| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 5:45:30 PM
Holy moly Batman!!! I came home from the bus stop this morning and found one of my Kitties playing with what I THOUGHT was a mouse! I was SO PROUD of the kitty, but when I got closer to take a look at the "mouse" I realized-- OH MY GOSH!!! It was NOT a mouse, but a DEAD BAT!!! I picked it up with a pair of pliers lying on the picnic table and threw it in the dumpster. As I was walking back through the yard I found ANOTHER dead bat, then ANOTHER, and ANOTHER, and ANOTHER.... SIX of them in all! I got a plastic bag and used the pliers to pick up all the little dead bodies and got the first bat out of the dumpster. I put the bag up where the cats couldn't reach it and ran in the house to call for someone to come and pick them up for testing.
When I got off the phone with the Sherrif's dispatcher who said she'd send an Animal Control officer out to get them, I went on my merry way to feed the critters, BUT, when I opened the sliding barn door.... OH MY GOSH!!! There were FIFTEEN MORE DEAD BATS!!!!!! I could NOT BELIEVE IT!!! I left them there for the AC Officer. He came out a few hours later and picked them all up. He said that if any of them came back POSITIVE for rabies all of my critters would have to be quaranteened for at least 10 days. That's 9 cats, 5 dogs and 1 Pot bellied pig. (the other animals did not have any possible contact) I asked him HOW and WHERE they would be quaranteened and he said hopefully we could just keep them HERE. He laughed when I told him I wouldn't mind if he had to cart off my PIG since she recently ATE MY ENTIRE GARDEN!!! Oh, but what a scary thing!!! I have not heard any news yet, so I'm hoping that's a GOOD thing. With that many dead bats, I doubt it's rabies. What a DAY!!! (and it's my middle son's 17th Birthday!)
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| barnagainkristin |
Posted - Sep 27 2008 : 9:15:15 PM
Tracy
Lets get that Opal chat going. What a great name for a farmgirl's pet pig.
barnagainkristin
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." John Muir |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Sep 21 2008 : 8:51:27 PM
The bats are fine Kristin-- they appreciate your asking (lol!). I hear them making their strange clicking/chattering noises every single time I walk into the barn. No more dead ones since that incident a few weeks ago. I'm glad. I do look for them all the time now. And always hope I don't SEE any! So far so good!
As for my pig-- Opal-- she IS quite the character. (AND quite the pain my butt!!) She would sooo LOVE to have her own page here on the chatsite!!! If I knew how to post pics I'd certainly give everyone who logged on an eyefull!! She's getting her Winter "coat" now-- long white bristley hair. Before I got her, I did not even know that pigs HAD hair! I thought they were like those hairless cats!!! (LOL) Perhaps I WILL start an "Opal" topic. Thanks for passing on the idea. ~~~ Hugs ~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| barnagainkristin |
Posted - Sep 19 2008 : 7:55:38 PM
Shepherdgirl,
Love to hear your pig stories. She sounds like such a character. Maybe you should start a chat about pig stories since I'm sure others have had fun raising pigs also. I'm happy to hear yours is a pet. Our first pigs weren't and the day they left us, even after all the days I wanted to harm them, I was heart broken. Since that day everything at our house has been a pet. I guess I'm not much of a farmgirl when it comes to eating my animals. They are all my little buddies. I just can't do it. No judgement against all the farmgirls who can. They're just tougher than me. I guess I'm just too tender hearted and would rather eat vegetables.
Are bats still visiting your farm and are they healthy? Hope all is well.
barnagainkristin
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." John Muir |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Sep 15 2008 : 09:50:39 AM
You'll be happy to know that no bats have ever been in our house. They stay pretty much out by the barn and fly all over the countryside (or however far bats fly from "home"), but not too near the house. As for the rabies, well, I believe the kind of bats we have here rarely test positive-- they are very small. (Someone told me what kind, but I can't remember the name) I doubt they do much biting on anything larger than a MOTH!!! (or maybe not even THOSE! I've seen moths here nearly half the size of the bats themselves).
