batty advice

**kriklah** · 28-Apr-10, 10:25

i have a bat!! found it in the upstairs halway this morning, no way it got in itself so probably courtesy of the cats. still alive, no obvious damage, but didnt want to fly of when i took it outside, but that may be due to the light and still in shock. now the dilema is what to do with it till dark. ive got it in an open box in the garage for now with a dish of water, but what do i feed it?

**unicorn** · 28-Apr-10, 10:47

I would call balmore and be very careful handling it as bats can carry rabies.

**teenybash** · 28-Apr-10, 10:52

You have probably done the right thing as a quiet dark place is best. wouldn't worry about feeding as they are night feeders, so just wait till those who know come to the rescue.

**kriklah** · 28-Apr-10, 11:27

i phoned balmore, they say im doing the right thing for now, just to keep it warm and dark, and leave water, and just see if it will fly off this evening.

**ShelleyCowie** · 28-Apr-10, 18:06

Wrong situation but awsome! I have 2 bats the fly around my back garden every night. They are brilliant to watch and so fast! Just recently started seeing them again.

Good luck! Hope it flys away safely!

**kriklah** · 28-Apr-10, 22:11

wells thats batty been set free. advice from balmore and the bat conservation website suggested setting it up somewhere high inorder for it to be able to take off, so the safest place around my house was on the flatroof of the sunroom. at least there the cats cant get at it. i watched it for a while, and it crawled all the way allong the edge then up onto the roof, at which point i couldnt see it anymore due to the dark. so heres hoping its well enough to survive and go hunting. there were plenty of other bats flitting about so hopefully it will find its way back to its own colony

**Bazeye** · 28-Apr-10, 22:16

Post it to Portgower, should be ok then.

**dollycat** · 30-Apr-10, 11:19

Are the cats that catch the bats at any risk to their health as Dolly has upped herself from mousing to batting.
We found one outside and pulled her off it, the bat survived and must have flown off.
Do they really carry rabies, dont want to look this up or will imagine all sorts!!

**Leanne** · 30-Apr-10, 13:57

Originally Posted by dollycat

Do they really carry rabies, dont want to look this up or will imagine all sorts!!

There have been very few cases of rabies from what I understand in the whole of the UK in the past 30 years and all were contained within quarantine. Not sure on the numbers but its in single figures..

**golach** · 30-Apr-10, 15:03

Originally Posted by Leanne

There have been very few cases of rabies from what I understand in the whole of the UK in the past 30 years and all were contained within quarantine. Not sure on the numbers but its in single figures..

Well this is one that happened in 2002, and this man was considered to be a bat expert.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2509375.stm