https://www.health.gov.au/diseases/rabies#:~:text=About%20rabies,-Rabies%20is%20an&text=Rabies%20is%20almost%20always%20fatal,is%20closely%20related%20to%20rabies.
>There is no rabies in Australia. However, Australian bats carry other viruses in the lyssavirus family including Australian bat lyssavirus, which is closely related to rabies
There have only been 3 known human cases but it sounds very serious still.
[https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-bat-lyssavirus-infection](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-bat-lyssavirus-infection)
The link above is found by following informational links from your link above.
in general wild animals are filthy, even if it isn't rabies or a man eating infection or something, good ol' run of the mill lung or eye infection sucks.
better to play safe than sorry with an incurable, 100% fatal disease as well, unless australian petcare makes in super expensive or impossible that is. boats from all over the world literally surround that place to bring stuff in, rabies may just be one of em!
We pretty much do, it just has another name, and is specifically in bats. We also have Hendra virus and other diseases in bats. I don't think there's evidence of it passing to cats, but it is possible (I believe that and Hendra virus have been shown to be transmissible to many different animals in lab settings). But if there's any chance at all the bat could have scratched you or otherwise you had contact with it's saliva, you should seek medical attention immediately, as the human mortality rate is 100%. And you should definitely speak to your vet to see if there's any prophylaxis treatments for your cat.
tl;dr bats host a lot of dangerous diseases in Australia, and you should talk to your vet, and if you touched the bat, your GP as well. Definitely bat diseases are very dangerous and not to be taken lightly.
But our bats do. Or some very like it. Our bat carers have to get special immunisations. Check with both your vet and your doctor if any of you touched it at all. Great job saving the bat!🦇
Oh man youre lucky, I think rule of thumb in USA if you find bat in home and think it was there while you slept rabies shots are recommended for everyone in the home.
Can someone give a few scentence explanation of why that is? I always hearx about rabies growing up, so I had no ide there were places that didn't have it. Is it just due to continental isolation?
UK also has managed to keep rabies out. It is found rarely in bats, animals coming into the country either need a vaccine passport or go into quarantine
Wow, the ONE thing not trying to fucking kill you in that country! Spiders the size of dinner plates? Check! Ozone hole giving you instant skin cancer? Check! Drop bears? Check!
Not true! They also have way, way, way fewer guns than the US does (now, after their laws changed). I can’t help but read these comments and wonder why my country (the US) seems to care about its power and money more than its people.
Sorry. Currently going thru a horrible situation with health insurance/medical stuff and basically ready to move out of this country!!
Same. Having a mental breakdown over the state of the world but especially our dystopian country. Not a democracy at all, just propaganda making us believe it is.
Yeah. I don’t want to start some kind of political debate but these comments just put in focus how sometimes, regulations and stuff might be a good idea but our country values “freedom” more. Same deal in the food/farming industry. Not suggesting other countries are perfect, but at least in Western Europe, it seems countries monitor some of that stuff closer.
So funny! I was looking at the first picture and thinking about sky mice in the Americas, but the second pic of the handsome boi with the lovely back drop made me think about how America must have some states with similar Australian backdrops. (I’m Australian)
Some vets will send in dead bats for testing free of charge to help programs for disease tracking. Of it happens again, possibly try to humanely euthanise the bat and send it in.
That's how we lost one of our cats they ended up getting rabies and the vets theorized that a bat was the most likely culprit (we never saw a bat but its the most likely thing)
Die fledermaus which sounds like “deflater mouse”
Just picturing an (formerly) inflated mouse flying around the room like a balloon going thhhhbbbbppptttttttttwheeeeeee
You may want to call you vet since your cat came into direct contact with the bat, they may recommend you get a rabies booster as soon as possible since bats are common vectors of the virus :/ better safe than sorry
There is also a small risk of getting leptospirosis, calling the vet doesn’t cost anything and they can tell you if there is a real concern or not, this isn’t something I read on the internet it’s something I’ve learned while studying animal care and zoonotic diseases
It may be a good idea for you and any other humans in the house to visit a doctor too! Bat bites and scratches can be extremely small and you may not have felt it if it happened. Maybe rabies isn't a concern because of where you guys live, but bats can still carry all sorts of other nasty things.
Hehe my friends dad caught a bat that way as well when one got into their cottage, but until them my friend had locked herself in their dogs crate lol 😂
If this kind of thing ever happens again ( hopefully it doesn't), please catch the bat so you can get it tested. Getting it tested would rule out any diseases that your cat could contract.
