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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2005Bat in the house
Because it has been so hot here I've had the attic door open with the bottom of the opening blocked off so the cats don't go up there. It's a walk up attic with a room type door at the bottom of the stairs. I live in a two story house.I went up stairs to get something from the bedroom and I hear this squeaking and the cats are all in the hall. Before I had time to think about what was making the sound I saw a small bat flying about 3 feet off the floor. Sam chased it into the bathroom. It took me calling him a few time but he did listen to me and come out of the room. Then I closed the door. DH was out at the time and when he came home he trapped the bat in a towel and tossed it out the window. I was so pleased that Sam listened to me and came when I called him. Ann  Signatureread Sam's blog at http://kittens-3.blogspot.com/ see pictures of Sam at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ann791/my_photos > Because it has been so hot here I've had the attic door open with the bottom > of the opening blocked off so the cats don't go up there. It's a walk up [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > and came when I called him. > Ann That's amazing that he listened! The first bat that got in in my old apartment lasted 30 seconds. Sugar killed it (very neatly no blood, one jump and curtains). The second I was determined would not touch my pristine cats (haha). I was grabbing at them and got them corralled in the bathroom. Nothing short of a bomb blast would have gotten their attention from it. I caught it in a bowl and made Animal Control come get it. I think they released it a few blocks away. I couldn't get out of that apartment fast enough after that. (Still took me months). > in article Z_4Je.738$ah4.465@lakeread05, Ann at ann791@hotmail.com wrote > on [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > released it a few blocks away. I couldn't get out of that apartment fast > enough after that. (Still took me months). While rabies is rare, bats, raccoons, and foxes are some of the major sources in North America. I'd keep cats away from bats, and, if there is contact, definitely verify their rabies immunization. If there is the slightest chance that bat saliva might have gotten into an open wound, human or feline, it becomes imperative to capture the bat, dead or alive, for lab examination. Bat bites (or saliva contamination), without the carcass, usually call for rabies-preventing injections. The final decision will probably involve both ER and public health physicians. Unfortunately, as far as the lethality of rabies once developed, it makes Ebola, Marburg, smallpox and plague look like mild colds. Only the prion diseases ("mad cow", BSE, nvCJD) are as 100% lethal. In comparison with any of these, the lethality of HIV is below the radar. Fortunately, there is a period in which preventive treatment can be delivered. A recent public health report I read described the ONE confirmed survival, in medical history, of a human that had developed clinical rabies and had NO preventive treatment. There have been fewer than 10 survivals when preventive treatment was given, but late. Early preventive treatment is nearly 100% protective. All the cats are up to date on their rabies shots. I didn't see any indication from the way the cats were acting that they even got close to the bat. They are all indoor only cats, Ann Signatureread Sam's blog at http://kittens-3.blogspot.com/ see pictures of Sam at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ann791/my_photos >> in article Z_4Je.738$ah4.465@lakeread05, Ann at ann791@hotmail.com wrote >> on [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > survivals when preventive treatment was given, but late. Early > preventive treatment is nearly 100% protective. Before I had time to think > about what was making the sound I saw a small bat flying about 3 feet off > the floor. I would consider immunizing your cats for rabies if you haven't already. Better safe than sorry. Here in town a house cat got rabies because a bat got in its house and bit it. If one bat got in, even if it was nowhere near your cats, another might do it again later. When I was in the military I had to catch bats all the time because they were flying in the barracks a lot and I was the only female officer who didn't mind throwing a sheet on them and taking them out. I was lucky--one of the male officers on bat duty got bit, and had to take rabies shots all summer and get called Batman. --Fil In Connecticut it is mandatory that all cats have a rabies shot and all my cats are up to date. Ann Signatureread Sam's blog at http://kittens-3.blogspot.com/ see pictures of Sam at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ann791/my_photos > Before I had time to think >> about what was making the sound I saw a small bat flying about 3 feet off [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > --Fil > Because it has been so hot here I've had the attic door open with the > bottom of the opening blocked off so the cats don't go up there. It's > a walk up attic with a room type door at the bottom of the stairs. I > live in a two story house.I went up stairs to get something from the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > when I called him. > Ann I am impressed that he listened! When Vino is stalking a lizard, absolutely nothing would make him come when called. He gets *obsessed*! Glad you got the bat out with no problems. -- Britta "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast." -- Unknown Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > Because it has been so hot here I've had the attic door open with the > bottom of the opening blocked off so the cats don't go up there. It's a [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > listened to me and came when I called him. > Ann What a good lad you are, Sam. I love bats, little mousies with soft leather wings. Tweed |
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