opossummypossum:You made it, Starry! While I, as an avid opossum lover, am totally on board with &ld

opossummypossum:You made it, Starry!While I, as an avid opossum lover, am totally on board with “rebranding” the opossum I’m not so thrilled to see this particular account in the spotlights over and over again. @itsmesesame has over 100k followers on Instagram and Facebook and claims to be an ambassador for the species, previously with Sesame and now with Starfish (pictured here). So why am I not happy about this? To quote the NY Times article: “[the owner] who shares a vegan diet with Starfish and often uses the account to promote animal rights -” yes, you’re not reading that wrong. This omnivorous animal, which primarily lives off animal protein in the wild, is being forced onto a vegan diet. This is not an account that should be given a platform. This is not something that should be encouraged. If the owner of Starfish really did care about education and conservation, they would be feeding a species appropriate diet - which, as an added bonus, could be used to further educate people on opossums.Because what do opossums really eat? For the sake of staying as on-topic as possible, let’s stick to Starry’s species: the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). Like the others, this species is an opportunistic omnivore. Studies however have shown a preference towards animal matter. There is also a shift in diet when the animal gets older: young opossums seem to have a preference for invertebrates and plants, while older animals favour vertebrates and carrion (Fonseca and Robinson, 1990). This is likely because young animals have a more arboreal lifestyle as opposed to the adults which are more terrestrial. There have been studies towards the dietary habits of the Virginia opossum, such as these two which studied the stomach content of deceased animals. They found the following: Mammals 27% Leaf litter 11% Fruits, seed, bulbs, etc. 10% Gastropods 10% Garbage 9% Earthworms 9% Pet food 9% Grass, green leaves 8% Insects 3% Birds 3% Misc. animal tissue 1%(David D. Hopkins and Richard B. Forbes, 1980). Fruit 18.0% Amphibia 17.2% Mammals 14.2% Insects 13.4% Grasses 6.6% Worms 5.4% Reptiles 5.3% Birds 5.0% Carrion 4.8% Misc. or undetermined 6.7%(David L. McRuer and Kenneth D. Jones, 2009). Both these studies show the omnivorous nature of the Virginia opossum (I particularly love the 9% garbage in the first study), and both also show their preference for animal matter. There is little known about opossum nutrition because they haven’t been extensively studied, unlike some other animals such as cats and dogs. This means any changes to their natural diet are going to be even riskier, since it’s unknown how much this will affect them. If you like to play Russian roulette with your pets for the sake of your own vegan feelings, that’s your choice. And yes, it’s one I do not agree with: but once you become a “viral” ambassador for a species, it’s not just about you and your pet anymore. Suddenly there is the potential to influence thousands of people. And what if those people are taught something that has the potential to harm many animals? You can tell people how complex the natural diet of opossums really is but if you are feeding an inappropriate diet yourself, it’s not setting the right example.  Many people from the rehab world, including people with decades of experience, have voiced their concerns about this diet but their messages and comments simply get ignored. (It might not be a coincidence that the owner of Starfish does not seem to be in the online rehab communities, at least from what I’ve seen). But what about supplementation, you might ask? Opossums are prone to dietary diseases such as MBD (metabolic bone disease), obesity and dental disease. Feeding an omnivore can be difficult due to the complexity of their diet. Feeding an omnivore of which the nutritional requirements aren’t known is even more difficult.Here is a bit from @itsmesesame’s bio on their Facebook page: “While opossums are omnivores in the wild, Sesame is vegan (and lives in a vegan household!) — a plant-based diet is great for omnivores and best for his animal friends and the planet. His levels are carefully monitored and his diet specifically formulated for his needs!”I’m not even going to dive into the part about a vegan diet being “great for omnivores” or else this might turn into a 100 page long paper - they also say his levels are carefully monitored and his diet is specifically formulated. Imagine trying to make an animal thrive on a species inappropriate diet, while having to make up for the missing ingredients with other foods and supplements - all the while not really knowing what to actually supplement for, and in what amounts, and not really knowing what exact levels to monitor either.Is it really worth the risk just because the animal’s natural diet does not fit in with your vegan lifestyle? All the health concerns aside, there’s the ethical part of it as well: “vegan” is supposed to be as animal friendly as possible. I have been following a meatless diet since before many on this site were even born; yet all my animals get their species appropriate nutrition, including (raw) meats and (live) insects, because that’s what they require and because they do not have a choice. Forcing your own ideologies onto animals is needlessly cruel and unethical. In my opinion it’s the complete opposite of what vegan and vegetarian lifestyles stand for: wanting what’s best for the animals. If you cannot respect an animal’s natural needs and are unwilling to provide for them, they shouldn’t be in your care. When we keep pets or non-releasable wildlife we are the ones responsible for them. Please do not take this responsibility lightly. -- source link

More pics about