The holiday season is a time for surprises, but one woman got more than she bargained for when she discovered a surprise nestled among the baubles and tinsel of her Christmas tree.

This unexpected guest turned her festive season into a wild adventure, and her story has since become popular, captivating millions around the world.

Brett, who lives in California, shared her unusual holiday tale in a series of videos that have since racked up over 4.2 million views.

The saga began when Brett noticed an extra 'decoration' on her faux snow Christmas tree.

A woman discovered a possum in her Christmas tree. Image source: TikTok/@brettbratt359.

'I am literally freaking out right now,' she said in her video.

'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, and I just don't know what to do.'

The possum, seemingly unfazed by its surroundings, sat calmly deep within the tree, peering out at its bewildered host.

Brett's followers were quick to express their shock and amusement in the comments.

'That's crazy,' one user wrote, while another joked, 'Santa gave you an early present.'

Another commented: 'I’d pack my suitcase and just let him have the tree and the house.'

'No way I could be this chill with something in my tree!' a fourth said.

'New fear unlocked!' a fifth replied.

The story took an even more bizarre turn when Brett revealed how she discovered her uninvited guest.

'I heard a sneeze. I looked over, and I have three dogs and a cat, so I figured one of them was there, but they weren't there,' she explained.

'So I thought maybe I’m crazy and kept working.'

'Then I heard it again but a little louder and some other noises and I got up and I started looking to see if my cat was stuck behind the couch or something or sleeping in the window.'

'But as I was looking around, I [saw] this really big, long-looking rat tail, and I just kind of [stopped] because I was in shock. I didn’t know what it was.'

The woman did not expect to see a 'giant breathing ball of fur' nestled in her tree.

The process of removing the possum proved to be a challenge.

Brett donned rubber gloves and attempted to extract the animal, but the possum clung to the tree with its small hands, refusing to let go.

'I get the gloves, and I grab around his body, and I start trying to pull him out of the tree.'

'Well, they have hands, and he was holding on for dear life to this Christmas tree, and no matter how hard I [tried] to pull him, he wasn’t coming off.'

You can watch Brett’s full video below:

Video source: TikTok/@brettbratt359.​

The ordeal lasted about 10 minutes, with the possum darting under the couch several times before Brett was finally able to capture it.

'I moved the couch with all my force and just went for it and tackled him like a football player and got him and calmed him down.'

Despite the initial shock and the struggle to remove the possum, Brett showed a great deal of compassion for her unexpected guest.

She attempted to contact Animal Control, but according to Brett, 'they didn’t come after hours, it’s a small town'.

Undeterred, she took matters into her own hands and released the possum outside herself.

'As an animal lover with three dogs, two snakes, a bearded dragon, and a cat, I probably would have kept it if it didn’t smell so horrid,' she joked.

Brett shared she will be buying a possum ornament to commemorate the unusual encounter.

Key Takeaways

• A woman from California found a live possum hiding in her Christmas tree.
• She posted a video on social media revealing her unusual find, which quickly became popular, amassing over 4.2 million views.
• Various social media users expressed their surprise and shock in the comments, generating humorous and empathetic responses.
• After some struggle, the woman successfully removed the possum from the tree and her home, joking that she would have kept it if it hadn't smelt so bad.

Have you ever had an unexpected guest during the holiday season? What did you do? Share your stories in the comments below!

 

[midgemills]

It is an American opossum, a different animal to our Aussie possums.

 

[Littleboy8]

It is an American opossum, a different animal to our Aussie possums.

View attachment 37042

duh I know that I just wonder if it’s stuffed as it is a tik tok story after all.

 

[featherfour]

Well, I once had a mother brushie and her joey come down the chimney, so I guess they do have a bit of an affinity for Father Christmas!

 

[katdragon2010]

Apparently the American Opossum does not carry diseases including rabies. They also eat snakes - including rattle snakes. I would think that they might be handy to have around.

 

[MargOS51]

The holiday season is a time for surprises, but one woman got more than she bargained for when she discovered a surprise nestled among the baubles and tinsel of her Christmas tree.

This unexpected guest turned her festive season into a wild adventure, and her story has since become popular, captivating millions around the world.

Brett, who lives in California, shared her unusual holiday tale in a series of videos that have since racked up over 4.2 million views.

The saga began when Brett noticed an extra 'decoration' on her faux snow Christmas tree.

View attachment 36981

A woman discovered a possum in her Christmas tree. Image source: TikTok/@brettbratt359.

