A busy day, but a good one;  much of it spent doing bat work as it is still early days for this little bat.  I collected more medication from the vet and a colleague has kindly provided me with extra batty food to tide me over until my new order arrives.  The bat has a poorly leg, but whether it is a  fractured hip, broken leg, or possibly a dislocated knee/hip – it is so difficult to tell.  Under normal circumstances, a vet may have been willing to x-ray her, but with the C19 situation, this was not an option.

So, after discussions with a couple of knowledgeable bat colleagues, it was finally decided I would continue administering painkillers and give this little one a chance of recovery.  Am pleased to report that so far she is rallying, but only time will tell whether her injuries will heal and allow her to be independent.  When I collected the medication from the vets and met up with my colleague to collect the extra bat food, she happened to mention she was also collecting a Serotine bat that had been cat attacked.  Sadly this bat was also in a very bad way, and sadly her poor Serontine bat had to be euthanised.

A message for all cat owners: Please keep your cats indoors, or in an outdoor pen with somewhere for them to shelter.. and/or take them out on a leash.  Any female bats that are cat attacked, especially at this time of the year, are more than likely pregnant which means the impact on bat numbers, when killed and maimed by already well-fed cats, is even greater.  Cats are responsible for so many unnecessary deaths: songbirds and their chicks, voles, shrews, moles etc.  It is not fair on our already threatened and diminishing wildlife, so please keep your cats indoors and give our wildlife a chance to raise and feed their young safely during the spring and summer months.