Baby Bat

Last week I found this baby bat on our back deck. Flailing about on its back and first discovered by the dog, I assumed it was doomed. Bats are so different from the average four legged beasts I'm familiar with that with all the naked wing and kicking, she first looked broken all over. I went inside to get something to scoop her up with. When I came back she had composed herself, turned over and was opening her mouth over and over. (This is harder to watch if you're lactating.) I put her in a big plastic bowl with an old t-shirt. She moved about on the cloth and I left a message with a local rescuer listed with Bat World.

I had to pick up Penn and his friend from school in the pouring rain with Lucy. I took the bat with and thought maybe we could drop by the VCA in Lakewood for advice or maybe they knew where to take him. We walked in, a hilarious dripping gaggle of people, with a tiny baby bat. The people at the vet squirmed and, in front of my kiddos, coldly told me to kill her or have her killed by the city. Not even the slightest bit of compassion. I've had two experiences now with this vet and both were obnoxious.

The boys hauled their heavy frowns through the rain and into the car. Penn said sadly, "We have to kill it?" And I said, "Of course not. We have to save it." BIGGEST SMILES EVER.

The rescuer called and she was in Arlington. The sweetest husband in the world volunteered to take the baby bat to Arlington. There were other orphaned animals there.

She sent Penn home with some brochures on bats and now I'm full of bat facts. I spoke with her yesterday. Our bat is a female Eastern Red Bat and she's doing just fine. She's about eight weeks from being out on her own.