Nora Batty

Then on Friday, the puppy began whining with that "Come and Look" kind of noise (you will know it if you have dogs!).

So I went and looked and found a tiny tiny bat, spread-eagled on the doormat.
She (I just decided that!) hissed ferociously as I gently scooped her up in a paper towel. She was exquisite. So tinysmallperfect (though I had to put on my glasses to look at her properly) with her eyes like the head of a pin and her faerie fingers and toes.

All cat casualties go into a dark box with a bit of water in a bottle cap and a bit of straw or paper towel.
I hoped she wasn't really damaged and checking the next morning, was really pleased to see she was up and about as it were, shouting her anger in her miniature voice.

Returning from Kendal Calling at midnight, we took the box outside to see she wanted to fly away, but Nora (Batty - sorry!) just crawled back into the box.

A phone call to the Bat Conservation Society suggested she may need a Bat Carer to keep her for a few days.
We met Robin in Carlisle (yup!) and found out that she WAS Nora, was a Soprano Pippistrelle bat, and was probably one if this year's babies.

Often when they venture out on their own, apparently, they sometimes don't have the power or experience to make it home and they crash land. This is when cats can find them - squeaking and moving.

Luckily for Nora, Jeremy brings his trophies home for us to "play with".

Apparently female bats all time their birthing together, irrespective of date of conception (what a brilliant idea!) so that all the babies can be looked after together at the best time (they will hold back in a spell of bad weather for example). Then they all huddle together in a Nursery whilst their mothers go out and feed, before coming back to suckle their young.

Nora will be checked that she is alright (cats claws can be full of all sorts of poison, again as anyone who has been scratched will know!) and this may not affect the bat for a couple of days. If she seems fine, then she will be brought back here to be set free again, in her "home".