Possible bat bite or rat bite. Scared of rabies, unknown scratches

[Fear7888]

20M Scared of rabies, possible bat or rat bite


Hi y’all, so i will try explain why i am worried. Today my kitchen drawer where we store knives and forks, got stuck because a large knife was stuck in the drawer and it was not opening properly. So i had to put my hand in there to try to move the knife and after 25 minutes it worked. Now after 25 min, i noticed cuts on my bicep on my left hand, cuts on my right hand.

This is where my anxiety kicked in, what if there was a bat or a rat in the drawer or inside the big drawer where the plates are and everything else, it came and bit me, so i removed all the plates to look inside and of course, found nothing. Then i tried to calm down and tried to think logically how could a bat come and bit me or a rat bit me when my arms were clearly visible and it was not like i was unconscious. It was not like i knew when this happened, i just noticed it. It was not hurting. Then i had another scenario in my mind.

What if a bat came and bit me at night while i was sleeping (note: All windows and doors are locked at night because we have an alarm and without locking the doors and windows, it won’t turn on) So everything was locked, i don’t see a way they could get in.

This is really tiring, i see one small cut, or pinpricks or two puncture wounds close to each other and my brain goes straight to rabies.
Is this something to worry about or is this another OCD related??? Thank you and please answer if possible.

[BlueIris]

Definitely OCD related. I think you know this really.

[realdealkid]

Hi Fear,

I notice you post on this thread a lot relating to bat bites, scratches or possible bat encounters. Considering you've never mentioned a history of bats in your home roosting or even seeing a bat in your house; you've never seen a bat in or around your house, you are totally fine. The only time I would be worried about finding a mark or scratch on me is if I saw a bat in my room or in my house the same day I noticed the scratch or bite mark.

In most cases, bat bites are barely noticeable and likely won't even leave a mark anyway, which is scary; but it is very unlikely that a bat bit you.

I totally understand you freaking out. I used to have this same anxiety about bats biting me and finding unknown scratches or bite-looking marks, but it is never what it is, and when the incubation period for rabies (1-6 months) expires, The anxiety stops.

Bats are insect-eating mammals, and do not seek out human victims. Even rabid or sick bats rarely attack humans.

Hope you can get over this. I feel your anxiety.

[WorryRaptor]

I used to have this phobia, and I can understand that feeling of dread when you discover something that looks like a bite.


Your scenario is most definitely OCD based. Bats are not that nimble. They don't run up and bite then retreat. If it bit you, it would cling on, flap, make a noise, or just sit there afterwards. They're pretty awful at being subtle when they're not flying. Rats would be incredibly obvious if they bit you. They would make an absolute racket, and would likely bit and cling on to get rid of the threat.

Unexplained marks and scratches are an anxious persons worst nightmare. I've been there! I'm currently sitting here with two tiny red marks on my skin that bled a little bit and are millimetres apart. Totally looks like a little set of bat fang marks, but the likelihood is that I accidentally got my skin shaving my legs, or a non perfectly manicured toenail punched a couple of holes while I slept. Humans get covered in weird cuts and scratches all the time.

Bat bites in general don't leave marks anyway. They have tiny little needle teeth, so the most you'd see are some pinpricks that would all but disappear after a half hour.
If a bat did bite you, it wouldn't scurry off, especially if sick. They tend to be found next to the person they bit, or flapping around the room in a panic.