The bandit that prowls in the night....

Aaah Ha! We finally caught the night bandit that was stealing the cats food & water!! This young opossum kept me entertained for 30 minutes the other night as I laid on the floor with the patio door open... taking his picture. The flash never even bothered him. I talked to him as he gobbled and crunched every morsel of cat food. He occasionally turned to me as if to say.... "hey lady... clam up...I'm trying to enjoy my dinner!" 
Of course the cat was quite curious as well. He watched his food get eaten by this odd looking creature of which he'd not had the pleasure of meeting before tonight. 
Actually.... opossums are quite amazing animals. They are the only marsupial native to Northern America. They have 50-52 razor sharp teeth. They are only pregnant for 13-15 days then they carry their babies (12-13 of them) in the momma's pouch for a good 2-3 months. Then after that... the babies cling to mom's fur as she carries on about her business. The 'possums are fun to watch as they are very meticulous at grooming themselves. They normally wash their hands & face in the water bowl before eating... then again after they eat. 
Their back feet have "human" looking hands...with a thumb on each hand (foot). They even have human looking fingernails. 
Yeah..... from the back they are not so attractive. They look like giant rats with that think hairless tail. They are still amazing animals.