'I am literally freaking out right now,' she said in her video.

'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, and I just don't know what to do.'

The possum, seemingly unfazed by its surroundings, sat calmly deep within the tree, peering out at its bewildered host.

Brett's followers were quick to express their shock and amusement in the comments.

'That's crazy,' one user wrote, while another joked, 'Santa gave you an early present.'

Another commented: 'I’d pack my suitcase and just let him have the tree and the house.'

'No way I could be this chill with something in my tree!' a fourth said.

'New fear unlocked!' a fifth replied.

The story took an even more bizarre turn when Brett revealed how she discovered her uninvited guest.

'I heard a sneeze. I looked over, and I have three dogs and a cat, so I figured one of them was there, but they weren't there,' she explained.

'So I thought maybe I’m crazy and kept working.'

'Then I heard it again but a little louder and some other noises and I got up and I started looking to see if my cat was stuck behind the couch or something or sleeping in the window.'

'But as I was looking around, I [saw] this really big, long-looking rat tail, and I just kind of [stopped] because I was in shock. I didn’t know what it was.'

The woman did not expect to see a 'giant breathing ball of fur' nestled in her tree.

The process of removing the possum proved to be a challenge.

Brett donned rubber gloves and attempted to extract the animal, but the possum clung to the tree with its small hands, refusing to let go.

'I get the gloves, and I grab around his body, and I start trying to pull him out of the tree.'

'Well, they have hands, and he was holding on for dear life to this Christmas tree, and no matter how hard I [tried] to pull him, he wasn’t coming off.'

You can watch Brett’s full video below:

Video source: TikTok/@brettbratt359.​

The ordeal lasted about 10 minutes, with the possum darting under the couch several times before Brett was finally able to capture it.

'I moved the couch with all my force and just went for it and tackled him like a football player and got him and calmed him down.'

Despite the initial shock and the struggle to remove the possum, Brett showed a great deal of compassion for her unexpected guest.

She attempted to contact Animal Control, but according to Brett, 'they didn’t come after hours, it’s a small town'.

Undeterred, she took matters into her own hands and released the possum outside herself.

'As an animal lover with three dogs, two snakes, a bearded dragon, and a cat, I probably would have kept it if it didn’t smell so horrid,' she joked.

Brett shared she will be buying a possum ornament to commemorate the unusual encounter.

Key Takeaways

• A woman from California found a live possum hiding in her Christmas tree.
• She posted a video on social media revealing her unusual find, which quickly became popular, amassing over 4.2 million views.
• Various social media users expressed their surprise and shock in the comments, generating humorous and empathetic responses.
• After some struggle, the woman successfully removed the possum from the tree and her home, joking that she would have kept it if it hadn't smelt so bad.

Have you ever had an unexpected guest during the holiday season? What did you do? Share your stories in the comments below!

Found a green tree snake in my Linen Cupboard. Blocked under the door with a towel and left it there until my Husband came home and caught it and released it down the back yard.

 

[Nichola]

Well, I once had a mother brushie and her joey come down the chimney, so I guess they do have a bit of an affinity for Father Christmas!

Same here. We had a ringtail fall down the chimney and twice a possum fell through the ceiling ventilator into the laundry. The ventilator was above the clothes dryer that was attached to the wall. After the second time, my husband's bright idea? He put a washing basket on top of the dryer, with a cushion in it. Seriously.

 

[Littleboy8]

Same here. We had a ringtail fall down the chimney and twice a possum fell through the ceiling ventilator into the laundry. The ventilator was above the clothes dryer that was attached to the wall. After the second time, my husband's bright idea? He put a washing basket on top of the dryer, with a cushion in it. Seriously.

Whatever happened to good old fashioned chicken wire like we used to do in the good old days.

 

[Nichola]

Whatever happened to good old fashioned chicken wire like we used to do in the good old days.

Oh. So where would you put the chicken wire? Inside the ventilator? (this one measures 30cm square).

 

[Littleboy8]

Oh. So where would you put the chicken wire? Inside the ventilator? (this one measures 30cm square).

I’m talking about brick chimneys,I have no idea what a ventilator issorry.

 

[Nichola]

I’m talking about brick chimneys,I have no idea what a ventilator issorry.

Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, when the first possum fell down the chimney we had to get a roofer to come and place a metal mesh screen into the chimney. It's a two storey building and very high. The ceiling ventilators have always been an issue in this house - maybe round here the possums are particularly heavy!