Its about the size of a hamster, i found him swimming in the pool. Mom is nowhere to be found.
Release him into the nearest patch of woods and hope he doesn’t become some bird’s lunch. I wouldn’t even try to nurse back a baby possum, and killing them takes way too much dedication.
My boss has hand-reared a few, and has a small family of released possums that come back from the wild for somewhat regular visits. I can see if he has any advice if you like.
Ewww, did you touch him after you found him in the pool? Do they carry diseases?
Yes that would be very helpful, thanks.
Well i put him in a box and dried him a little, i hope they don’t. I would release him back into the wild if it wasn’t for all the cats around the neighborhood, i’ve found too many dead baby possums to just toss the little guy out there.
If it’s alright with you, I’ll give him your email address from your profile?
Sure thing.
Here is a link that might be helpful. Overall, the recommendation is to contact a wildlife rehabilitator and have them care for the baby animal. Opossums have special dietary needs, and without them, their bones don’t form correctly. Also, in general, raising wild animals is problematic.
Anyway, it’s great that you saved the baby possum, and good luck taking care of him. Please post pictures, because it must be cute as hell (but I think possum’s are cute, I’m weird like that).
Naturally, your first step should be to post pictures!
Are you sure mom isn’t around?
Once they’re the size of a hamster, they’re big enough to cause mischief. Leave him where mom can find him, is my advice.
Shoot any cats in your yard. 
Rubystreak, I’ve called the authorities about baby & larger sized opossums and was told they’re vermin so call an exterminator.
I second that recommendation. It’s what we did with Ike. :rolleyes: The emergency vet clinic helped us find one.
Hmmm. I can imagine that. I’m lucky in that we have a veterinary college where I live and I know they do wildlife rehab there. There’s probably someone like that who can at least give phone advice and maybe arrange to pick the baby up. The website I linked to details the kinds of concerns that exist when trying to raise a baby possum, mainly dietary. They aren’t like mammals who can just drink out of a bottle, and they can’t drink cow’s milk. You wouldn’t want to hand raise the baby just to have him die from aspirating the milk or a nutrition deficiency.
Also, not sure how they are as pets. I think it’s illegal in NY to have them without some sort of permit.
They’re vermin (and nasty, ugly, and bad patients), but there are wildlife rehabbers that will take them.
I’ve had them as patients (the vet school had a wildlife hospital). The youngest one was passably cute, but still a PITA to treat sometimes.
And yes, they can carry diseases (at least rabies), and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near their mouths.
So am I. They do have more teeth than any other mammal in North America, some 52 I believe, but one must give the ugliest creature G-d ever made a break now and then.
Oooh! Preheat your oven to 450˚F and prepare a rue of bacon fat and cream …
I wouldn’t keep those things around, they are nasty.
That would be the naked mole rat, they seem to be doing well. 
Wildlife rehabbers with license to care for opposums are (at least in LA) special. I’m sure they need a break, but I don’t think just anyone can (or should) be able to give it to them.
Indeed. My first thought when I read the OP was “Stomp on it.”
My understanding is that they grow to a certain size in the pocket and then continue to go around with the mother by clinging to the mother’s back. (I saw a mother possum one night with a bunch of babies clinging to its back. It doesn’t seem like an easy way to grow up, nor an easy way to raise your young.) So the mother might still be around, but probably just didn’t notice that one of its brood fell into a swimming pool. I have no idea if they roam very much, however.
Vermin can be a subjective term. I once saw a mother possum with a bunch of babies on its back, foraging for food. It didn’t seem like it was causing much trouble to human kind. Probably the “authorities” just didn’t want to have to deal with the thing.