'I almost had [a] stroke': Baby opossum sneaks through doggie door into child's upstairs bedroom

A family's doggie door possibly let in one extra adorable visitor more than expected in a Redditor's household. 

Posting to the r/Opossums subreddit, a homeowner revealed a baby opossum made its way upstairs into a child's bedroom, and they were pretty sure of how it got there.

What happened?

A Reddit user shared a photo gallery after the small marsupial turned up inside the home. 

The first photo shows the poster handling the diminutive opossum with gloves outside in front of the car. In the second, it's seen in its element hanging out in a tree. The poster recounted the saga in entertaining fashion.

"My son found this sweet little baby..IN OUR HOUSE, UPSTAIRS, in his BEDROOM just hanging out!" she wrote.

Even with how small and cute it was, the discovery was clearly alarming.

"I almost had [a] stroke attack!!!" the OP wrote.

The poster said she nicknamed the baby "Tammy Lynn" because it resembled her mother. She concluded by adding that experiences like this are why she regretted having a doggie door.

Why does it matter?

A pet door may be convenient for dogs, but it can also serve as an open invitation for curious animals looking for shelter, food, or a safe place to hide. 

The opossum's bedroom adventure also reflected the ways homes are built and how they overlap with nearby animal habitat.

Opossums are generally shy and are often more helpful than harmful, acting as scavengers and playing an important role in local ecosystems.

Securing entry points, keeping pet food inside, and being careful about handling wild baby animals unless a licensed wildlife rehabilitator advises you to do so can help prevent situations like this.

What are people saying?

The Reddit post sparked a number of reactions among commenters. One had a theory that the doggy door wasn't in fact at fault.

"She may have actually hitchhiked in on your dog," they speculated. "When they're that young they'll latch onto anything furry that's bigger than them."

Many readers appeared to find the tiny intruder more adorable than threatening, and wanted to make sure the animal was big enough to make it on the outside. The consensus leaned in that direction.

"We found a small one (though not this small!) in our pantry one time," another user shared. "We don't even have a doggie door, so I have no idea how it got in! My husband was absolutely delighted."

"I might have a hard time letting go if this happened to me!" a Redditor wrote. "Obviously I know that's not feasible or practical, baby deserves to live their natural life."

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