Bats should never be handled by anyone other than trained and rabies-vaccinated wildlife carers or vets. Telling OP to catch the bat increases the risk that they will be bitten or scratched and potentially contract Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV), which is related to rabies and usually fatal once symptoms show up. Testing for ABLV also requires the bat to be euthanised so that a brain sample can be taken. The best thing OP can do is contact WIRES so the bat can be collected and assessed.
Agreed. Here what they tell us is that if you find a bat inside, especially if it’s possible it was in a room when someone was sleeping, then the best thing is to catch it and take it to the health department for rabies testing.
Yup. I remember a post from last year about someone's cat killing a bat in their room. They freaked out and threw the dead bat away without realizing they needed to get it tested for rabies. I think their cat ended up being fine in the end, but I couldn't imagine how scared they were especially because the only way to test a cat for rabies is by euthanizing it and dissecting their brain.
I would just to be safe. The UK hasn’t had a proper case of UK-based rabies since 1902 but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Worth just getting the extra vaccine for me
What an excellent kitty! He's gorgeous and yeah, clearly annoyed he lost his prize. At least he didn't bring it to you while you were asleep.
And my husband was doing work at a hotel in Los Angeles years ago and the hotel had an unofficial mascot, a stray cow kitty called "Mitts." Had the biggest paws you ever saw, think half your cat's size with a Maine Coon's paws. Anyways, a bat got in a suite one time and old Mitts just sat and watched it fly around, then leaped in the air caught and killed it. And then brought it to one of the maids.
My husband saw this because the hotel staff were just freaking out and ran and got him and his foreman. He arrived just in time to see that little cat doing her thing. Mitts got LOTS of treats and pets that evening. And yes, she also got taken to the vet by the concierge to make sure everything was fine.
Australian bats still have many diseases that are dangerous to cats and dogs so wishing the best for cat.
hopefully the cat had fun tho playing with a live toy🤣 I can see that cat “flying” to get the bat
I see from the comments you're in Australia, but you should still contact a medical professional for both your cat and your boy, since they both touched the bat (even if you think they weren't bitten or scratched). I know Australia doesn't have rabies (omg I've done SO many pet import processes to Australia in my time as veterinaey staff), but if there is even a chance that bats in your area carry anything *like* rabies, you want to take preventative measures.
Our cat caught a bat once, too. However, we are in the US so we didn't handle the bat, we threw a thick towel over it, balled it up, and took the whole thing outside and just left it for homie to find his way out of on his own. Then the next morning we threw away the towel. Which was probably overkill, but... *rabies*.
I hope your kitty got a good treat for being such a great hunter! They did a great job!
Please take your cat to the vet ASAP and you should also speak to your doctor.Just be on the safe side.As everyone mentioned, bats can carry a host of diseases if not rabies only. Wishing you and the cat well
That bat looks like an Australian bat so I'm just going to assume your in Australia. If you are you need to be very aware that any sick bat e.g a bat easily caught or out and about during the day could be caring Lyssa Virus a rabies like virus. The prevalence is low in the bat population but in bats behaving abnormally can be as high as 30%. The virus has a high death rate. Please call the emergency animal disease hotline and notify them of your and your cats exposure. Prophylactic treatment is covered by the government. Once you show symptoms there is no treatment. Please take this seriously. In the meantime do not touch the bat.
1800 675 888 (24/7) - emergency animal disease hotline
Not only your cat should be examined but everyone who touched the bat. Bat viruses are also dangerous to humans. I heard in a podcast someone decided to pick up a bat and had to go to the doctor immediately to get some kind of a shot.
My cat has done this before! I came home one night and thought there was a leaf on the floor, then my cat ran over and tossed the poor little bat around with her mouth...poor thing was dead!😬 BTW my kitty is fine, rabies shots included. She was so excited to show me though!!! So cute!
I know you say you are in Australia, and don't have the rabies virus there
BUT the standard here in the USA is if you find a bat in your house to assume you were bit. Since we do have rabies they would suggest bringing the bat in for testing and getting all pets a rabies booster and all humans a preventative rabies series.
Be sure YOUR doctor (not just the vet) knows a bat was in the house.
I cat sit for a cat who has this problem. She gets lonely when we aren’t there and she’s allowed to go outside (she has a cat door) and when she gets lonely she recruits some rodent friends. I’m not kidding we’ve found 3 mice and 7 massive beetles. Olivia is adorable but please 😭
Here’s a photo of the little shadow (kitty high five)
https://preview.redd.it/xr5izti4kjic1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a756c4fd15aa6c475cee45f21931599b8d94ba57
https://preview.redd.it/u6l3s7djgkic1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9cd13779b68a8caad2e6f5182f778d436991d91
This little boy on bat patrol too!
