HELP. The cat caught a bat. It’s alive!

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So we have a small bat now in a box, rescued from the cat. Nose to tail 4.5cm long. It’s not dead and doesn’t seem to be injured but certainly stunned.
Any advice on how to help the wee creature is much appreciated.
The first google with mentions of rabies has put the fear of god in me but I suspect it wasn’t a Uk site.

Dont handle it; bats are strictly protected, and yes they can carry rabies even in the UK.
Phone a local vet, RSPCA or wildlife rescue, they should know someone who has a licence to handle bats who can help.

www.bats.org.uk/pages/help.html

The bat conservation trust will help

Bat Helpline 0345 1300 228.

Further numbers and info at the bottom of this U.K. page:

www.bats.org.uk/pages/containingabat.html

Holy smoke Batman!!

My cat did that once when I was little. Wouldn’t touch it after she’d seen it properly.

The bat climbed the curtains then bit first our helpful neighbour then the SSPCA man.

I had similar experience recently. Took the bat to the 24hr vet who then contacted the right organisation.
I know you're not meant to handle them but I figured I was saving it's life (hopefully!) by doing this.

put it in a box with a lid and airholes with a nice soft cloth/ towel it can't get its claws caught in. And a milk bottle lid of water. Then phone bat helpline numbers - they gave us help when i found a bedraggled one in the bath

Arghh i would hate this! Oh dear, sorry, no advice but hope it works oit ok!

Thanks for your responses. We’ve taken the advice from bat.org and Tortycat and out him in a shoe box with air holes and a milk bottle lid of water. We will take it to the vet hospital first thing tomorrow am, they are just round the corner thank goodness! The advice about handling was a bit redundant as the cat just dropped it on the kitchen floor at my feet and I couldn’t leave it there. I do now have a very confused cat.

Feeling slightly less panicked now but here’s a pic - not my finest photography

I now need names...

Robin. Obviously. Or Fink. I once found a dead bat on the pavement. I took it home. I'm not a cat.

Bruce - he is bat man!

Nora! As in Nora Batty from Last Of The Summer Wine.

And, OP, you sound like a lovely caring person.

Catch 'em Derry!

One of mine brought one in last year & then just lay there watching it.

Stupid cat.

So DH picked it up with oven gloves, we put it on the shed roof (it was very cross & showed me its teeth a few times) & it took off & left after a while. afaik it was ok

We did get a dead one this year though

Arf at the Bat Helpline

I love that Bats have their own Helpline. Who knew?

I'd call him Steve.

I love you guys! Brilliant names.

Not sure about Steve... my EXDH name and he’s an arse!

I think she’s female and you should call her Nora

Nora batty

We called the bat helpline and a lovely lady came out to rescue the bat - she even telephoned us the next day to tell us that the bat had recovered and had been set free. I hope there is a happy ending for your new little bat friend. 🦇

Cat bites usually turn septic due to the bacteria in their mouths, so it’s best that the bat has some antibiotics from the bat rescue people before being returned to the wild.

We’ve just been out in the garden watching the bats fly over the gardens. They’re very agile.

Well done for rescuing it.

I've just seen someone post the same question on my local Facebook group!

My cat caught one once and the bat charity I phoned asked if I would keep it in the fridge til they could collect it. I was two weeks post partum and the fridge was full of my minuscule quantities of expressed breast milk for my screaming reflux tongue tie baby. I cried down the phone -a lot- and eventually put it in the bin.

They look bizarre up close though, don’t they??!