Monday, May 07, 2007

Cats Tuesday: The Night of the Bat



Amy moved in with me a couple years back. Rather, Amy and Scout and Sophie moved in with me. Her dogs enjoyed the cats, and the cats loved tormenting the dogs. Especially when the dogs slept.

But this story is about one summer night two years ago. Her dogs were in bed with me, under the covers. My cats were on top of all of us on top of the covers. Wingnut (my grandson, another daughter) was asleep in another bedroom. Amy was staying up all night like she does and was downstairs.

I had fallen asleep with the lights and TV on. About 1 AM something woke me up. When I opened my eyes, all I saw were cats flying through the air all around the room; almost as if they had been shot out of cannons. And I saw why: there was a bat flying around in my room!

Mouse and Sophie napping.

I had never screamed before, but I did that night! And as I screamed for Amy, I grabbed the dogs' collars under the covers so that they would not jump out and grab the bat. The bat was huge! It fluttered and jerked in the air just like the old vampire movies. Sometimes it flew over my head and I was terrified that it would land in my hair. I was also scared the cats would catch the bat and catch rabies.

Amy ran up, entered my open room, and said, "Holy %$#!" I was actually paralyzed with fear of the bat gunning for my hair and couldn't seem to get out of the huge bed, especially while holding onto the dogs who by now knew something good was going on without them. Amy pulled the dogs out, tossed them into the hall, and I managed to escape. Amy got as many cats out as she could, shut the door and went and found Wingnut's fishing net.

She re-entered my room with the net and closed the door. Thirty seconds later Amy screamed! Amy prides herself on being a rock in a crisis, a true woman; so if Amy screamed the dogs and I knew there was a serious problem in there! The dogs went wild with anxiety about her and nearly took the door down. Amy hollered out that the bat had hit her in the back of her head. But very soon, she emerged with this tiny little bitty mouse type creature safely in the net. We calmed the dogs down and took the bat outside and released it unharmed.

Sophie and Scout napping.

I now make sure all my cats, even the indoor ones, are vaccinated for rabies by Amy. If a bat comes in again, I have been told to simply take down the curtains, get out the cats, open the windows and evacuate the room overnight. The bat will leave the room through the open windows.

I have also learned that anyone who experiences bats in bed should absolutely have the rabies vaccine administered. Bat bites are so small that they can bite you in your sleep without leaving a mark. I did not get the vaccine then because I didn't know that. That's scary.

We don't know how the bat got into the room. But we do know that Wingnut never heard a single thing that night. He told us to wake him up next time it happens! Amy and her beagly dogs have moved to Newport and are happily living and working in a kennel (she left her cats here with me because they love to hunt and can't hunt in the city). Sometimes I think my cats miss those crazy dogs. Wingnut still comes to stay with me for the summer, and I will be seeing him in about six weeks!

Wingnut with Sophie.

I hope you all have a most wonderful week. The college semester is over, so I will be able to visit you all in the early evening! Thank you for visiting.

_/\_/\_

16 comments:

  1. Holy *^&% is Right! I hate bats and would have screamed too...but the story is funny when you tell it. I can just see those cats in mid air! What a night!

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  2. Whooaaa! What a story! I never knew all this bat-stuff! Thanks for sharing and Happy COT!

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  3. Wow, what a bat story, lol ! I even had to take another cup of coffee while reading. Fortunately bats are not part of the animal world in this country ! They are only in very protected places. The only similar "mouse" we have here much to the anger of all neighbors are moles ! They build mountains in all yards. Pookie once catched one and brought it in. But that was the strangest thing I ever saw. Otherwise we have the traditional mice, lol !
    BTW Deanne solved the tail mistery, now I am 100 % sure that Arthur had been bitten.

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  4. I have never seen a bat. We live in Florida so the lady and the man who live with us put screens in all the windows to keep out bugs so we never get anything fun to play with! I have never seen a dog or a bat or a Xavier either. It is UNFAIR.

    xxx Flat Cat

    Please forgive my somewhat self-centered young colleague. Before we moved to our present home, we lived in a small house that was regularly invaded by raccoon, possums, and bats (they came through our cat flap). Your cats were probably trying bravely to drive the bat away so that it would not land in your hair. I am relieved that all escaped unharmed! I have always wished to taste a bat, but it seems unlikely that I ever will as the lady is rather fond of them. Strange.

    Sincerely, Sam

    Gaaaaah, are those things DOGS? I have never actually seen one but now I know I totally don't want to. But Xavier is very cute.

    Lydia

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  5. What a scary experience! My goodness! Yes, anyone who has a run-in with a bat should be vaccinated for rabies, because you can be bit by a bat and not know it. As for cats, most countries in the EU require rabies vaccinations, even for indoor pets.

    I'm glad that you were all safe after your bat encounter!

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  6. That was something of a story. Must have been very scary. I'm happy bats here in Norway are free from rabbies..

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  7. Ok . . .I would looooose my mind if a bat were flying around me. . . .but I bet the cats flying around the room was a riot . . . .AFTER THE FACT that is! LOL! ;o)

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  8. That sounds like quite a night! Circus style! Glad all turned out well, for you, Amy, the cats 7 the bat! D :)

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  9. I can just imagine how delighted the cats were to have that bat to leap at! LOL! That's quite a story -- thanks for the chuckles, although it sounds like having a bat in the house can be a serious concern. May you not have such an adventure again, despite the kitties' having so much fun!

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  10. LOL! What a scary night.
    I used to live in a place where swarms of bats flew at night. We could hear their tiny little squeaks. I've even see a few at night here in the Northwest.

    I've never had Gretchen vaccinated against rabies because she's an indoor only cat. I'm rethinking that one. I'm also going to get her an ID implant on her next vet visit, incase she ever gets out.

    I love the picutres of the dogs. They look so peacefully while they're sleeping.

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  11. Oh my heavens!! I would scream too!

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  12. What a hilarious story!! That would be quite a shock to awake to a bat in your bedroom.

    I never knew that about the automatic rabies vaccine. I would have thought that a bat bite would be large and painful (like Dracula or something!!).

    Thanks for the great story and helpful bat-encounter info!

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  13. What a frightening story.... almost like a scene out of a horror movie indeed. Your cats are good hunters... mine would just sit there or hide under the bed!

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  14. what a bat story, lol !
    Nice pics.

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  15. Oh wow what a scary experience.
    We would get bats sometimes in the rafters of the attic when I lived in Georgia. They never came down into the house thank goodness.
    I think I would scream too if they did.

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