That sounds so wrong, doesn't it?
But I was, this past weekend.
Not the baseball kind-- the animal kind. (Ahh, the imprecision of language!)
Early Sunday morning I was half asleep and vaguely aware of the cats racing and clunking around the house. Probably chasing a mouse, I thought. A usual occurrence in our old house. But when one of the cats barreled up the staircase onto my bed in hot pursuit of said "mouse" I thought... "Damn cat! There'll be no mice in this bed!" And bolted upright...
... only to be smacked in the face with the creature she was chasing. It was no mouse! It swooped back and forth and around a few times before hubby managed to whoosh it toward the bathroom with a towel and slam the door.
It was a bat.
Bad news-- bats can carry rabies.
And I had a nifty little scratch down my cheek.
Good news-- we'd all had the complete set of rabies vaccine about 3 or 4 years ago after a similar incident of bat-in-house. (Even though we were sure no one had come in contact with it, but our family doctor had said-- "Get thyselves to the emergency room this instant." They take it seriously. Rabies has a 100% fatality rate. Would you take a chance?)
Good news-- Hubby caught the bat and we've sent it off to be tested.
Bad news-- They have to kill it in order to do that. I actually feel badly for him. I like bats!
Pain-in-the-Neck news-- I spent 3 hours in the ER only for them to tell me they'd wait to hear the results before giving me booster shots, since I already supposedly have some protection. (Though nobody seems to know how long the vaccine is good for...)
Good news-- We'll hear the results in a day or two. And the shots really aren't too bad if we have to get them. Unlike the old days, when they gave them in the stomach. (Ack!)
Let's just hope everybody knows what they're doing...
Here's a not-so-great shot of the little critter:
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By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 8/5/2008
Blog: Art, Words, Life (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: life, bats, adventures with wildlife, rabies, Add a tag
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By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 8/5/2008
Blog: Art, Words, Life (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: life, bats, adventures with wildlife, rabies, Add a tag
7 Comments on Hit in the Face with a Bat, last added: 8/6/2008
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OMG! i would have freaked out!! we have them flying everywhere at night, which is great since they eat mosquitos, but they can stay out there. i can't believe it scratched your face!! hopefully, tests come back ok, but you're right it's sad they have to kill the little guy. they're creepy but do serve a purpose!
Oh my! I do not envy your adventure!
In Marrakech we used to sit on the roof and watch the bats each evening as they had their insect supper.
None came in the house, thank God.......but we did have a huge scorpion.
Hope you do not have to get shots.
Yikes! What a story! So sorry you (and the bat) had to go thru this....
Boy, you have an extremely exciting life! Eek.
Thank goodness for your brave spouse. (and some brave cats trying to snag the creature before it got too far.)
I'd be so totally skeeved.
Hope all comes back well, no shot is an easy shot...
That's a heck of a wake up call! Sounds like your next book!! :)
Oh my gosh Jen!!! What an experience! Must of been scary, first the bat crashing on your face almost and then the fear of the rabies.
I'm sure everything will be ok. When all this is over a story must come out of this. I know you can think of something great :o)
Thanks, everybody, for your comments! Luckily the test came back negative, so we're all in the clear. I just hope no more find their way into the house!
Funny thing is, I really wasn't creeped out by the bat itself-- just by all the fluttering and commotion in the dark and not knowing what it was. I really do like bats-- we love to sit outside and watch them swoop around at dusk, catching bugs.
Another adventure come to a close... will have to ponder a story! :-)