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• 1. JessZ  |  June 11, 2007 at 11:24 pm

  What a wittle cutie! As always I’m impressed with your blogging skillz.

• 2. Mel  |  June 12, 2007 at 12:30 am

  Oh, sweetie, I hate having to do this schpiel because people always assume that I’m down on bats, when I really love them, but bats in the house are a major big problem. Bat bites are the number one source for human rabies cases in the US, and in a lot of those cases the people don’t know they’ve been bitten. It’s enough of a big deal that the CDC has a webpage devoted specifically to bats & rabies:

  http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/bats_&_rabies/bats&.htm

  At the very least, check with your veterinarian about whether boosters are warranted with the dog (since she’s probably only had one vaccine at this point, I’d be inclined to say yes). And check with Little Man’s pediatrician, too. Chances are you’re not at high risk, but considering it’s a disease with a 100% fatality rate (except for that one girl in WI a few years ago, but she was 8+ months in the hospital and had some pretty bad brain damage in the end), it’s better not to leave any of it to chance.

• 3. mamacate  |  June 12, 2007 at 9:00 am

  See how your Smith education has paid off?

• 4. Haddy  |  June 12, 2007 at 9:14 am

  You are a hero. Bat wrangling is tough work. Those suckers are fast!

• 5. Lisa  |  June 12, 2007 at 9:33 am

  Mafia Bat Wrangling Service….has a nice ring to it don’t ya think?

  I have to agree with Me! as far as the safety issues. Bats are not good house mates and if there is one, then there is more likely several. If they live in a bat house or under a bridge and the poor thing just flew in the window, then okay, but have the place checked for your own piece of mind.

  And we would never comment on the boxer shorts. My girls think that they are perfectly acceptable to wear any where and anytime, so be proud!

• 6. Danielle  |  June 12, 2007 at 9:48 am

  Eww. One more thing for me to fear in the dark….

• 7. maryse  |  June 12, 2007 at 10:17 am

  i’m with wifey on this one … except that i love count chocula cereal and the count on sesame street.

• 8. Francesca  |  June 12, 2007 at 10:32 am

  It does actually look cute. I am with you with the spider phobia, in a big way, but I tend to like other creatures. Glad you were able to snatch a pic.

• 9. Sneaksleep  |  June 12, 2007 at 10:57 am

  What mamacate said. Glad you were both brave and gentle in the bat removal! (And for the record, I don’t think there’s anything weird about wearing men’s boxer shorts to bed–but then again, you and I went to the same school…

• 10. Beth S.  |  June 12, 2007 at 11:19 am

  So where was Batilda when she was discovered? Did she just come swooping into the bedroom, or what? ‘Cause I’d probably scream too if a bat just appeared out of nowhere, especially if it was confused and flapping all over the place…

• 11. Kellee  |  June 12, 2007 at 11:25 am

  Lurve the wee little bats. Lurve them. Maybe not so much in the house, so the catch & release plan is a good one, but dang they’re cute.

  Also? They eat the evil, disgusting, REAL blood-sucking menace - mosquitoes, and anything that will gorge itself on that unholy scourge will always have a place in my heart. Good job on the not getting bitten part, too. I hear rabies shots suck ass.

  Um……I thought everyone wore men’s boxers to bed? Unless they’re naked sleepers of course.

• 12. Sparkles  |  June 12, 2007 at 12:02 pm

  Wow, bats! I am the spider killer in our house, though I don’t know what would happen if we got a bat…and I’m only the spider killer by default…one of us had to be and I would rather kill it than let it wander around to be found “the hard way” later.

  Funny related story though. When R and I were house hunting one woman asked which of us were the “spider killer”. Ultimately we figured out she was trying to ask which one of us was the “man”…egads!

• 13. Leah  |  June 12, 2007 at 12:39 pm

  I wear men’s boxers all the time (and i’m not a boy). cute bat. I have to rescue g from spiders too, and I suspect a bat would fall in the catergory too. I am terrified of birds of all things. she had to rescue me from a pigeon on our bed not too long ago.

• 14. Rhonda the Stitchingnut  |  June 12, 2007 at 12:52 pm

  Oh cute … but I wouldn’t one in the house either. Thank goodness Wifey & Little Man live with a Hero!!

• 15. pamelawynne  |  June 12, 2007 at 1:15 pm

  Aw, she IS kinda cute. Has Little Man read Stella Luna? Best kinds’ bat book ever.
  We had a bat last year and, after shooing it out, called animal control to find out whether we should be having Rabies Panic. We were told that seeing one once isn’t a big deal, especially if it doesn’t seem to have been in the house while folks are sleeping. But if you see more, it means you’ve probably got a nest.

• 16. Ashley  |  June 12, 2007 at 2:22 pm

  Hooray for catch and release!

