Through the Looking Glass

Care of Magical Creatures
The title of this entry is a nod to the phenomenon known as Harry Potter. I was swept up by this craze when it first began, and have since read all six of the books with great pleasure. The latest one, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, arrived by mail on June 16th, the day of its release. I started it that night, reading about 100 pages before I had to force myself to put it down and turn off the light. (Lacking the ability to execute a Patronus Charm, I need to ensure that I get adequate sleep in order to keep the Fibromyalgia monsters at bay. These demons, like the Dementors, “glory in decay and despair… drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them.”

Anyway, I finished the 652-page book the following day. It was not my intention to read it so quickly, but, once I started, I couldn’t stop (with the exception of needing to get some sleep Saturday night). I enjoyed the book very much, but was left with more questions and a more eager anticipation of the next (and final) installment than ever before. Let’s hope J.K. Rowling doesn’t leave her readers waiting too long.

Now for my own, personal experiences with “The Care of Magical Creatures" (a course offered at Hogwarts)… Sadly, we are down to one pet out of the three formerly in our care. Jake, the 10-year-old cat I had raised since he was a kitten, has gone missing. This happened because the girls and their friends are very careless about closing the back door. (They frequently get home from work late, after I am already asleep.) Many mornings (including today), I have come downstairs to find either one or both of the back doors open. (One is a storm door, and the other is a door that opens from the kitchen. The two doors are separated by a small “mud room” type area.)

I have told the girls countless times that this is a very irresponsible habit, and creates a security risk for us and our pets. Still, I find one or both of the doors open at least once a week. Apparently, this was the cause of Jake’s disappearance. Because he is a somewhat reclusive cat, and it is not uncommon to not see him around, it took a few days before we realized that he was missing. As soon as I did become aware of his absence, I remembered that I found Ace (the other cat) outside one morning this past week – a consequence of the doors having been left open. It then dawned on me that Jake must have gotten out at the same time, but, unlike Ace, he did not stick around our property. I am sick at heart over this. Don’t tell Ace, but Jake was my favorite.

Another unfortunate experience with pets involves Max the Yorkipoo. About a week ago, he bit me. On the FACE (nose and upper lip). You might wonder what I was doing when he bit me. I was KISSING him, very gently, I might add. The bite was accompanied by a threatening growl.

This was not one of Max's playful nips. It was an attack. As is his habit after doing something wrong, he was immediately contrite. I jumped back in shock and alarm, and Max tried to restore himself to my good graces, but I was not in the mood for making up. We have put up with an awful lot from this dog, but biting is another story.

Max urinated and/or defecated on the hardwood floors and carpets on a DAILY basis. He was most definitely NOT house trained, despite what we were told by the rescue people. Still, we were willing to try to work with him because we loved him. At least Daniel and I did... The girls, who are huge dog lovers, didn’t want anything to do with Max because of his extreme aggression. He is very hyper, and does not respond to attempts to calm him down. The UPS man wouldn’t ring our doorbell because Max's barking was so intimidating. For the same reason, taking him for walks was often stressful. Nevertheless, Max wormed his way into our hearts, and we were accepting of his less agreeable behaviors because of his absolute devotion to and unquestionable affection for us. After being bitten on the face, however, I didn't want him near me.

Because I was not in control of my emotions, and couldn’t speak about the situation without crying, I emailed the rescue group, instead of contacting them by telephone. Susan, the woman in charge, called as soon as she became aware of what was happening, and strongly advised that we return Max. She shared horror stories of people who have been seriously injured by small dogs, and convinced me that biting is a behavior that should not be tolerated, even if it appears to be an unusual incident.

We brought Max back on Wednesday. He is no longer eligible for adoption, but, fortunately, the rescue people have someone in the group willing to take him. It is a tremendous relief for us to know that he will not be euthanized. Still, it was heartbreaking to give him up.

Normally, the rescue organization only makes a partial refund of the adoption fee (which was sizeable), but, in our case, they offered a full refund, or the option of taking another animal. So, we arranged to meet two dogs when we brought Max back. Clancy, an unusually low key Jack Russell Terrier, would have been our choice if not for the issue of the doors being left open. We were told that, if she got out, she would take off and most likely never be seen again. Scratch that.

Lulu, a Tibetan Spaniel (a breed that is reported to be neither nervous nor hyper, and like a large dog in a small body), was a sweetheart, but Susan couldn’t guarantee that the dog is housebroken, a condition that is a major factor for me. I could be wrong, but I imagine it would be more difficult to train an adult dog because they are set in their ways. I’d love to get a puppy, but don’t want to go through that dreadful chewing stage. (I once had a Chocolate Lab that ate an entire sectional sofa piece by piece, and a Siberian Husky/Malamute that chewed walls, among many other things.)

Susan volunteered to take Lulu home with her for a few days to determine whether or not the dog is housebroken. We haven’t heard anything yet, although we should have by now, so I suspect the news is not encouraging. Oh well. At least I got my money back…

Normally, I’d be obsessing about all of this, but, at present, I have a much bigger problem to worry about. It all began when I saw a bat on the wall outside my bedroom Wednesday morning. Daniel called Animal Control, and the woman he spoke to said it was most likely an isolated incident. She came over and removed the creature.

When I woke up the next morning, there was another bat flying around the room. I went down to open the front door so it would exit the house. Last night, Leigh came out of her room to say she heard wings flapping. Investigation led to a bat in a cardboard box. We covered the opening, and carried the box outside. It was really creepy to watch the bat’s wings grasp the top rim of the box as it pulled itself up, and took off for the sky.

Needless to say, this is quite unnerving for all of us, and I am feeling extremely overwhelmed. I know that bats are generally harmless, and are good for mosquito control, etc., but that's little consolation when one is flying around over your head when you're trying to sleep, or burrowing in boxes in your bedroom. Also, there is the risk of rabies.

I don't have any idea where the bats are gaining entrance. I stood outside at dusk, but, while I could see a few flying around in the sky over the back yard, I didn't see any entering or leaving my house. The thought of having a colony of bats roosting in my attic, or the heating ducts, or anywhere on the premises, seriously freaks me out. One thing I will be doing soon is installing a chimney cap, but, beyond that, I’m at a loss as to how to proceed.

A friend of mine called a wildlife removal company, and they quoted $125 just to come in and inspect the house. Actual removal runs anywhere from an additional $500 to $2000. I cried when I heard that. This is the straw that is breaking the camel's back. It’s not just the bats, although they are certainly having a negative effect on our comfort level. What’s taking me down for the count is the seemingly endless succession of unexpected problems and related expenses.

I thought buying a house would improve the quality of my life, and in many ways, it has. But, it is also true that this house has exhausted my finances. And now I have bats in residence. That is something I can’t live with, yet I don’t know if it is possible to ensure that they can be gotten rid of for good.

Leigh said she doesn't want to sleep here anymore. I don’t blame her. In fact, I’m starting to feel like I don’t want to LIVE here anymore. I have actually had thoughts of selling the house because of these flying mammals with fangs. (If you don't click on any other link, check that one out!) Had I wanted to share my home with bats, I would have moved in with The Addams Family or The Munsters.

Current Mood: worried