Help please! My cat just caught a bat.

NM if its okay...

I'm overwhelmed with the help I've received here, I really can't thank you all enough.

Just been for a smoke and 3 bats were flying overhead, I hope one of them was the one targeted by Libs and he/she is enjoying life after a close shave with death by pussy cat

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by TinkerHaus

 

Mister , you better stop that stewing kitties talk right now!
*Gives Tink "The Look"*

HA......I was wondering if you caught that!!
I know I did.
I was just thinking, hope littled didn't see that.

reply to post by snarky412
Don't worry snarky...
I will get him later!

Many people are concerned about contracting rabies from bats. Bats can and do contract rabies; however, it has been estimated that only about ½ of 1% actually do...

Don't listen to half of these comments

can bats take off from the ground ? guess so didnt know know that
i have found a .... sec translate ..... swallow once on the ground, and it couldn't lift off, no room for its big wings

i picked it up and threw it in the air (not like a baseball ) and away it went, why it was on the ground i have no idea

love bats btw, cute little creatures (love almost every animal, hate spiders and mosquitoes)

good for you trying to save the critter

greets from holland

reply to post by paradisepurple


If your going to put a bell on the cat,make sure you use what is a called a 'break away' collar. Cats can get hung up in a tree by they're collars and die.At my other house I found a cat in a neighbors tree that had been dead for quite some time when the leaves all dropped.Sad to think they may have been looking and looking for the kitty,and all that time it had hung itself. The best solution is to keep your cat indoors. The vets told me that the average life span of an indoor cat is around 16-18 years,the average life span of an outdoor cat is 5-7. Makes a huge difference.Theres too many things that can happen to a cat outside.

I had a cat that would catch bats, mice, & birds all the time. That is what cats do. Also, they will bring it to you as a gift. All I can say is do not pick the bat up. The cat will take care of it

reply to post by Dimithae


No just no...would you like to locked up looking outside wishing you could go out?
Yes maybe a cat that stays inside lives longer but to me keeping a cat inside all the time is abuse.
Do you want a happy cat or a unhappy cat?

Originally posted by caladonea
reply to post by paradisepurple

 

Take your cat to the nearest VET ...run don't walk and get it checked out for rabies.

As for the bat...call animal control.

edit on 20-7-2013 by caladonea because: (no reason given)

Rabies is completely eliminated from UK, so I wouldn't worry. Britain has been rabies-free since 1922, all rabies infections found there are from foreign countries.

reply to post by paradisepurple

One of our cats brought a pipistrelle bat home one time, and we had the cat checked at the vet(she was clear of rabies),however, I did take the bat inside and gave it a rehydration solution(1 litre of water with a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt) and called the SSPCA who took the bat with them,remember also that bats(in the UK at least) are a protected species.

Thanks again everyone for all your help

I couldn't bear keeping her inside, she would be so miserable, not an option I'm afraid...

I may try keeping all the lights on in the rooms at the back of the house... Will this work I wonder? Maybe make it easier for the bats to spot my cat so they can keep their distance and not fly so low as she's definitely plucking them out of mid air - she actually can't get to the part of the roof where I suspect the nest may be...

The little witch has obviously decided to move onto bigger prey, she's only ever attacked bees until last night (between you and me I think she may be single-handedly responsible for the declining bee population, at least here in Wales anyway)

I'm actually dreading this evening, wish me luck

reply to post by paradisepurple


You can guarantee there is some superstition attached to this. Discuss

reply to post by CHALLENGER1959


Sorry I don't follow...

Oh, you're referring to me calling my cat a little witch after catching a bat

I would call her something far worse but T&C won't allow that

And welcome to ATS.

reply to post by SecretKnowledge



You cannot kill bats in the UK...

Originally posted by purplemer
reply to post by SecretKnowledge

 

You cannot kill bats in the UK...

even if its in serious pain?
if its been badly injured? well i would. i could'nt just stand there and let it suffer.
what are you supposed to do?
ring a vet? he'll charge you £75+
ah, i know. ring the bat mobile

OP, I'm in Wales as well, and a few years ago one of my cats caught a bat. I got the bat out of his mouth and took it outside. The bat flew off and seemed fine - not as stunned as yours, obviously - but I was a bit concerned when I discovered a tiny circle of red dots on my hand where the bat had bitten me. Rabies was something that came to mind so I phoned NHS Direct. They consulted a hospital and found out what one of the other posts says - there is no rabies here, although there have been isolated cases in the UK to do with people coming in from abroad and escapes from laboratories (concerning in general, but they assured me not in Wales). They advised me to go to the GP and update my tetanus vaccination if it wasn't in date. My cat and I were both fine. I don't think you need to worry.

Ok the people that said kill it and put a board of wood on it and stand on it. I hope you don't get unwell at some point and someone asks for help for you and they get the same reply.

In the UK it is illegal to handle or disturb Bats unless it is to help them to safety or they are injured.

When you can handle or help a bat

A bat on the ground
It may just be exhausted or disorientated but it is in a very vulnerable position so should be moved out of danger and a wildlife rescue contacted for advice.

A bat caught by a cat
It will need urgent treatment with antibiotics or bacteria from the cats teeth could kill it

A bat flying around a house.
Close doors, turn off lights and open the windows as wide as possible and the bat should find its way out.

When you are to leave a bat alone

A bat hanging on a wall outside.
This is fairly common and as long as the bat isn’t in any immediate danger from people or predators it should be left alone.

Bats flying around during the day
It is not unusual for bats to hunt in daylight at certain times of the year.

Bats found in a loft or roofspace.
It is common for bats to roost in buildings and illegal to disturb them.

If you find a bat and it is any of the first three then that's all you need to do it put on some Gloves and the easiest way I find is to get a box put some holes in the lid and then use a small peace of card and scoop it under the bat and then lower the card with the bat on it in to the box and put on the lid (with a towel on the bottom of the Box). Bats are very small normally and if you are heavy handed you could cause more problems. once in the box then put the box up high with the lid off. if the bat was just a little sleepy then it will be gone by the morning if its still there put the lid back on the box and take to your local RSPCA centre or to you local vet and they are bound by law to help wild animals.

If the bat has been caught or attacked by your cat then the bat is in more danger than your cat as they can get very ill and will need antibiotics to stop it from developing fatal septicaemia.

Yet again if you live in the UK then you can get more advice by ringing 0345 1300 228 this line is open between 8am and 22.30pm. You can also report people to this line that are seen hurting of causing bats problems and they could be prosecuted.

helpful website
helpwildlife.co.uk...
www.bats.org.uk...

Ok get some gloves on, find a twig or branch and see if you can coax the guy onto it, check If it has and injuries.