Finding surprises under the Christmas tree is always exciting, but one woman had a shock beyond her imagination. TikTok user @brettbratt359 recently went viral after an unexpected holiday guest made itself comfortable in her tree. What started with a sneeze turned into a bewildering encounter with a possum nestled among her holiday ornaments.

Upon hearing the sneeze, the woman initially thought it was one of her pets. However, when she investigated further, she noticed a “big, long-looking rat tail” peeking out from her Christmas tree. To her astonishment, she found a possum making itself at home.

“I was in shock. I didn’t know what it was,” she exclaimed in a video. The possum had somehow found its way into her house and decided to take up residence in her tree. Brett was completely taken aback and unsure of what to do. She shared her dilemma, saying, “I have no idea how this possum got in my house and up into my tree, and I’m trying to get it out, but it will not let me. I just don’t know what to do.”

In a follow-up video, the woman explained that animal control couldn’t come after hours, so she had to take matters into her own hands. After attempting to lure the possum out with food, she bravely decided to reach in and grab it, wearing protective gloves in case it became aggressive. Thankfully, the possum was not aggressive but proved to be stubborn. Brett had to gently detach its fingers from the branch, causing a small fall from the tree.

But the ordeal was far from over. Once on the ground, the possum quickly scurried under her couch, prompting a chase around the house. With determination, Brett summoned all her strength to move the couch and tackled the possum like an NFL football player. After catching it, she managed to calm the possum before releasing it outside. She did mention, though, that the possum had a strong odor, which discouraged her from keeping it as a pet.

As an animal lover with several pets of her own, Brett joked that she probably would have considered keeping the possum if it didn’t emit such an unpleasant smell. She still couldn’t figure out how the possum got in, speculating that it may have slipped inside while she was busy with her pet dogs.

This extraordinary story is definitely a surprise! We are relieved to see that this woman safely handled the situation and released her unexpected possum guest back into the wild. We hope the possum is doing well and has found a real, outdoor tree to call its own.

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