My back deck is not attached to my house, the deck is also 3 feet off the ground, there is a 3 inch opening between the house and the deck railing, last year 6am, Cody goes out with me behind him, something to the left caught my eye, and Cody's, it was a young possum trying to squeeze through that 3 inch opening, all 3 of us froze looking at each other, then I jumped to grab Cody before he would realize it was a critter and lunge to attack, the possum took off. All day I pictured that cute little possum with it's white striped head, I couldn't get the vision of his frozen shocked little face out of my head. That night I went to throw out the trash, sitting on top of the trash pail cover was the little cute little possum, here is what it's reaction was to me scaring him
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i..._tUeEgLE2jKfaC those teeth were long and sharp, my entire attitude changed at that moment, not such a little cute young possum. Had I let Cody out 2 or 3 minutes later this is what he and I would have met. Cody would have lunged for it and he would have been shredded by those teeth. The next day I had a carpenter over to fill that 3 inch gap, but every night before either one of us go out I look through the back door window to make sure no critter is on the deck.