Are possums dangerous to cats, especially when sharing food bowls?

Question

Hi, I have a feral cat colony near my house in the country, that has found shelter in a house that is currently vacant. I’m not sure if I’m helping the situation, but I’ve been putting food outside at my home & at the vacant home. I have indoor cats myself also. For the last several months a few possums keep showing up & eating the majority of the food I place outside for the feral cats. My questions/concerns are that the possums may harm the feral cats or my own. How dangerous are possums? Pet's info: Cat | Maine Coon | Female | spayed | 3 years and 10 months old | 14.5 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. Possums are not dangerous, just a nuisance. Cats seem to completely ignore the possum, even the youngsters, at least that is what I observe with the possum & cats in my barn. However, possum do carry intestinal parasites, fleas, prefer to poop in the water dishes, & they eat a lot of cat food. It was thought that possum do not carry rabies because their body temperature is too low to support the virus, but it was shown experimentally that they can. I do not worry about this because all my barn cats are regularly dewormed, vaccinated & receive flea treatment. I know you can not do this for your feral cats, but do keep your own cats up to date on everything. I also put out the majority of the food during the day, & leave very little out at night. Despite their reputation for playing dead, they can bite, so wear heavy gloves if you ever need to move one. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Are possums dangerous to cats, especially when sharing food bowls?

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