My House had started stinking. It smelled just like when I had a Water leak dripping down on the dirt under my House. My House does not sit on a Concrete slab and you can crawl under it.


So I went under. Found no leak but found a Dead Animal which from my view looked like a Cat but was too far to reach easily.


If you ever wondered where Gophers put the dirt from their tunneling in my case the piled it under my House raising the level of the dirt under the house and restricting the crawl area right where I needed to go.


So got out of there and tried to think of ways to get the Animal out. But, figured I just out to tough it out and go under and get it.


I decided to get it over with and brought a shovel and plastic bag. I got but not close enough to grab it and got wedged in and panicked. First time I ever had a mini panic attack.
Got my self out of there.


I cut out one of the vents on the House and with a Hoe and a 4 foot tube to make the Hoe longer was able to get what turned out to be a stinking dead Opossum. See pic. I spared showing you the side with the worms and maggots.

So then I started thinking what killed it?

I have 3 Cats and they all appear to stay away from Opossums or the sometimes large Raccoons that come around to drink Water or steal Cat Food.
A couple of Months ago I started feeding a large Male alley Cat. He is energetic and aggressive. On time I got in on the tail and of where I believe he chased a Raccoon. I listened to the typical cat fight yowling but when I came out the Raccoon was leaving the scene.

Since the Cats seem to stay away from the Opossums I was thinking the Raccoon killed the Opossum. When I first searched the internet I read stories of them all getting along with each other. But, then I found a bunch of youtube vids that say otherwise.

This one starts of with a Dog but ends with Cat verses Raccoon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ-aee3p9go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_obA_LfPHho
This cat does not like Opossums or Raccoons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdsEDiDOMAg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZMunpgOtI


Opossum fights Raccoon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjChbYf2y5E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR6ejI7foms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYaycAfI3aE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KiZST8DGGw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR6ejI7foms


Raccoon bites man:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl8CpkxyBmM


This video remined me of something one of the nights before the house started smelling from the dead Opossum there was a Skunk smell. Maybe a Skunk killed the Opossum. Although I have never seen a Skunk like I have seen the Opossums and the Raccoons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTuLb5bRVTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTuLb5bRVTg

Note that Raccoons are usually larger then Cats or Opossums.

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