Pet Bat

Bat is an intriguing mammal that flies. Though more commonly found in the wild, they can also be kept as pets. In fact bats are not intended to be pets even under the most liberal exotic animal laws. A group of reasons make it better for you and for the bat to not keep them in captivity. But with good care a wild bat may be turned into a pet bat. If you are eager to have a pet bat, there is a lot to know about its care, food and living environment. Carefully go through the following account to know about care of a pet bat.

Caring for a Pet Bat

You must be acquainted with the law. In the United States bats are the main carrier of rabies. Thus, private ownership of bats is banned. To keep them in captivity even research institutions and zoos have to apply for special permission. Several species of bats are also environmentally in danger of extinction and therefore protected. Give it a comfortable home and healthy food and it will be grateful to you.

Feeding a Pet Bat

For feeding your bats set a regular schedule. Infant bats should be fed with unpasteurized goat milk. Add juice of a chopped mealworm to the milk for food of young bats. Slowly introduce them to live mealworms. Remove the heads of mealworms before giving them to be eaten by adult bats. Refill live food at late night and early morning hours. Be careful to replenish food to your bats a soon as it is finished. A dish of water with a wrinkled paper towel in it should be placed in bat cage to drink water. They may directly drink from the dish or lick the towel. The wet towel also helps to amplify the humidity in the bat’s cage.

Bat House or Cage

Install bat houses 10 feet above the ground and in a place where they can get heat and light of the morning sun for about six hours. It is interesting to note that a box of 8 inches width and 15 inches length can hold 30 bats at the same time.

House size and number of chambers decide the number of bats that can stay in a house or cage. There are three most popular styles of bat houses. They are chamber, rocket and a bat/bird combination. A single chamber style house is the most famous house type for bats. A rocket house is a square shaped house which is built to be mounted onto a high pole. A bat/bird combination house provides space for bats as well as birds. Bat houses are available in the markets in plenty and you can choose exactly what you want.

Tips for Keeping a Pet Bat

• Young bats should be kept in an incubator at the proper temperature and fed warm milk.
• Being too cold or feeding too cold food can cause the bats to bloat and die.
• Consult a vet about all aspects of bat care and regulations about owning bats.
• On being bitten by a bat immediately seek rabies treatment.

Bats are intelligent creatures. Having a pet bat is a unique hobby and you have to be very careful while being their owner. If there are bats in your belfry, make contact with a professional exterminator or your community animal control agency so that the bats can be removed. Laws in many areas command humanitarian removal of bat colonies. By doing so, you will be doing a favor to the species you are having as your pet.