As for the pig-- she's a BEAST! I had to laugh, Kristin, when you said you chased the pigs around with logs and pitchforks! My pig runs loose on the property and sometimes SHE chases US! We were headed out the door for chuch last Sunday and I had to RUN to the car! She was covered in mud and very determined to rub her dirty nose all over my light colored pants. Instead she rubbed her dirty butt all over my clean car! I didn't believe my son at first when he told me she did that, until I saw it the next day! Very DEFINITE pork butt prints on the lower passenger door panel!! Rotten pig! But... ahhh.... how boring life would be without her!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| barnagainkristin |
Posted - Sep 10 2008 : 7:57:07 PM
MaryP
I am with you in that it is a shame that the bats may have died from poisoning mosquitos which the bats help get rid of. When I started reading this I suspected some kind of pesticide poisoning. So many people I know are frightened of bats. We are fortunate enough to have a few visit our yard each night. I believe it is much more likely for a person to contract a disease from a mosquito than from a bat. I do have to say to you ladies who have had them in your house that I would be freaked out by that. I love animals but there are some critters who just don't belong where I sleep and eat. Oh the fun stories farmgirls have to tell.
Shepherdgirl's pig story made me laugh. We raised pigs at one time and I think they were smarter than me. There were many days when I could be seen in a dress ready to go to work chasing them around the yard with a log or pitch fork since we weren't the best fence builders in our younger days.
barnagainkristin
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." John Muir |
| Aunt Lulu |
Posted - Sep 10 2008 : 07:36:14 AM
Here in Michigan a few weeks ago a family was in the paper for a bat problem. The family cat had gotten rabies from a bat that had gotten into the house. They had lots of children and house pets, and eveyone had to be tested.I don't remember seeing a follow up story on this family so I hope everything went ok. I'll be praying for you.
TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED......IT'S THAT SIMPLE!!!!!! |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Sep 09 2008 : 1:56:51 PM
Aww... I'm not worried about the bats. They DO migrate for a very short time once or twice a year, but I never can remember when they go. I have told my husband that he needs to cover the cracks so they can't get back in once they came back, but he never does. I will mention the rodent repeller though-- but will it bother the other animals? My dog is very sensitive to sounds, so I worry that the repeller might irritate him, (or FREAK him out!!), but if it won't, I'd be more than willing to do THAT! Thanks for the tip Mary!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| MaryP |
Posted - Sep 08 2008 : 3:03:53 PM
One thing you can do is cover all the open areas with wire. Then you put in an "exit only" door so the bats all fly out, and don't come back in!
As long as they have a nice cozy barn to sleep in, they aren't going to move out into bat houses. But if you block off their entrances and put bat houses nearby, they should use them.
Another thing to try are those ultrasonic rodent repellers. Bats have incredible hearing, and I would wager one of those would drive them well....batty! |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Sep 08 2008 : 09:17:26 AM
Thanks Mary. I'm glad my pets are ok too, especially since we have 4 BRAND NEW little kittens (just 2 days old). I was especially worried about their mama when all this happened. But all is well. Oh, and the bats in our area ARE protected!!! That's why they are still in our barn! I've thought about making bat houses for them, so maybe they'd move OUT of the barn. My husband HATES them and is actually scared to death of them! They don't bother me a bit. I always wear a hooded jacket/sweatshirt at night if I have to go out there and just pull the hood over my head and DUCK when they're feeding!!! And yes, it's sad what's happening to our environment, but I do what I can to help it out. I don't use pesticides and I try to use more natural products for cleaning. Every little bit helps!!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| MaryP |
Posted - Sep 06 2008 : 10:02:57 AM
You are probably right about the spray. It's such a shame! Here we have natural mosquito eaters, and rather than protecting (or creating) homes for them so that they can thrive and EAT the mosquitos, we'd rather spray poison all over the land.
The world is so mixed up and crazy these days!
I'm glad your pets are all okay! |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Sep 04 2008 : 11:54:52 AM
Wow, you sure know your Bats Mary! I'm impressed! I'm not worried about the bats themselves. I only worried because I've had the cats such a short time and they have not been vaccinated yet. I also know that the rabies incidents in bats is blown WAY out of proportion. They'd really rather be eating BUGS than biting PEOPLE!