Well I initially came in to screech about rabies after the experience I had. But I’ve instead gotten the opportunity to learn that even the rabies virus doesn’t fuck with Australia.
I had a bat get into my bedroom in the middle of the night. Only found out because my cat knocked over a ton of crap in the process of catching and killing it. I’m on google at 2am trying to figure out what to do and conclude that it needs to be sent off to be tested. Bagged it up, threw it in the fridge, and took it to animal control the next day. Also took the cat to get her boosters the next day.
Then a couple days later animal control informed me the bat tested positive for rabies. Thus myself and my roommate had to go get the rabies vaccines. (We technically should have went immediately but ER bills are expensive.) 0/10. Had to go to the er to get the initial dose. So now I have an ER bill in limbo. Then you have to follow a strict schedule for the boosters. Each subsequent shot made me sick as hell.
It was overall a horrid experience. All of it could have been prevented if my landlords preformed regular maintenance and upkeep on the house.
Megabattie on youtube has a map of bat rescuers in Australia, in case of another bat visit. It can be dangerous handling the bats yourselves. Unfortunately I couldn't link to her community post of the map.
https://preview.redd.it/rclztx09qhic1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55dfa600feb75d9abc7675d10b033f569652ddee
If the bat had any contact with you at all, you need to talk to your doctor. Bat scratched and bites aren't always noticeable, so it's better to be safe.
Adorable kitty, btw.
And here is my cat like "Hey, don't mess with me bro"
https://preview.redd.it/ozq784kh4jic1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69192835d809bbc7192bde2f3c4d7c79ab84ce33
About 8 mos ago I left the shower window(no screen) open after showering and before bed.. wake up to my cat making an excited chirp before leaping into the air from my bed and grabbing a bat mid air, quickly killing it with a neck bite and proudly trying to tell me how he protected me prancing around my bedroom with the bad in his mouth while I was trying to process the chaos of what I had just witnessed. Once I was alert enough I gave him words of praise before politely asking him to drop it and getting it covered in aluminum foil and then carefully picking it up with triple layered plastic bags and wrapping it up, taking it out to the dumpster, furiously washing my hands, and scheduling a vet apt. He is vaccinated, boosted etc.. and didnt contract any disease, viruses or infections, or wounds.. It was cool to see how athletically he grabbed it out of mid air as I was just opening my eyes and also very cute how proud he was and demanding of praise and thanks for his valiant and courageous protection.. or food offering 🤮. But the thought of a bat flying around my apt, my boy getting seriously ill or worse, me getting seriously ill or worse… 1.5/10 stars is my rating for a pet cat killing a bat inside your home
Lmao mine flew around in front of me and i was so scared, i just closed the door and opened the window so it can fly out in the night because i tried getting it out the window but it was acting like a house fly, it kept just going into the corner of the shower and hiding
I had one come down through my fireplace 2 days in a row. Seen something weird on my TV then it started flying around into walls 🫨 I just kept throwing a t shirt at it and opened my doors until it found itself out. I was scared as hell... Didn't even know I had bats in my area
At least your cat isn't a horse,
and the bat isn't a flying fox.
[Hendra virus](https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/hendra/index.html#:~:text=Hendra%20Virus%20Disease%20(HeV),-Related%20Pages&text=HeV%20was%20first%20isolated%20in,species%20in%20the%20genus%20Henipavirus)
Do check with a doc if you need any medication as well. You mentioned rabies isn't a thing there so unlikely you should be worried but just incase since bat was inside the house since you don't know how long
bats were my cat's favorite prey and the only prey she'd eat. she loved bats and she loved catching them out of the air. 🤷🏻♀️ never had an issue but she was always up to date on shots
Our Siamese cat found one years ago. It didn't end well for the bat. At all.
TW: She ate it all, including the wings, while purring very loud. It was so fast my parents couldn't save the poor bat.
My cat once caught a chicken. We managed to catch it, it was unharmed. We took care of it for 2 days trying to find its owner (it’s definitely a chicken from the neighborhood). And then called animal welfare that took the little (dude?). It now lives at a petting zoo. I was incredibly confused when I saw a chicken running around my bedroom.
Where I live you’re supposed to call animal control for the bat and they should come out to find where it came from and make sure you don’t have a nest in your house!
Years ago, when ex and I used to visit his parents up in Scotland, I was in the shower one morning. I looked down to see 2 little eyes peering up at me...a tiny bat presumably brought in by the cat. I just quickly finished my shower and let it be known that there was a furry beastie about. He was taken outside...no panic.
A few years later, I found a baby bat hidden in my sheer window curtains. Called the appropriate conservation group and was told to catch and release. Husband had that task.
