A woman was in for a surprise after finding a possum had made its den within her stove.
Jackie Felix, 28, was taking it easy in her Union City, California, flat when she sniffed something off from her kitchen. She first assume the revolting stench originated from the bin and moved it outside.
But with the foul smell yet to leave, Jackie realised something wasn’t right. And after shifting her cooker away from the wall, she stumbled upon an enormous heap of excrement on the floor.
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(Image: Jackie Felix / SWNS)
A closer inspection of the stove’s back revealed the surprising possum tenant, recognised by its little pink snout. It still remains unknown precisely how long the marsupial had claimed the stove as its home. However, Jackie believes it camped there for at least a few days.
Jackie, who works for New Mexico’s health department, said: “I have no idea how long the possum was in there. Based off the poo it would have been at least a week.
“I’m not sure how it survived but it seemed pretty healthy once we got a chance to look at it.”
(Image: Jackie Felix / SWNS)
The rodent was finally evicted from the premises after a two-hour effort by Jackie and her flatmates. Jackie narrated the ordeal: “We took off the stove’s top and had to push as hard as we could.
“My roommates then continued to push the stove top up whilst I waited with gloves on to catch the possum once it got out.”
Unfortunately, the critter managed to slip from her. “But when it raced out it just jumped right through my hands and ran behind the washing machine,” she added.
(Image: Jackie Felix / SWNS)
Jackie and her two housemates managed to coax the possum out with food, capturing it in a glass jar before setting it free outdoors. Looking back, Jackie admits there were signs leading up to the possum’s discovery.
She revealed: “The oven makes a ringing sound whenever it gets hit, which we heard a few times earlier in the week. I live in a house with six cats and currently two foster kittens so I always just assumed it was the cats making the noise.
“The smell was what really made me think something was wrong. At first I thought someone has spilt some oil but as I pulled the stove back, I just saw more and more poop.
(Image: Jackie Felix / SWNS)
“I knew immediately that there must be something like a possum living in the stove.”
While Jackie didn’t witness the possum entering the house or the stove, she’s certain the creature gained access through their back door cat flap. She explained: “We didn’t get it on camera or anything but that must have been the way it got in.
“I now make sure that cat flap is locked at all times. It means my cats have to be let in and out manually but it’s worth it to not have that happen again.
“I have obviously done a deep, deep clean of the stove with the gas turned off since and I couldn’t find any poop inside the actual appliance.”
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