cat caught a bat?

[embean]

so, tonight my cat caught a bat, it came out of a vent and she had been sitting right there, obviously she heard it and I didn't. anyway, I didn't realize it was a bat until it was shrieking (didn't know they made that much noise really).

it was only a moment before I got the bat, but she obviously attacked it for it to be making that much noise. I don't know if she clawed it or bit it. I know there's some danger to cats eating mice (worms?) but what about bats, and what if she just got one chomp in?

[sugarcatmom]

My worry with bats would be rabies. Where is the bat now?

[embean]

the bat, we dumped it outside somewhere. the cat has current rabies shots. she seems perfectly fine, and quite proud of herself...

[Dr Lee]

I agree with sugarcatmom. Bats can carry rabies. While vaccine usually provide excellent protection, it is not a guarantee. Furthermore, if there was rabies that was transmitted, it can be given to people. Rabies is a fatal disease. It is generally recommended that you contact your local animal control and have then test the bat. I do not mess around with bats.

Hope that helps.

[Melinda]

not sure where you are, but rabies in bats has decreased dramatically in Ontario, a rabid bat cannot fly properly and falls.

Despite large numbers of bats in southern Ontario, rabies is infrequent. Fewer than 2% of bats
submitted for testing have rabies (2% of all bats acting strangely, dead, or have possibly bitten
a human or pet). In the overall population, this percentage would be much lower.