Alexandria Animal Control Report: Scaredy Cat, Bat Nap

Animal Control officers in Alexandria deal with a variety of calls every week. Here's a glance at some recent incidents in the city courtesy of Patrick Egan of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Frightened feline — In the end, it was a saw that scared the cat.

On June 21, an Animal Control officer responded to a call from a woman in the 600 block of S. Saint Asaph Street whose cat hand run into an air vent and refused to emerge. The woman was in the final stages of packing to move to Massachusetts and was on a strict deadline to be on the road.

Attempts to reach the cat with a net and a catchpole scared the cat deeper into the vent to the point where it could not be reached by any tool.

A neighbor near the scene offered to saw through the wall to reach the cat. Just one burst of sound from the saw scared the cat out of the vent and into the officer’s hands.

Bat nap — On June 25, an Animal Control officer responded to a report of a single bat that was spotted taking a nap in a file pocket attached to a wall inside a building in the 300 block of Duke Street.

The building had a history of bat problems and many had been removed from the attic.

Upon arriving on the scene, the officer determined the bat was healthy. After speaking with the building’s occupants, the officer determined the risk of bite exposure was low and there was no need to pursue a rabies test.

The still-slumbering bat was taken outside, where it slowly awoke and then flew away.

The AWLA reminds that bats are a major transmission vector for the rabies virus.  Any bat located indoors should be addressed to Animal Control. Visit the AWLA website for more information.