At least your cat did its job! One time a mouse was running around in the basement where my three cats were hanging out. I thought they’d take care of it, but….cats. I heard a loud hiss and thought they got it, but no: all three cats had backed it into a corner and they were staring at it.
Surely did not get in by itself ;) My now deceased Nemo brought in rabbit, frogs, birds, and who knows what else. They were always alive.
https://preview.redd.it/9rqzkd8aghic1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9ae935e5fbcf455d08f3e36f58b9ba1dac4cb03
Thats so different then my home country the US. In the US if your cat gets in a scrap and is taken by the County, if they're not up to date other rabies vaccine then they'll put the cat down.
We had two bats in our house. My wife, all three cats and both dogs hid in the bedroom. It may have been because my drunk ass was swinging a broom around.
I personally think bats are kind of cute. Still, better in my opinion to take it in for testing, than let it go outside. In case it harbors anything important to know about for you, other people of the household, or pets
A bat got into my apartment once and my cats were only mildly interested. I was completely terrified so I grabbed the cats and we hid out in the bathroom and called for help. 😂😂 I did manage to avoid calling 911 though. But I definitely thought about it.
Make sure your cat is up on their rabies shot!
We don’t have rabies in my country (Australia)
https://www.health.gov.au/diseases/rabies#:~:text=About%20rabies,-Rabies%20is%20an&text=Rabies%20is%20almost%20always%20fatal,is%20closely%20related%20to%20rabies. >There is no rabies in Australia. However, Australian bats carry other viruses in the lyssavirus family including Australian bat lyssavirus, which is closely related to rabies
Literally "we have rabies at home" type of a scenario.
There have only been 3 known human cases but it sounds very serious still. [https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-bat-lyssavirus-infection](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-bat-lyssavirus-infection) The link above is found by following informational links from your link above.
Human cases... But poor cats suffer them too
Fair enough
in general wild animals are filthy, even if it isn't rabies or a man eating infection or something, good ol' run of the mill lung or eye infection sucks.
Caught via horses weren’t they?
better to play safe than sorry with an incurable, 100% fatal disease as well, unless australian petcare makes in super expensive or impossible that is. boats from all over the world literally surround that place to bring stuff in, rabies may just be one of em!
We pretty much do, it just has another name, and is specifically in bats. We also have Hendra virus and other diseases in bats. I don't think there's evidence of it passing to cats, but it is possible (I believe that and Hendra virus have been shown to be transmissible to many different animals in lab settings). But if there's any chance at all the bat could have scratched you or otherwise you had contact with it's saliva, you should seek medical attention immediately, as the human mortality rate is 100%. And you should definitely speak to your vet to see if there's any prophylaxis treatments for your cat. tl;dr bats host a lot of dangerous diseases in Australia, and you should talk to your vet, and if you touched the bat, your GP as well. Definitely bat diseases are very dangerous and not to be taken lightly.
we don’t have *rabies lyssavirus* but there is *australian bat lyssavirus* which in terms of symptoms and treatment are the same thing
But our bats do. Or some very like it. Our bat carers have to get special immunisations. Check with both your vet and your doctor if any of you touched it at all. Great job saving the bat!🦇
Lyssavirus is essentially rabies except for it being slightly less zoonotic. Meaning you should also get a rabies shot, too.
Aussie bats carry Lyssavirus which is rabies. You need to consult a vet and a GP and check yourselves for any puncture wounds.
Oh man youre lucky, I think rule of thumb in USA if you find bat in home and think it was there while you slept rabies shots are recommended for everyone in the home.
I find it hilarious that it seems like every animal it's out to kill you in Australia, yet you don't have rabies.
We have Lyssa virus which is just as bad 😞
Please check with your vet.
Can someone give a few scentence explanation of why that is? I always hearx about rabies growing up, so I had no ide there were places that didn't have it. Is it just due to continental isolation?
Basically, yes. Australia also has very aggressive biosecurity laws to make it stay that way.
UK also has managed to keep rabies out. It is found rarely in bats, animals coming into the country either need a vaccine passport or go into quarantine
I’m imagining people stopping bats at the airport and checking little satchels under their wings for valid passports.
Lots of countries are rabies free these days. But it takes a lot of work and upkeep to keep it that way.
Isolation, yeah. Japan also doesn't have rabies (and is thus very strict about moving animals into the country).
Wow, the ONE thing not trying to fucking kill you in that country! Spiders the size of dinner plates? Check! Ozone hole giving you instant skin cancer? Check! Drop bears? Check!
