Just read killiecrankie's thread. On 9-5 I had a similar experience. My Scottish Terrier (Sparky) brought me a gift and left it in the middle of my bed at 11:30 at night while I was in the shower before going to bed, so I know what her feelings were. I walked out of the bathroom and saw this lump in the middle of my bed. A 'possum. It looked to be dead.I proceeded to get a gallon can to put it in and at first put a cover on it...then for some reason took off the cover and set it outside. Sure enough, the next morning the 'possum was gone...it was playing possum to stay alive. But, I stripped my bed and washed everything and vacuumed like the dickens to make sure the critter didn't leave any parasites. Just what I needed at midnight...Sparky's 3rd birthday and the gift was for me. That was the second one he caught in our backyard since June. The other one also disappeared the next day. I read somewhere they were good for the environment so I am glad they weren't harmed. I'll take a 'possum over a rat any day.

by teddybear117 26 Sep 2013

It was a youngster...the body perhaps 9-12 inches long not including the tail. it was the second one. I understand they have a litter of sometimes 12. I hope any others stay away. One person here is trapping them, then releasing them elsewhere. Had I known I would have found a way to put him in something to give to him but I learned after the fact. But not too late should there be anymore.
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by teddybear117 26 Sep 2013

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opos... They get as large as a large housecat but can be smaller. I read what they eat and I guess I know why they were here. Fruit is a favorite food. Our neighbor peach tree ripened late this year and being it is behind our shed I didn't see it til late Aug to early Sept. It was loaded with fruit on our side and a few had dropped on the ground but I saw gnaw marks on some in the tree that weren't birds. We put down heavy plastic on the ground to make is so there were no weeds to battle and the mess was easy to clean up.. Makes me wonder if that is where most of the lizards went..won't bother me a bit if those 13 inch things are gone. yuk!

by teddybear117 edited 22 Sep 2013

You have to own a Scottie to know how proud. They are rodent dogs and he looked and looked for that thing for days. When he got the first 'possum I was out in the yard with him...he started to lift his leg to do his business and he heard something in a bush, a second later came out prancing with the 'possum in his mouth. He looked so hurt when I took it away.

by killiecrankie 23 Sep 2013

We have had 3 Scotties & 3 Westies & they were all good rodent hunters.Bessie a Scottie hated blue tongue lizards ,she would let out a special bark when she had one cornered (these lizards don't run but stand their ground) but by the time I got to her the poor thing needed to go to the vet.

by teddybear117 edited 22 Sep 2013

I don't know if putting a mouse on the table is any better then the bed....how do you 'cringe' in computer talk. This is the second bed gift I have received. I had a cat leave a dead bird several years ago. Naturally, I love bunnies and chipmunks ...

by teddybear117 edited 22 Sep 2013

His giving never seems to stop and we still look for those 'possums even at 3:00am. I feel like a shepard because I have resorted to carrying a 5 foot pvc pipe to guide him into the house when he is on the prowl.

by killiecrankie 23 Sep 2013

Black Scotties are often hard to find in the dark.

by teddybear117 25 Sep 2013

Killiecrankie, Sparky is a wheaten (almost white) I can see him but unlike most dogs he has a stubborn streak that I have never seen in a Scottie before. And without a pole to guide him he would just stay out and do his own thing. If I go in and let him stay out and crawl into bed I end up with 4 paws on my chest and a look of 'where in the dickens did you go'.