From what I understand Opossums are resistant to rabies, and eat just about ANYTHING. There were opossums at our old place and they got along fine with the cats as far as I could tell. People regard them as pests because they breed rapidly and can infest attics and basements pretty quickly.

This is all from what Ive found out about them here in Oregon. Not sure about the ones where you are Gary! The ones by our house were actually pretty friendly as far as wild critters went. Most people say they are friendly, although they do generally have fleas so its not a good idea to get too friendly with them lol.