try direct-messaging some of the ones who commented on that one.

I wonder if any of the ideas about hedgehog-wheels could help you. Because our little guys aren't very dexterous, we use solid-surface wheels. For the ones who have never had them before, sometimes it takes some "training" by putting them in the wheel, gently blocking them in, and turning the wheel slowly for a few steps. Repeat every night for a few weeks until they get the idea to start running on their own.

We've also found that habit and regular patterns can help with bonding (make a routine of talking to them, letting them sniff you, and getting them out at the same time). If STOs have an amazing sense of smell, try to always smell the same (unscented soaps, unscented detergents) and wash your hands before handling to get rid of any food/work/life smells.


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

I have a STO. She was already quite tame when I got her, really curious and she jumps right onto your hand when you hold it out for her. But when I have her out she's really active and running all over me, from what I've heard from others that's pretty normal.

Mine doesn't like dry cat food so I offer wet cat food sometimes. But I usually give her raw meat (I have frozen meat meant for cats), adult and pinky mice, eggs, fruit and vegetables (she loves broccoli) and lots of insects. Meal worms, beetles, crickets, roaches, grasshoppers and so on. She loves to catch them in her cage.


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## SincerelySasquatch (Feb 4, 2014)

Thanks Annie, I'll check it out.

Draenog, where do you get frozen meat for cats? I gave her some turkey and an egg today, she didn't touch the egg and ate a little bit of the turkey.


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

I buy it at the pet store. It comes in a sausage shape but it's muscle meat, organ meat and bones. My hedgehog loves it as well.  I currently have the rabbit one but you have them with chicken, beef, turkey and combinations of the above.


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