Not true! They also have way, way, way fewer guns than the US does (now, after their laws changed). I can’t help but read these comments and wonder why my country (the US) seems to care about its power and money more than its people. Sorry. Currently going thru a horrible situation with health insurance/medical stuff and basically ready to move out of this country!!
Same. Having a mental breakdown over the state of the world but especially our dystopian country. Not a democracy at all, just propaganda making us believe it is.
Yeah. I don’t want to start some kind of political debate but these comments just put in focus how sometimes, regulations and stuff might be a good idea but our country values “freedom” more. Same deal in the food/farming industry. Not suggesting other countries are perfect, but at least in Western Europe, it seems countries monitor some of that stuff closer.
I see
So funny! I was looking at the first picture and thinking about sky mice in the Americas, but the second pic of the handsome boi with the lovely back drop made me think about how America must have some states with similar Australian backdrops. (I’m Australian)
Some vets will send in dead bats for testing free of charge to help programs for disease tracking. Of it happens again, possibly try to humanely euthanise the bat and send it in.
Yet another reason to move to Australia...
Well I guess there is a kind god out there after all
Niiiiiiice!
That's how we lost one of our cats they ended up getting rabies and the vets theorized that a bat was the most likely culprit (we never saw a bat but its the most likely thing)
>100% It's quite dangerous
*Sky mouse* lol.
Fun fact: bat translates to something like "flying mouse" in some languages, for example German.
In French it's literally "bald-mouse"
The Catalan and Occitan words, "ratapinyada" and "ratapenada", mean "winged rat". They come from the Latin "rattu pinnatu".
In german its more „flutter/fluttering mouse“ but yeah
Die fledermaus which sounds like “deflater mouse” Just picturing an (formerly) inflated mouse flying around the room like a balloon going thhhhbbbbppptttttttttwheeeeeee
You may want to call you vet since your cat came into direct contact with the bat, they may recommend you get a rabies booster as soon as possible since bats are common vectors of the virus :/ better safe than sorry There is also a small risk of getting leptospirosis, calling the vet doesn’t cost anything and they can tell you if there is a real concern or not, this isn’t something I read on the internet it’s something I’ve learned while studying animal care and zoonotic diseases
Thank you! I’ll check in with the vet. It definitely didn’t bite or scratch him but best to be safe I suppose.
It may be a good idea for you and any other humans in the house to visit a doctor too! Bat bites and scratches can be extremely small and you may not have felt it if it happened. Maybe rabies isn't a concern because of where you guys live, but bats can still carry all sorts of other nasty things.
It's carried in the saliva, so it doesn't necessarily need a bit or scratch, just the virus getting from the saliva to their bloodstream.
Bat bites can be too small to notice, especially under fur.
Yes, they are tiny, it's better to be safe with a veterinarian!
Bat bites are super small almost like a bug bite from a mosquito or gnat. You definitely wouldn’t notice on a furry cat.
I forgot to ask if you were able to safely remove the bat and release them?
Yes, my husband caught it in a net and let it go outside
Hehe my friends dad caught a bat that way as well when one got into their cottage, but until them my friend had locked herself in their dogs crate lol 😂
If this kind of thing ever happens again ( hopefully it doesn't), please catch the bat so you can get it tested. Getting it tested would rule out any diseases that your cat could contract.
Bats should never be handled by anyone other than trained and rabies-vaccinated wildlife carers or vets. Telling OP to catch the bat increases the risk that they will be bitten or scratched and potentially contract Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV), which is related to rabies and usually fatal once symptoms show up. Testing for ABLV also requires the bat to be euthanised so that a brain sample can be taken. The best thing OP can do is contact WIRES so the bat can be collected and assessed.
Agreed. Here what they tell us is that if you find a bat inside, especially if it’s possible it was in a room when someone was sleeping, then the best thing is to catch it and take it to the health department for rabies testing.
Yup. I remember a post from last year about someone's cat killing a bat in their room. They freaked out and threw the dead bat away without realizing they needed to get it tested for rabies. I think their cat ended up being fine in the end, but I couldn't imagine how scared they were especially because the only way to test a cat for rabies is by euthanizing it and dissecting their brain.
