Bats In My Belfry
I was awakened this morning, by my cat Torro. He was outside, and he wanted in. It was almost 6 am. Groaning, I threw off my blankets and went to the back door.
As I opened up the door, I could see him, sitting there a few feet away. He was meowing at me. He will do this, in fact, it is his modus operendi. He meows, you open the door, he remains sitting there. You walk over to pick him up, he drops down to all fours, and rolls over on his back, looking adorable. It's an effective ploy at being loved up. Torro, doesn't really want in, he wants you to come outside, sit down, so he can jump up on your lap and get his love. Well not today pal. It's wet outside, and it's still dark. Who knows what's skittering around at this time of morning. I, for one wasn't about to find out.
I closed the door, but then I heard him scratching at the screen door. I guess he really does want in. I opened the door once again. Torro, was sitting in the same spot as before. "Really?" Bending down, tired of his shenanigans, I picked him up. He was squirming and scratching, he clearly didn't want in. I let him go, chastising him as I did. "I could still be sleeping, in a comfy, warm bed Torro! Instead, I'm outside, playing the fool with you!"
I opened up the door, to walk in, and Torro, was at my heels. I guess he decided to come in afterall. As I was shutting the inside door, I could hear something slapping against the walls in the hallway. I looked down and could see Torro, looking up at me. More slapping sounds. This time, Torro's attention was not directed to me, but over my head.
I could feel the scream building in my throat, I didn't need to see what was making that strange slapping sound, in my memory bank, I withdrew a similar sound.
My husband and I were at my daughters babysitting our granddaughter, who at the time was about a year and a half. I was bathing her, and my husband, was outside on the balcony, having a cigarette. It was a warm night. Finishing the bath, I had wrapped up my wet granddaughter, and was standing up, when I heard that exact noise, and felt something fly past my head, mere centimeters from my hair.
It was a bat, my husband had inadvertently let it in when he walked through the patio door.
It seems, I had a bat in my belfry, and I didn't even know what a belfry was ! I didn't have to see it to know it was there. Truthfully, I didn't want to see it.
I could hear it's frantic flapping, I could feel my frantic heart beating. Torro, was jumping up, trying to catch it. "I hate cats!!! Why must you bring creatures into my abode?" The bat was hissing, and flying into the walls, desperately trying to escape.
I threw Torro into the main floor and shut the door. I ran to my bedroom to get dressed. I knew some bats had been found this summer with rabies, and I didn't want to take a chance. I contemplated waking my husband, but I decided against it.
I was dressed in long sleeve shirt, pants and shoes, I pulled a scarf out of my drawer to tie around my head. The Muslim ladies wear them, I should be able to figure it out. I resembled Boris Karloff, in the old black and white movie, The Mummy. It would have to do.
I opened up the hall door, and looked around. It wasn't there. "Oh great, it's downstairs!" Panic was beginning to rise again, ad I carefully made my way down the stairs looking and listening. I walked
to our family room, and turned on the light. I knew from my daughter's apartment, having been there on 3 separate occasions, battling bats, they go for corners. I checked the corners, nothing. I could see movement behind my curtains. Gathering my courage, and my towel, I pulled the curtains back. It was my other cat Bella. Both relieved and disappointed, I continued the search.
Next, I checked the laundry room, the light in there is dull, and I have clothes hanging up on a clothes line. This, would be a challenge. I began, carefully turning things around looking, I heard a faint hissing. I froze. It was in here somewhere. I didn't move, I just looked around. I felt like a mighty hunter, tracking a mighty lion, the reality was, I was more like Elmer Fudd, "Be vewy vewy qwiet, I'm hunting bats!"
I had to turn around, I couldn't see anything more in the direction I was looking. I carefully, turned around, without moving my feet. I guess those ballroom dancing lessons did pay off!
Looking, and listening, I moved things slowly. More hissing. I was close! Out of the corner of my eye, I could see movement. It was sitting on top of a laundry basket full of dirty clothes.
Not thinking, I threw the towel on top of it. "Aha! I have you now!" My glee was short lived however, how was I going to get it out of here? I would need to get my hands in there and try to wrap it up. That was never going to happen!
I did the only thing I could do. I picked up the whole laundry basket, carried it upstairs and walked it into my back yard. I put it down, the bat was wiggling, trying to free itself from the weight of the towel. I looked around, and saw my grandchildren's plastic rake. "That will work perfectly." Carefully, hooking the towel, I lifted it up to free the bat. I dropped it on the ground. Nothing. "Aahhh!" I hooked it again, and shook it. The bat, was not in the towel! My eyes, immediately shot back to the laundry basket. In there, tucked in the corner, was the bat. It's mouth was open, it was gasping. My heart, went out to the little guy. It was terrified. I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of my door, I was terrified!
Feeling brave, and sympathetic, I pushed the laundry hamper over to free the bat. It wasn't moving. "Oh good grief!" I had to use the plastic rake, to move the clothes, finally uncovering it. It just sat there, not moving. I stood there, not moving. It seems we had a stalemate.
I began picking up the clothes and throwing them back into the laundry basket. The bat still wasn't moving. It was no longer gasping or hissing so I thought that was a good sign.
I thought me standing there was probably not enticing him to move, so I picked up the hamper and walked inside.
I decided to attempt a load of laundry. When I climbed back upstairs, and looked outside, the bat was gone. It was after 6:30. I needed a coffee. I hauled off my mummy gear and sat, drinking my coffee. Torro, jumped up on the table beside me, complaining very loudly. I looked at him and asked him if he was the benificiary on some life insurance that I didn't know about. It seemed to me, he had been the cause of a lot of catastrophic issues this summer.
