Lots of misinformation about possums.
I read up on them after one night I was watching my cat eat when I noticed he had a friend eating with him . It was a possum.
The cat seemed fine with it , happily acting like they were friends, but I ran it off anyway.
Things I found out.
http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/
They do not hang from their tail.
Opossums are marsupials, or pouched mammals. Marsupials carry young in a pouch on the abdomen of the female. Relatives include the koala and kangaroo. The opossum holds the distinction of being North America?s only marsupial!
Any mammal can get rabies. However,
the chance of rabies in an opossum is EXTREMELY RARE. This may have something to do with the opossum?s low body temperature (94-97º F) making it difficult for the virus to survive in an opossum?s body.
Opossums are beneficial: eating the harmful, unwanted pests around your home such as snails, slugs, spiders, cockroaches, rats, mice and snakes. Think of the opossum as your free gardener. The opossum is known as ?Nature?s Little Sanitation Engineer? for a good reason!
Opossums are very opportunistic animals. If food is available, they will eat.
We receive numerous pictures of opossums sharing a bowl of cat food with an outdoor cat. Adult cats and opossums seem to tolerate each other. Feeding wildlife is not recommended.
It is more likely that a dog will injure or kill an opossum. A cat may attack and kill young rat-sized opossums. Adult opossums and cats seem to have a mutual respect and leave each other alone. In general, opossums are docile, non-aggressive animals and will not attack your pets. They prefer to escape and avoid confrontations, if possible. If not, the threatened opossum may ?play ?possum?, show its teeth, or bite in self-defense, as any animal would.
