Rabid bat found in Cary family's home

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Halloween decor complete with plastic bats makes for a spooky good time, but when encountered with the real thing and rabid, nonetheless, that's downright frightening.

Cary Animal Control is delivering flyers, alerting homeowners on Castlewood Dr. in Cary's Churchill Downs neighborhood that a bat they caught inside one family's kitchen Sunday night tested positive for rabies.

None of the adults, children, or cats who live in the home were bitten. The pets were current on their vaccines, but received rabies boosters out of an abundance of caution.

Shelley Smith, Cary Animal Control supervisor, said this case is a good reminder that even if you have indoor pets, they need to be vaccinated for times when wildlife gets in.

Officers removed and tested 39 bats from Cary homes in 2017, but none of them tested positive for rabies.

Animal Control does not respond and remove bats from homes unless they're found in living areas.

The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has several tips for coexisting with bats and keeping them out of your home.