Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A Bat, a cat, and a mop

At 2 am there was a knock on my bedroom door.  I was sound asleep as I had market in the morning.  It was my son.
"There's a bat or a big bird in the house and I need your help to catch it!"  His sense of urgency was evident.
Apparently he and my 2 cats had been trying to catch what turned out to be a large bat, for about 15 minutes without success.  Mischief, my black cat, had caught it once, but let it go, not knowing what to do with it.  At one point the bat got under the couch.  Well, Wizard (my other cat), positioned himself at one end of the couch, and Mischief at the other.  The bat would try to get out from under the couch at one end, see the cat, squeal, and then scurry to the other end, only to be confronted by another cat.
Finally it got out and started flying around my sitting room.
This is the point where I entered into the picture - half asleep and fly swatter in hand.  My son, who was frantic at this point,was beside me with a mop in one hand and an afghan in the other, ready to either hit the bat out of the air, or throw the afghan over it. I was ready to knock the bat to the ground like a baseball bat hitting a ball.  I knew I could do this because I had done it before.  My success with a fly swatter is well known.
Swoop comes the bat.  Swish goes the mop and the fly swatter. We both miss. Wizard is running around in circles hissing, and Mischief is leaping up in the air every time the bat got a bit low. My son throws the afghan and misses.  I swing the swatter again and miss. The bat is now terrified and we're not too happy either.
Before we knew it it was over. 
Mischief had jumped on the end table beside the couch, the bat came too low and Mischief pounced.  The cat with the bat landed in the corner of the couch.
I quickly ran over and placed the fly swatter over the bat as Mischief had moved off the bat at this point.  The poor thing was squealing with fright and wriggling trying to get out from under the swatter.
"Quickly, get the tongs" I said to my son, and when he brought them over, I grabbed the bat, opened the front door and tossed the bat into the night air.
By now I was wide awake, and couldn't settle in to sleep right away.  When I did, I slept through my alarm and was late for market --- but at least I got there.
Mischief is now known at bat cat!


11 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are a better woman and I am. I would have been out the door. All those things give me the creeps. We had bats in the attic of a house we bought and did a total re-hab. I was freaked untill my husband was able to get them out and then seal the house up. Not suppose to kill them so he had his work cut out for him to get them out safely.
You go girl.

Happy Stamper said...

Hysterical story. What a night! Thank you for sharing it.

Kim Humbert said...

I have them in my 1719 home alot- a sheet works best-they like to sit in the ceiling and look at me and show me their lil teeth.I figured if they were going to get me they would have done it by now. They do get some of my finches in a tisy-that how I usually know they are out flying around in the dark in my room! I named one Bruce Wayne- he brought a friend one night who I called Robin. My husband says I am wacked.
Kim

maliburita56 said...

This reminded me of my husband's and my encounter with a bird in my bedroom...very much the same story, except there was bird-doo all over my curtains, carpet and some furniture...must have scared the *hit out it! LOL Your story is hilarious...I couldn't quit laughing!!!

Paper Creations by Shirley said...

Hi Maria, that is such a funny story ! Not so funny at 2:00 AM I'm sure. I thought I was going to see a creation with a Bat & Mop and was wondering what??? I hope you have a great weekend, Shirley

Judy Jackson said...

Be glad it was at night. If it was during the day this happened the bat would likely had rabies! Then the Bat Cat would have to be tested and probably quarantined. But the whole story reminds me of when our cat caught a mouse in the middle of night. The mouse was squealing, then the cat would catch it, then let it go! The poor mouse was just frantic. I had to get up and teach little kindergarteners and you have to be alert for that! This went on for several nights until we took the cat's food away. We left the water out of course. It didn't take long before we didn't have a mouse problem. Such a funny story you wrote!

sharon said...

I read this to my hubby. He and I got the biggest kick out of it!

sharon said...

I just had to read this to the hubby. He and I got a kick out of it! Thanks
Sharon L

Marie said...

I am sitting at an airport at 5 am and having a good laugh. Tanks for making my morning and may the bats move on. Marie

Jonia said...

too funny Maria! Love stories like this.

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