3/28/2003: Micro bat

[wolf]

One of the frequent callers to the suicide hotline (not to be suicidal, just to chat) had a bat fly into his house.

He and his roommate chased the bat around the house for a couple of hours apparently. The patient was complaining about this, and was trying to think of some way to deal with the bat.

He shoots squirrels off his bird feeder, thought that might work for the bat.

I suggested that since the bat was inside, he'd have to find some other solution (I've tried to talk him out of the squirrel thing, but no go).

Thankfully, he agreed not to shoot the bat.

I told him to try to get it into a room with a door to the outside. This had already been taken care of. It was in the living room. I had him open the door and told him to leave the damn thing alone ... also to turn off the tv, stereo, anything that would be making noise.

At that point it was the end of my shift, and I had to scoot.

Found a note in my mailbox the next morning. "Back Pain Freddy called. He said that the bat left, just like you said it would. He says thanks."

That's what it's all about ... saving lives. In this case, a bat's.