Bat in rabbits cage?!

[PaaigeyBearr]

Well, my neice just ran in screaming “Auntie theres a BAT in Jacks cage!” & Holy hell, there was. I just had my rabbit out twenty minutes before and I swear that nasty flying thing wasn’t in there…. I was mortified lol. I don’t think it touched Jack, but do you think he’s okay? Could there be any risks? (No idea how the heck it got there!”

[tobyluv]

Did you check Jack all over for bites? Bats are one of the primary animals that transmit rabies. You will also want to check Jack and the cage to make sure there are no bat droppings. There are other diseases that can be transmitted through their droppings. Jack is most likely fine, but you really need to check him and his cage very well.

[CheriB603]

Ditto what Tobylove said. Also, if you feel him all over and DO find a bite, wash your hands THOROUGHLY with hot soapy water, as rabies is transmitted thru the bats’ saliva which could be on the fur. Then call your doctor for advice. Now, this is only if the bat bit him, but the odds are very low. The bat just thought his cage was a nice protected place to hang out.

[LBJ10]

Bats don’t necessarily have rabies. Less than 1% of bats are going to have it. I would not overly worry, but do use a little bit of caution. If you do find a bite on your bunny, wash area off thoroughly and take them to the vet immediately. I don’t know about saliva on your bun’s fur having the virus in it. As far as I know, the virus dies within a few seconds of leaving the host’s body. The chances of the virus being transmitted through “old” saliva are very very small.

What became of the bat? I do hope you returned him outside. Sometimes they just get lost. He was probably looking for something to hang from. If they get grounded, they cannot take flight from the ground. Their wings are not designed to take off that way. They have to drop into flight.

[Deleted User]

I strongly second LBJ!!! Bats have a really undeserved reputation. They mostly are free of rabies, only bite when frightened into it (like any other animal, particularly wild ones) and are desperately needed to help control insect populations. They are also suffering from an illness that has killed thousands of them, and from culling by uninformed people who believe all the negative myths about them.

That said obviously I’m not suggesting you want one in your house (let alone Rabbit’s cage), and of course he should be thoroughly checked and all reasonable care and precautions taken, but it truly isn’t something to panic about.

Squirrels are far more likely to carry rabies then bats. I feel so sorry for bats, truly fascinating and grosely misrepresented creatures who actually have a lot to offer.

[Roberta]

I adore bats, especially the big flying foxes.. Poor little ones are so misunderstood and maligned.
I agree with making sure there is no feces etc left in the cage, any animal dung can cause cross contamination of a variety of kinds, however unless your bun has been bitten it is unlikely that there would be an issue with rabies… Mites or fleas would be the only other thing of concern and if you treat regularly with revolution then it should be fine.

[LBJ10]

I agree with Roberta, do make sure no poo was left behind. Maybe clean the cage good just to make sure. This would be a given with any wild animal poo. You don’t know what kind of bacteria could be in there.

[PaaigeyBearr]

I checked Jack, and he was perfectly fine! & cleaned and checked his cage! HAHA, he had no problem with that thing being in there, it was so odd! I think it was attracted to his food, I’m yet to find out how it got there, but I’m keeping an eye out. Seeing how you guys react to bats, it really did put my mind at ease! Thanks guys. I just have the worst fear of anything that flys, no idea why haha. I could have a pet bird & I’d refuse to touch it even if it was in the cage. LOL.

[Deleted User]

Interesting, you are the first person I’ve come across that has something like what my Mother suffers from, she is TERRIFIED of Feathers! She won’t touch one (with or without bird attached) and won’t eat anything that had feathers in life. Having pet birds as a child was, ummm, challenging.

Very happy all is well. Nothing like a little inter-species introduction to liven things up.

[Author]

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