  Did you know that Austin has (seasonally) the largest urban bat population in the US? It does. And so every year the university would send around the annual Bat Email, advising everyone not to touch bats that are lying around on the ground. Because those are the ones with rabies. If it’s flying around, you’re probably a-ok.

  And Stella Luna is the perfect follow-uo to this experience, if Little Man hasn’t read it yet.

• 17. TheWantonSeedStitch  |  June 12, 2007 at 4:40 pm

  Awwww! I love bats! They’re so cute.

  FWIW, I am SO with you on the bats = cute, spiders = GAH!

• 18. Emily  |  June 12, 2007 at 4:52 pm

  OMG! We’ve had 2 episodes with bats and I have to admit my behavior resembles Wifey’s.

• 19. Katy  |  June 12, 2007 at 6:56 pm

  Umm…I’m with wifey on this one. And DH is too. Can we call you if we get a bat in our house????

• 20. roro  |  June 12, 2007 at 9:35 pm

  You are a rock star! I’m okay with spiders but bats are a little out of my league. What I was *going* to say was that “I can’t handle anything furry”, but then I thought better of it.

• 21. Ruth  |  June 12, 2007 at 10:38 pm

  She is very cute, and was probably as freaked out as Wifey, but Mel’s caution is now ringing in my ears, and I hope you’ve made sure that Batilda wasn’t visiting relatives who’ve built themselves a condo in your attic.

  Very brave, you, on the bat wrangling. How did the pup react to all this?

• 22. painterwoman  |  June 12, 2007 at 11:59 pm

  I am VERY impressed. I do NOT want bats in the house and would probably go after one with a very LONG broom. Not catch and release but blast and toss. I’m OK with spiders though. The only Smith education I had was that it was my maiden name. (Went to Scripps, which is probably Smith or Holyoke “lite.”

• 23. Dorothy B  |  June 13, 2007 at 11:39 am

  Nice! They are cute little critters as long as they are far away from me. It’s when they get too close that I get urges to run and also make high pitched noises that may resemble screaming.

• 24. Suzanne  |  June 13, 2007 at 12:17 pm

  I adore bats. I was so disappointed a little while ago when the fruit bats were not on display at the Franklin Park Zoo. (They are back, though!) Nice PSA from Mel - rabies shots cannot be a good time. I am not a boxer sort, but certainly am a sleep naked sort. I am really impressed that you got a picture of yourself with the trapped bat, since either Little Man or Wifey must have taken it. True?

• 25. PICAdrienne  |  June 13, 2007 at 3:03 pm

  If it was dark out, your concerns can be minimized, somewhat. A friend of mine had bats nesting in her chimney last summer, and that was a bit of an issue. I am not sure if the bats ever took to the bat house we put up, but fortunately, she has not seen one this spring.

  You can relay to Wifey, bats are considered signs of luck and longevity in some cultures.

• 26. Julie  |  June 13, 2007 at 4:22 pm

  Bats are awesome! Has Little Man taken to hanging upside-down since the encounter? I liked to do that and pretend I was a bat when I was a kid.

• 27. Jill  |  June 13, 2007 at 7:54 pm

  EEW! My very first car date ever, a bat got into our house (late afternoon, sun still out). My poor father heard the worst screams a parent could imagine, comes flying down to the house from the barn with a shotgun and a shovel. Just as he is taking the bat out of the house (shotgun still in hand, not fired though), my date pulls into the lane. Yeah, what a way to start a date.

  I admire your braveness. Tell Wifey she’s not alone. I’d rather kill spiders than deal with bats too.

• 28. Bats at the State House &&hellip  |  June 14, 2007 at 10:47 am

  [...] the thoughts, tips, empathy and laughs about the bat in my house.  Special thanks to Mel for the article on the risks.  Let’s not discuss the call to the vet to ask if all the animals are up-to-date on their [...]

• 29. Cynical Knitting Gal  |  June 14, 2007 at 11:26 am

  I’m also with mamacate and Jill too…lol!

  Good job Smithie

• 30. Lucia  |  June 14, 2007 at 3:09 pm

  It is cute, in a rodenty sort of way. The last time we had a bat in our house I discovered severe chiropterophobia (if that’s a word, and if I’m spelling it right). I ducked and shrieked while my husband yelled, “CATCH IT!” It was very embarrassing. You’re a better woman than I. Or a better bat-wrangler, at the very least.

• 31. Sue  |  June 17, 2007 at 9:18 am

  Definitely check with your doctor about the exposure, you may need to be vaccinated, I kid you not.

• 32. Batilda or Stellaluna? &l&hellip  |  August 8, 2007 at 7:24 pm

  [...] 8, 2007 She’s Baaaaaack! And happily snoozing away. Or is she a new [...]

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