Well, that definitely wasn’t a cat. So Eric Hertlein’s grandma, a Kansas resident with a heart as big as her porch, is known for her tender care of stray cats. She’s got beds, she’s got food, and heck, she’s even got an open invitation into her home for these feline wanderers. But little did she know, she was extending her hospitality to a sneaky animal in disguise!
When Eric popped over for a visit like he usually did, he expected the usual scene: a warm welcome from Grandma and a cozy congregation of cats lounging about. What he didn’t expect to find snuggled among them was a furry interloper of the marsupial variety – an opossum, to be exact.
Eric Hertlein and his grandma, the rescuer of kittens and possums.
Grandma, blissfully unaware of the possum’s true nature, introduced Eric to her newest “cat” named Tete. Cue Eric’s internal sitcom theme music and concern that someone could get bitten. After a moment of stunned silence, Eric attempted to break the news gently to his dear grandma. “She reassured me it was one of her cats,” Eric said.
I told her it wasn’t what she thought it was.”
At first, he said, he couldn’t stop laughing to even tell her what the problem was. “I laughed for a good five minutes,” Eric said. “She didn’t realize what I was laughing about until I started pointing out the pointy nose and skinny tail. She didn’t realize he wasn’t a cat.”
Let’s see. From left, 1 cat, not a cat (a possum), and another cat.
But Grandma, ever the optimist, took the revelation in stride. Initially bewildered, she eventually inspected Tete closer, her confusion melting into a wide grin. “Well, he hasn’t bothered me yet, so I’m OK with him being here!” she declared, quite ready to take care of the possum like the stray cats.
It’s what she always does, he said. She takes in those that need a bit more love. “She loves animals and taking care of them whenever she can,” Eric said. “It kind of just motivates you to do better and treat other beings better too.”
As for Tete’s origin story, it’s shrouded in mystery. Was he orphaned? Did he stumble upon Grandma’s porch in search of a warm meal and a soft bed, only to find himself amidst a clan of cats? We may never know, but one thing’s for sure: Tete’s got a knack for blending in, even if his pointy nose gives him away to the more curious visitors.
Check out the video compilation below of opossums making people love them even more!
Source: The Dodo