Cats, Bats, An Agitated Vet Tech, and Ghost Underwear

Hello all,

Let it be known, this is not Casey Schmacey, but her mentally grounded husband...chiming in.  Some of you may have heard about a recent visitor that stopped by unexpectedly.  Here are some clues...it is a mammal, it flies, and it rhymes with cat. 

At approximatley 5am on August 25, I awoke to find a bat flying in my bedroom being chased by the cat.  So naturally, I hiked up my ghost boxer briefs and ran like hell out of the room.  I phoned home and asked my sister to take the cat to the vet a week early to get his rabies shot.  Meanwhile, with the bat closed in the bedroom I tried to go back to sleep.  But moments later, I heard pouncing in one of the spare bedrooms.  That little bugger managed to slip under the crack from the door and head to another room...and of course, Hemingway had joined in the hunt.  The soft pouncing I heard, was Hemingway's clawless feet.  I am sure he was cursing me that morning.  I ran downstairs, and moments later so did the bat.  Well, I leapt and the bat flew, and Hemingway pranced.  My sister was walking up the path to get the cat.  As she walked in the door, all I could yell was, "Get Down!"  The last thing we needed was to get smacked in the face by the bat.  The cat had heard Courtney so he ran under the couch, which has never protected him in the past.  I don't know why he thought it would work now.  She grabbed the cat as the bat flew around the living room.  The cat got loose and ran to the basement.  So, in our quick thinking, we army crawled to the basement and shut the door.  Luckily, somehow, before my sister arrived, I managed to find pants.  She demanded I get the carrier which was on the porch.  The bat was pacing back and forth between the stairway window and front door.  He wanted out and I needed the pet carrier.  I carefully opened the basement door, the bat exhausted still flying back and forth.  I grabbed my keys, left through the back door, and let myself in the front porch.  I grabbed the carrier and gave it to Courtney.  I then realized that our guest was hanging by the front door because he wanted to leave.  I then went back to the front door and used our Easter flag to carefully open the front door in which he flew out, circled the house, and then zoomed into the neighbor's tree.  He had overstayed his welcome, and at that point, both of us felt socially uncomfortable. 

Hemingway successfully made it to the spa...well, the vet, to receive his early rabies boosters since he saw this creature as his nocturnal game.  Which left me to make a decision.  What does one do to protect oneself when having a bat encounter?  Well, the wild life handlers recommend letting it out the window.  The CDC recommends capturing it, killing it, and have it evaluated for rabies.  That was not an option.  And I certainly would not harm my company.  The bat was free.  I was paranoid.  As I continued reading the literature, it suggested that any person who is asleep and awakens to find a bat in their room begin the post exposure prophylaxis treatment for rabies.  And that I did.  Seven shots later, I have one more to go on Saturday.  The exterminator could find no evidence of his return, his family, or friends.  So it was determined this was a fluke incident. 

However, with Halloween just around the corner, and with an evening of cats, bats, an agitated vet tech, and ghost underwear, I still wander through the hallways of our antique house ever so cautiously, should another bat stop by for my warm hospitality.  Oh yes, I almost forgot.  This bat did not end his visit without bringing a gift.  He pooped all over the upstairs bathroom.  At least he was in the right room.  Unfortunatley, it took quite a while to disinfect the floor. 

So, for any bat who is reading this blog, please visit someone else should you require human contact.  Although I find you entertaining and kinda cute, you have sent my anxiety and OCD through the roof and my therapist will be getting a call this week. 

Happy Blogging!

And now, in the most calm and mentally grounded fashion, I bid you goodnight.

Yours truly,
Kurt

I have to go, I feel the urge to stand on the roof, flap in the moonlight, and catch insects.