rootofnewt | For your own edification...

This post is a lesson for

explodingcat, who apparently didn't learn this kind of stuff in suburban schools.

This is a cat.
This is not.

The cat has a furry tail or no tail.
This is not a furry tail.

A cat has furry paws and likes to brush against things.
This has little pink hands and likes to dig between deckboards.

The cat has a compact face and jumps gracefully.
This has a narrow nose and has to scrabble and heave itself up onto the deck.

Now, I love you lots,

explodingcat, but when one sees an opossum, one does not usually squeal delightedly: "OOOOH! BIG CUTE RAT!"

Yes. Your "pet" opossum is adorable and beady-eyed. I know you want me to install a bar so you can see it hang upside down by its tail. However, the opossum is a wild animal with sharper teeth than your feral cat.