As for WHY they died, it's still a mystery. The weather has been pretty much stable here, though over the past week we HAVE been having very hot days (high 90's-100's) and cold nights (down in the 50's), but I've not seen any more dead bats since that day. I'm with the Animal Control officer-- I think it's the stuff the county is spraying on the mosquitos. If it were a virus, I would think that MORE bats would be affected, not just the ones we found on that one particular day. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Mary. I, for one, would like to hear more about your time caring for the bats! Oh, and thanks for the links. I'll be sure to check them out-- and, as for the bats not really being dead sometimes -- I HAVE had that happen too!!! SCARED me half to death! But we left those bats alone (and didn't have all the critters then-- so no worries) Hugs ~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| MaryP |
Posted - Sep 03 2008 : 02:48:54 AM
I actually flew to Texas to the Batworld Sanctuary http://www.batworld.org/ to learn to rehabilitate and release these lovely misunderstood animals. (Many get broken wings, or babies fall and need to be raised until they are old enough to be released) Haha, I even had to get a set of 4 rabies shots over the course of a month before I could start the program, so that speaks a lot about how much I love bats!
I can totally understand why you would be afraid for your pets safety though. If I found my cats playing with any wild animal I would be worried for their health.
The likely cause of the bats death is heat, cold, or a simple virus. As someone else said, they don't have rabies as often as people would think. Bats are very fragile creatures that can be killed by what seems to us as a mild shift in temperature. If you've been having a lot of hot days, and then suddenly a chilly day, that could kill. Likewise if the opposite were to happen it could kill!
Here is some info on what to do if you find a bat on the ground (and be careful because sometimes they aren't really dead!).
http://www.batworld.org/found_a_bat/found_a_bat.html
I'm glad everything turned out well for you! |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Aug 31 2008 : 2:27:25 PM
Hey Elizabeth! We live in a very small town and I have done business with just about every vet in the county at some point. I REALLY like this vet and he's the most resonably priced of them all. He's an "old school" Vet (72yrs old and still going like a kid!!!) and I can call up and say "Hey doc, I got this problem with one of my sheep...." He's great about free advice (none of the other Vets will!) and he's good about suggesting alternative methods of treatment rather than pushing pills. He also doesn't agree with the frequency of vaccines given to animals nowadays-- just look at the statistics and you will see that animals are more UNHEALTHY now then ever before, but, like I said, he's OLD SCHOOL and he's seen A LOT over the years, which I appreciate.
Anyway, I really don't think he'll charge me that much, since he told me to talk to "the girls" (his staff) and tell them to send him my way IF he's going to be in the area. I think that means he won't charge me the milage fee. In fact, just a few weeks ago he dehorned 4 of my baby goats. He gassed all 4 of them, one just needed them burned (she was 7 days old), but the other 3 needed them CUT off-- the job SHOULD have cost about $200, but he only charged me $60!!! (I took 2 doe kids to another vet when they were little (2yrs ago) and he charged me $45 a kid just to burn them off!!!!!) He's a great guy and I'm lucky to have him care for my critters. I think I was just panicking because now Animal Control got wind of my naughtiness at not having all my dogs up to date!!! Oh, and it's IMPOSSIBLE to get Eli, my LGD (all 130+lbs of white fur!!!) into a vehicle to get him to town, so the vet HAS to come out to give him his shots.
And Connie? My pig is a 7yr old (or is it 8?) pot bellied pig. Regardless of how rotten she may be at times, it would break my heart to EAT her!!!! Besides, those pigs are mostly FAT from what I understand. So... I guess I will just have to live with her being what she is.. a PIG!! AND, next year I'm going to put up a fence before I plant the garden so I won't have to worry about her bulldozing through the veggie patch. Happy Sunday ladies! ~~~Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| eskimobirdlady |
Posted - Aug 31 2008 : 11:37:09 AM
tracy, if the pig ate that much of the garden he ought to mkae good eating. put him in the freezer! lol peace connie in alaska |
| babysmama |
Posted - Aug 31 2008 : 09:22:16 AM
Tracy-
Could you call around to other vets to see if anyone will come out for free? When we lived out in the country we called around and most of the vets would drive out for free. It was going to be $11 per rabies shot per animal, which I think is a decent price. Now we live in town but still go to a vet 20 miles away because he is much cheaper. We only get our animals their rabies shots and it is just $11 per animal per visit, he doesn't even charge us an office fee. When our dog had a false pregnancy he did an exam and ultra-sound and it was just $25. Now when our cat gets a UTI (which she gets quite often) he allows my sister to just pick it up on her way to work, instead of making me bring the cat in. So he has saved us bunches. At another vet I brought two dogs in for rabies/distemper shots and those shots with the office fee was $55...I thought that was horrid! So you may want to shop around.