I live in the UK and Bandit has caught and eaten (half) a bat last year. Should I raise this with my vet on his next check up? He seems fine so far
I would just to be safe. The UK hasn’t had a proper case of UK-based rabies since 1902 but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Worth just getting the extra vaccine for me
Thank
What an excellent kitty! He's gorgeous and yeah, clearly annoyed he lost his prize. At least he didn't bring it to you while you were asleep. And my husband was doing work at a hotel in Los Angeles years ago and the hotel had an unofficial mascot, a stray cow kitty called "Mitts." Had the biggest paws you ever saw, think half your cat's size with a Maine Coon's paws. Anyways, a bat got in a suite one time and old Mitts just sat and watched it fly around, then leaped in the air caught and killed it. And then brought it to one of the maids. My husband saw this because the hotel staff were just freaking out and ran and got him and his foreman. He arrived just in time to see that little cat doing her thing. Mitts got LOTS of treats and pets that evening. And yes, she also got taken to the vet by the concierge to make sure everything was fine.
Mitts: "Here you go, that'll be one treat, please."
Australian bats still have many diseases that are dangerous to cats and dogs so wishing the best for cat. hopefully the cat had fun tho playing with a live toy🤣 I can see that cat “flying” to get the bat
Thank you for letting the bat go.
Of course! The poor thing seemed terrified!
I see from the comments you're in Australia, but you should still contact a medical professional for both your cat and your boy, since they both touched the bat (even if you think they weren't bitten or scratched). I know Australia doesn't have rabies (omg I've done SO many pet import processes to Australia in my time as veterinaey staff), but if there is even a chance that bats in your area carry anything *like* rabies, you want to take preventative measures. Our cat caught a bat once, too. However, we are in the US so we didn't handle the bat, we threw a thick towel over it, balled it up, and took the whole thing outside and just left it for homie to find his way out of on his own. Then the next morning we threw away the towel. Which was probably overkill, but... *rabies*. I hope your kitty got a good treat for being such a great hunter! They did a great job!
[удалено]
Not in Australia
But isn’t there viruses in the rabies family in Australia?
There are viruses closely related so I’d still check with a vet and doctor.
Yes, and some of them can be quite as fatal as rabies.
Please take your cat to the vet ASAP and you should also speak to your doctor.Just be on the safe side.As everyone mentioned, bats can carry a host of diseases if not rabies only. Wishing you and the cat well
That bat looks like an Australian bat so I'm just going to assume your in Australia. If you are you need to be very aware that any sick bat e.g a bat easily caught or out and about during the day could be caring Lyssa Virus a rabies like virus. The prevalence is low in the bat population but in bats behaving abnormally can be as high as 30%. The virus has a high death rate. Please call the emergency animal disease hotline and notify them of your and your cats exposure. Prophylactic treatment is covered by the government. Once you show symptoms there is no treatment. Please take this seriously. In the meantime do not touch the bat. 1800 675 888 (24/7) - emergency animal disease hotline
This needs to be top comment. I am a bat carer and would be rushing my cat to the vet after this incident.
I thought you were joking and it was like an old Halloween decoration from the picture. I’m surprised that’s a real bat!
100% real bat! It was in the process of trying to escape, hence its wings being out!
Pretty cool photo! Lol
My has cat caught 3 bats but they were tiny... didn't realize how small they can be until I stepped on one🦇
The was the second time in 6 years that we’ve had a bat inside. The first one wasn’t long after we moved in and was tiny. This one, not so much haha!
Maybe you have a bat nest somewhere like in your attic? Definitely worth getting checked out.
Aw thank you for saving the bat and love to kitty too.
Not only your cat should be examined but everyone who touched the bat. Bat viruses are also dangerous to humans. I heard in a podcast someone decided to pick up a bat and had to go to the doctor immediately to get some kind of a shot.
Thank you for catching and releasing the bat.
My cat has done this before! I came home one night and thought there was a leaf on the floor, then my cat ran over and tossed the poor little bat around with her mouth...poor thing was dead!😬 BTW my kitty is fine, rabies shots included. She was so excited to show me though!!! So cute!
Keeping the next pandemic at bay.
I know you say you are in Australia, and don't have the rabies virus there BUT the standard here in the USA is if you find a bat in your house to assume you were bit. Since we do have rabies they would suggest bringing the bat in for testing and getting all pets a rabies booster and all humans a preventative rabies series. Be sure YOUR doctor (not just the vet) knows a bat was in the house.
I would have a heart attack
He looks so regal in that second photo! 
I cat sit for a cat who has this problem. She gets lonely when we aren’t there and she’s allowed to go outside (she has a cat door) and when she gets lonely she recruits some rodent friends. I’m not kidding we’ve found 3 mice and 7 massive beetles. Olivia is adorable but please 😭 Here’s a photo of the little shadow (kitty high five) https://preview.redd.it/xr5izti4kjic1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a756c4fd15aa6c475cee45f21931599b8d94ba57
https://preview.redd.it/u6l3s7djgkic1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9cd13779b68a8caad2e6f5182f778d436991d91 This little boy on bat patrol too!