He jumped down and went to the door. I let him out. He had terrorized a mouse, a squirrel, and now a bat, as well as me in the process. As I closed the door, I prayed he would stay away from skunks.
As I opened up the door, I could see him, sitting there a few feet away. He was meowing at me. He will do this, in fact, it is his modus operendi. He meows, you open the door, he remains sitting there. You walk over to pick him up, he drops down to all fours, and rolls over on his back, looking adorable. It's an effective ploy at being loved up. Torro, doesn't really want in, he wants you to come outside, sit down, so he can jump up on your lap and get his love. Well not today pal. It's wet outside, and it's still dark. Who knows what's skittering around at this time of morning. I, for one wasn't about to find out.
I closed the door, but then I heard him scratching at the screen door. I guess he really does want in. I opened the door once again. Torro, was sitting in the same spot as before. "Really?" Bending down, tired of his shenanigans, I picked him up. He was squirming and scratching, he clearly didn't want in. I let him go, chastising him as I did. "I could still be sleeping, in a comfy, warm bed Torro! Instead, I'm outside, playing the fool with you!"
I opened up the door, to walk in, and Torro, was at my heels. I guess he decided to come in afterall. As I was shutting the inside door, I could hear something slapping against the walls in the hallway. I looked down and could see Torro, looking up at me. More slapping sounds. This time, Torro's attention was not directed to me, but over my head.
I could feel the scream building in my throat, I didn't need to see what was making that strange slapping sound, in my memory bank, I withdrew a similar sound.
My husband and I were at my daughters babysitting our granddaughter, who at the time was about a year and a half. I was bathing her, and my husband, was outside on the balcony, having a cigarette. It was a warm night. Finishing the bath, I had wrapped up my wet granddaughter, and was standing up, when I heard that exact noise, and felt something fly past my head, mere centimeters from my hair.
It was a bat, my husband had inadvertently let it in when he walked through the patio door.
It seems, I had a bat in my belfry, and I didn't even know what a belfry was ! I didn't have to see it to know it was there. Truthfully, I didn't want to see it.
I could hear it's frantic flapping, I could feel my frantic heart beating. Torro, was jumping up, trying to catch it. "I hate cats!!! Why must you bring creatures into my abode?" The bat was hissing, and flying into the walls, desperately trying to escape.
I threw Torro into the main floor and shut the door. I ran to my bedroom to get dressed. I knew some bats had been found this summer with rabies, and I didn't want to take a chance. I contemplated waking my husband, but I decided against it.
I was dressed in long sleeve shirt, pants and shoes, I pulled a scarf out of my drawer to tie around my head. The Muslim ladies wear them, I should be able to figure it out. I resembled Boris Karloff, in the old black and white movie, The Mummy. It would have to do.
I opened up the hall door, and looked around. It wasn't there. "Oh great, it's downstairs!" Panic was beginning to rise again, ad I carefully made my way down the stairs looking and listening. I walked
to our family room, and turned on the light. I knew from my daughter's apartment, having been there on 3 separate occasions, battling bats, they go for corners. I checked the corners, nothing. I could see movement behind my curtains. Gathering my courage, and my towel, I pulled the curtains back. It was my other cat Bella. Both relieved and disappointed, I continued the search.
Next, I checked the laundry room, the light in there is dull, and I have clothes hanging up on a clothes line. This, would be a challenge. I began, carefully turning things around looking, I heard a faint hissing. I froze. It was in here somewhere. I didn't move, I just looked around. I felt like a mighty hunter, tracking a mighty lion, the reality was, I was more like Elmer Fudd, "Be vewy vewy qwiet, I'm hunting bats!"
I had to turn around, I couldn't see anything more in the direction I was looking. I carefully, turned around, without moving my feet. I guess those ballroom dancing lessons did pay off!
Looking, and listening, I moved things slowly. More hissing. I was close! Out of the corner of my eye, I could see movement. It was sitting on top of a laundry basket full of dirty clothes.
Not thinking, I threw the towel on top of it. "Aha! I have you now!" My glee was short lived however, how was I going to get it out of here? I would need to get my hands in there and try to wrap it up. That was never going to happen!
I did the only thing I could do. I picked up the whole laundry basket, carried it upstairs and walked it into my back yard. I put it down, the bat was wiggling, trying to free itself from the weight of the towel. I looked around, and saw my grandchildren's plastic rake. "That will work perfectly." Carefully, hooking the towel, I lifted it up to free the bat. I dropped it on the ground. Nothing. "Aahhh!" I hooked it again, and shook it. The bat, was not in the towel! My eyes, immediately shot back to the laundry basket. In there, tucked in the corner, was the bat. It's mouth was open, it was gasping. My heart, went out to the little guy. It was terrified. I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of my door, I was terrified!
Feeling brave, and sympathetic, I pushed the laundry hamper over to free the bat. It wasn't moving. "Oh good grief!" I had to use the plastic rake, to move the clothes, finally uncovering it. It just sat there, not moving. I stood there, not moving. It seems we had a stalemate.
I began picking up the clothes and throwing them back into the laundry basket. The bat still wasn't moving. It was no longer gasping or hissing so I thought that was a good sign.
I thought me standing there was probably not enticing him to move, so I picked up the hamper and walked inside.
I decided to attempt a load of laundry. When I climbed back upstairs, and looked outside, the bat was gone. It was after 6:30. I needed a coffee. I hauled off my mummy gear and sat, drinking my coffee. Torro, jumped up on the table beside me, complaining very loudly. I looked at him and asked him if he was the benificiary on some life insurance that I didn't know about. It seemed to me, he had been the cause of a lot of catastrophic issues this summer.
He jumped down and went to the door. I let him out. He had terrorized a mouse, a squirrel, and now a bat, as well as me in the process. As I closed the door, I prayed he would stay away from skunks.
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