-Elizabeth |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Aug 30 2008 : 8:52:11 PM
GOOD NEWS!!! I got the call Friday on the tests done on the Bats taken by Animal Control last week-- Negative for Rabies (which I already guessed after doing GOBS of research on the CDC sites and other state and county health info sites). The Animal Control officer said the lab techs are not sure what killed the bats, but HE'S thinking that it had something to do with the mosquito abatement program that's taking place in our area. (My thoughts too) He said he will contact the people in charge of that program and discuss the issue with them. So, my critters can remain FREE (though I'm kind of sorry they aren't going to lock up my PIG for a few weeks-- rotten garden trampling, tomato/watermelon/cucumber sucking beast!) sigh... but at least there are no worries!!! Except now I've got to call the vet out to the ranch ($50 just to GET him here!) and have him give everybody their rabies shots ANYWAY! Especially my HUSBANDS stupid dog because he's NEVER HAD any shots-- and he's NOT licensed. Better to pay $45 for shots/license/penalties than a HUGE non-compliance fine!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Aug 29 2008 : 08:39:51 AM
No news about the bats yet. My guess is it's NOT rabies, since they would want to lock up my critters ASAP to prevent any further exposure.
We've never had bats in the house, but we HAVE had birds. Starlings mostly, and a few little brown sparrows. At first I thought my cat Scarlett was bringing them in the house, but then I heard scratching in the pipe of our woodstove one day and opened the door. ZOOOM!!!! Out flew a bird! It scared me so bad I almost peed my pants! Since then though, it happens every couple of months, so I just open the back door, open the stove door and start weilding my broom. Usually Scarlett is right there jumping around the room trying to catch the bird--- she usually gets whacked with the broom if she gets too close. I've had enough feathers to clean up from her, (and RAT parts!) so she can take her business OUTSIDE!!
As for the kittens killing the bats, I still don't believe they had anything to do with it. The bats in the yard were found around one tree in our backyard (the ONLY tree in fact), and nowhere else, (and we have a BIG backyard), while the ones in the barn were found directly below the crack above the doors where they roost. (and it's a HUGE barn!) No foul play was detected. Besides, the kittens have shown absolutely NO hunting instincts whatsoever (they won't even chase STRING!) and I find it hard to believe that they would ignore all the other potential tasty critters at ground level and go straight for the fliers. Like I said, they're a LAZY lot of fur balls-- so lazy in fact that when "dinner time" rolls around there is a PILE of them on the steps outside the back door waiting patiently for someone to feed them! Silly cats. Here I thought I would be getting some GREAT mousers and all I got were a bunch of furry freeloaders! (LOL)
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| grace gerber |
Posted - Aug 29 2008 : 06:22:24 AM
Between the birds and bats seeming to feel like they want to live in my house. Over the past two years I have had six birds and one bat deciding to make them at home. Now there is not many things that I scream like a girl about but I guess I watched "The Birds" one too many times. I really did not mine the bat but BIRDS - hat them flying around. Love my hens but hate flying birds. Good luck with the mystery.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
|
| Mnhorsemom |
Posted - Aug 29 2008 : 05:45:31 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Ms.Lilly
I have 1 indoor cat, declawed, and 14 years old. When we get a bat in the house (which is quite often) she will jump into the air and catch it in mid flight! It just amazes me that she is still that quick. So I am putting my money on the cats as your culprit.
Lillian
We used to have bats in the house a lot too. We would catch them in a pillow case and put them back out. I like bats outside not in!! A few years ago we put up a couple bat boxed under the eaves and since then we have not had one bat in the house. I know we still have the bats cause our wndow a/c unit is under one of the boxed and I have to clean bat poop off it all the time.
Farm House Formulas Battle Lake, MN |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Aug 28 2008 : 2:42:51 PM
I have 1 indoor cat, declawed, and 14 years old. When we get a bat in the house (which is quite often) she will jump into the air and catch it in mid flight! It just amazes me that she is still that quick. So I am putting my money on the cats as your culprit.