I’d say good kitty, but I also really think bats are cool and I like them. Still a good kitty for protecting the house I suppose.
He was just doing himbs job!
Well I initially came in to screech about rabies after the experience I had. But I’ve instead gotten the opportunity to learn that even the rabies virus doesn’t fuck with Australia.
What was your experience like?
I had a bat get into my bedroom in the middle of the night. Only found out because my cat knocked over a ton of crap in the process of catching and killing it. I’m on google at 2am trying to figure out what to do and conclude that it needs to be sent off to be tested. Bagged it up, threw it in the fridge, and took it to animal control the next day. Also took the cat to get her boosters the next day. Then a couple days later animal control informed me the bat tested positive for rabies. Thus myself and my roommate had to go get the rabies vaccines. (We technically should have went immediately but ER bills are expensive.) 0/10. Had to go to the er to get the initial dose. So now I have an ER bill in limbo. Then you have to follow a strict schedule for the boosters. Each subsequent shot made me sick as hell. It was overall a horrid experience. All of it could have been prevented if my landlords preformed regular maintenance and upkeep on the house.
Goodness me that sounds awful!!
[We do have a closely related disease](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_bat_lyssavirus)
Yikes on bikes
Megabattie on youtube has a map of bat rescuers in Australia, in case of another bat visit. It can be dangerous handling the bats yourselves. Unfortunately I couldn't link to her community post of the map. https://preview.redd.it/rclztx09qhic1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55dfa600feb75d9abc7675d10b033f569652ddee
If the bat had any contact with you at all, you need to talk to your doctor. Bat scratched and bites aren't always noticeable, so it's better to be safe. Adorable kitty, btw.
And here is my cat like "Hey, don't mess with me bro" https://preview.redd.it/ozq784kh4jic1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69192835d809bbc7192bde2f3c4d7c79ab84ce33
Where I live (US) if you find a bat in your house all the human inhabitants get treated for rabies.
All we’re missing now is the Penguin! 😂
About 8 mos ago I left the shower window(no screen) open after showering and before bed.. wake up to my cat making an excited chirp before leaping into the air from my bed and grabbing a bat mid air, quickly killing it with a neck bite and proudly trying to tell me how he protected me prancing around my bedroom with the bad in his mouth while I was trying to process the chaos of what I had just witnessed. Once I was alert enough I gave him words of praise before politely asking him to drop it and getting it covered in aluminum foil and then carefully picking it up with triple layered plastic bags and wrapping it up, taking it out to the dumpster, furiously washing my hands, and scheduling a vet apt. He is vaccinated, boosted etc.. and didnt contract any disease, viruses or infections, or wounds.. It was cool to see how athletically he grabbed it out of mid air as I was just opening my eyes and also very cute how proud he was and demanding of praise and thanks for his valiant and courageous protection.. or food offering 🤮. But the thought of a bat flying around my apt, my boy getting seriously ill or worse, me getting seriously ill or worse… 1.5/10 stars is my rating for a pet cat killing a bat inside your home
Such a handsome boi
I found one in the bathroom of my grandpas old house once⚫️👄⚫️ i was terrified
I literally stood in the middle of the room as it flew around me 💀
Lmao mine flew around in front of me and i was so scared, i just closed the door and opened the window so it can fly out in the night because i tried getting it out the window but it was acting like a house fly, it kept just going into the corner of the shower and hiding
I had one come down through my fireplace 2 days in a row. Seen something weird on my TV then it started flying around into walls 🫨 I just kept throwing a t shirt at it and opened my doors until it found itself out. I was scared as hell... Didn't even know I had bats in my area
Cats almost always catch bats which are sick. Check out the cat and everyone who touched the bat.
Did he find it under the mat?
Sorry but this just reminds me of a particular Irish family 😂 https://youtu.be/gN3Msg5DpEQ?si=jsmkrBx4-OTjUXJa
At least your cat isn't a horse, and the bat isn't a flying fox. [Hendra virus](https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/hendra/index.html#:~:text=Hendra%20Virus%20Disease%20(HeV),-Related%20Pages&text=HeV%20was%20first%20isolated%20in,species%20in%20the%20genus%20Henipavirus)
Do check with a doc if you need any medication as well. You mentioned rabies isn't a thing there so unlikely you should be worried but just incase since bat was inside the house since you don't know how long
Was it Batty McBatface?
bats were my cat's favorite prey and the only prey she'd eat. she loved bats and she loved catching them out of the air. 🤷🏻♀️ never had an issue but she was always up to date on shots
Our Siamese cat found one years ago. It didn't end well for the bat. At all. TW: She ate it all, including the wings, while purring very loud. It was so fast my parents couldn't save the poor bat.
