Brushtail Phalangers 101

Home Sweet Home

Brushtail possums are solitary animals by nature. In most cases, they should be housed alone. We recommend a pen no smaller than 8' wide x 6' deep x 6' tall. This is an absolute minimum and would be acceptable only for an animal receiving lots of daily out-of-cage time. Brushtail phalangers are arboreal animals, so your pet's home should have a variety of branches, platforms and other climbing surfaces. A cozy nesting box is also necessary. This should be elevated.

In most areas of the United States, brushtail phalangers can be housed outdoors year-round. However, if your pal has been living indoors, be sure to provide ample opportunity to become acclimated before significant changes in weather. In most areas, we'd also recommend an insulated nest box. A small Dogloo works well. In some areas, on especially cold nights, you may need to provide supplemental heat.

When selecting a site for an outdoor enclosure, choose a sheltered area with good wind and visual blocks. Also, be sure the enclosure is absolutely safe from dogs, cats, and wildlife.

Feedin' Time

Most breeders we've spoken with recommend a diet of fruit, vegetables, grains, and animal proteins. However, brushtail possums are herbivores. As such, this feeding program doesn't accurately replicate their natural diet. Like any long term nutritional imbalance, such a feeding program could lead to health problems.

With this in mind, we feed and recommend a wide variety of leafy greens, fruits, vegetables and grains. Favorites seem to include bok choy, kale, collard greens, grapes, melons, kiwi, bananas, apples, and oranges. However, we feel variety is extremely important. As such, we're always offering new or different choices - including bamboo shoots, dandelion greens, sugar-free cereals, whole grain breads, hays, assorted vegetables, and other appropriate selections.

A high fiber diet is absolutely essential. As such, leafy greens and similar foods should constitute the majority of a brushtail's diet. We also recommend providing a variety of free-choice browse items such as bamboo shoots, safe branches and other items. Try offering these foods in a manner that replicates natural behavior, such as tied to a climbing perch.

In addition, we offer our brushtails Gliderade twice each week, in a ratio of one tablespoon powder to five tablespoons water. To this, we sometimes add a small amount of honey. Be sure fresh water is available at all times. Filtered or bottled water would be best. Most brushtails won't use a water bottle, so an untippable bowl is recommended.

Brushtail phalangers are browsers and spend most of their waking time eating or digesting their high fiber diet. With this in mind, we feed at least three times a day, with the majority of their food being offered late at night, when they're most active. Rather than using food dishes, we scatter most of the food throughout the pen.

For more on this topic, visit No Bored Pets.

Play Time

When kept as a pet, some of the primary activities of any animal - such as finding food - are eliminated. Without such activities, your pet can easily become bored. To help prevent this when in their cage, be sure to provide your brushtail an interesting environment.

In addition to branches and other climbing surfaces, some brushtail phalangers enjoy a variety of toys designed for dogs, cats or birds. We've also found that soda bottles, paper towel rolls and similar items can be endless sources of amusement. We encourage you to experiment with different things, but be sure anything you provide is safe.

Even an extremely large cage will not provide the same exercise potential as regular out-of-cage time. Brushtail phalangers are curious animals by nature and can be quite active! A different environment will encourage them to explore, leap, hop, jump and exercise in a way they would not when in the familiar surroundings of their cage.

That said, remember that brushtails are fairly sedentary animals. As such, don't expect your pet to be as active as most other animals.

For more on this topic, visit No Bored Pets.

A Healthy Possum Is A Happy Possum

When provided an appropriate environment and diet, captive-born brushtail phalangers are hardy animals with no common health concerns. However, we recommend an annual veterinarian visit for your pet, during which a basic physical exam is conducted.

Not only will these annual exams alert you to any concerns which may be developing, they can also be an important source of information on the care of your pets and provide a "baseline" of comparison if a problem was to develop in the future.

In New Zealand, brushtails are known vectors for Bovine Tuberculosis. For this reason, importation of brushtails from New Zealand to the US is illegal. There have been no known cases of Bovine TB in brushtails born in North America.