Lillian |
| Marybeth |
Posted - Aug 28 2008 : 11:33:54 AM
I know it is weird and would have called animal control too---I mean they have to controll--lol. It is very strange so let us know what happens next. MB
www.strawberryhillsfarm.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com www.holyhouses-day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Aug 28 2008 : 09:27:19 AM
Thanks for the comments ladies. I've never been afraid of the bats myself, I know how beneficial they are. My vet has told me in the past that our county is pretty well "rabies controlled" and RARELY do they have a case of a CAT with rabies, so I'm not worried about that either. I just would like to know WHAT they died from, and if it's anything that IS transmittable to my critters. I'm pretty certain the cats DIDN'T kill the bats, since they are just kittens and too well fed. (IN-OW--LAZY) It stikes me as odd that they would all of a sudden go on a killing spree --and BATS at that, instead of the many ground scurrying rodents that inhabit our farm! And they don't go to the barn without ME. (that's Eli's domain and they pretty much stay away from him) Besides, the bats roost in a crack behind the barn doors. It's about 10-15ft up, so there's NO WAY the cats can reach them. Like some of you ladies mentioned, my guess is it's something that they either ate, (the county has been spraying mosquitos in our area) or some kind of disease.
Jonni, I have read about the mass die off taking place back east. Something called "White Nose Syndrome." It's a very BAD omen for the environment.
My husband sure got MAAAAAAAAADDDD at me when I told him I called Animal control about the bats. I don't know why he flipped out like he did. We can't exterminate them because they are protected (something the Animal Control Officer himself seemed to think was silly-- we do have TONS of them!), so I suppose he got upset by the fact that we may actually have to PAY to have someone remove them if they do pose a health threat. Oh well, I'd rather do THAT than keep worrying about DEAD BATS!!! Also, now he HAS to get his dog his rabies shots and his license. Something I've been telling him for the PAST TWO YEARS he needed to do! Again, not a big deal since I have to have the Vet come out to give Eli his rabies booster (no WAY can I get that big hairy MOOSE in a car!). Now I'll also have to have him shoot up all the cats! Oh, that's going to cost me! I had planned on taking them in two at a time so it wouldn't be so expensive, but now..... sigh. Well, once it's done, it's done and I won't have to worry about it. I can take them two-by-two NEXT time! Funny thing, we haven't had cats on the farm for 3yrs, save two old spayed females and they were nowhere NEAR the scene of the "crime." Two of the kittens have only been here a WEEK, the other cats about a month. How Ironic is THAT? I'll keep ya'll posted! ~~~ Hugs ~~~ Tracy
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
| Marybeth |
Posted - Aug 28 2008 : 07:08:52 AM
I like bats, too. although I would't like dead one scattered all over my place. Bats actually are very good around a farm. they eat a lot of pesky flying critters. I would be interest to see why so many dead ones. It is a good idea to put up bat houses and they are fun to make. MB
www.strawberryhillsfarm.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com www.holyhouses-day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Aug 28 2008 : 06:15:51 AM
I'm with Brenda...I love bats, and I do think while there are some cases of rabies (like with other wild animals), that the percentage of bats that carry rabies are small. There was a story on NPR a few weeks ago about a mysterious illness in a cavern in Illinois that has killed thousands of bats--they are passing it among themselves, and it's viral. I'll try to look it up and see if I can find the link. Here it is...http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90231964
It actually is in NY state.
It is unfortunate that all your critters have to be quarantined for so long--I know that's standard, though. Poor guys, they're not going to understand it, though!
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 11:09:19 PM
oh I really like bats..they are so very misunderstood, and don't carry rabies as much as folks actually think they do..they are not any more prone to rabies than any other wild animal is really. there are so many misconceptions/fables about them that it truly isn't fair to the poor bats. they really are very beneficial to the environment. anyhow..it is very likely that with 9 cats on your property that they have stumbled upon a roosting site for the bats..perhaps in the barn rafters or something? I had a cat once that lived outdoors and she discovered a small roosting area where bats were at, and she would deliver a bat a day for quite a while to my door step.
So its very likely that that is what has happened.And no..she never contracted rabies either.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
|
|