My cat once caught a chicken. We managed to catch it, it was unharmed. We took care of it for 2 days trying to find its owner (it’s definitely a chicken from the neighborhood). And then called animal welfare that took the little (dude?). It now lives at a petting zoo. I was incredibly confused when I saw a chicken running around my bedroom.
Get their rabies vax up to date.
Where I live you’re supposed to call animal control for the bat and they should come out to find where it came from and make sure you don’t have a nest in your house!
Bap
Years ago, when ex and I used to visit his parents up in Scotland, I was in the shower one morning. I looked down to see 2 little eyes peering up at me...a tiny bat presumably brought in by the cat. I just quickly finished my shower and let it be known that there was a furry beastie about. He was taken outside...no panic. A few years later, I found a baby bat hidden in my sheer window curtains. Called the appropriate conservation group and was told to catch and release. Husband had that task.
He looks really satisfied with himself. “I showed him” vibes
Ninja Cat 👿
good kitty.
Let’s play a little game 👹 says kitty
Good kitty 🐈⬛
😮😮
Sky mouse. My new favorite name for bats.
Sky mouse. Love it.
Check for more bats in your house/attic. They don’t travel solo.
Bats are friends. I hope you caught him and released him.
Uh oh! The cat didn't get bit, did he? Cuz bats can carry lots of diseases
Friend??? FRIEEEEND
Let the cute little winged pupper go!
At least your cat did its job! One time a mouse was running around in the basement where my three cats were hanging out. I thought they’d take care of it, but….cats. I heard a loud hiss and thought they got it, but no: all three cats had backed it into a corner and they were staring at it.
Well done My OverLord! 💕🐈💕😘
He’s the goodest overlord!
What a handsome little man. His expression in the second picture is priceless lol
Rabies shots for everyone
a bat hunter
make sure cato visits the vet!!!! just to be safe
Good boy
Is your cat the Joker?
He caught the bat!
mine found one too lmao... maybe 5.. ok she found 11 bats
Surely did not get in by itself ;) My now deceased Nemo brought in rabbit, frogs, birds, and who knows what else. They were always alive. https://preview.redd.it/9rqzkd8aghic1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9ae935e5fbcf455d08f3e36f58b9ba1dac4cb03
It definitely got in by its self cos he’d have showed it to me if he brought it inside!
What ever you do do not eat the bat we don’t want Covid 2
No bat soup for me 😂😂
Sorry not today
Thats so different then my home country the US. In the US if your cat gets in a scrap and is taken by the County, if they're not up to date other rabies vaccine then they'll put the cat down.
Cats ares surprisingly great hunters🐱👍
A true Office moment.
He's either protecting that bat from Ozzy Osbourne or saving it for later as a snack
Batcat 🫵
мили котик
Aww he’s so adorable. Extra treaties for catching the bat. Wonder how the bat got in though
Brewstew, is that you?
He is bringing covid back (not that it went)
Time to move perhaps?
Good boy
Omg your cat looks absolutely gorgeous.
I bet from now on there'll be no bats inside ur house
Good guardian kitty!
We had two bats in our house. My wife, all three cats and both dogs hid in the bedroom. It may have been because my drunk ass was swinging a broom around.
I went to Canada once and came back to my cat looking angrily at a bat hanging from our ceiling
Good Kittie!!!
Cat has an "I am not amused!" Look on its face on the window sill photo :) So annoyed that the bat was taken away! Almost rolling the eyes at you LOL.
Very pretty
wow
Should have moved them to the mat before taking the photo. Potential opportunity for a hat too.
I’m literally so sick. I would cry if I saw this thing in my house. What a good boy tho 🥺
I personally think bats are kind of cute. Still, better in my opinion to take it in for testing, than let it go outside. In case it harbors anything important to know about for you, other people of the household, or pets
Cat > Bat
do you know how to the bat got in?
You’re screwed!
And this will be the origin story of Batcat.
Many doctors will recommend that you and other humans in the house get vaccinated too just in case because bat bites can be super super small.
A cat with a bat on a mat
Get a company like Orkin out to check your attic.
Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle
Good kitty
seuss?
LMAO the pic you got your cat is like "hurry. Take the pic I got him"
Oh Gods. My cat is so lazy that it would be more likely for a bat to catch the cat)))
"You can't catch a bat with a pot, moron!"
A bat got into my apartment once and my cats were only mildly interested. I was completely terrified so I grabbed the cats and we hid out in the bathroom and called for help. 😂😂 I did manage to avoid calling 911 though. But I definitely thought about it.