A wild animal got into your house: what to do

If a wild animal gets into your house, the safest first move is usually to slow down, keep people and pets away, and give the animal a clear path outside if that can be done without getting close. If there was a bite or scratch, or if the animal was a bat, treat it as a health issue too and contact the right local office right away for guidance. (mass.gov)

Start with safety first

A scared wild animal can bite, scratch, or hide in a worse spot if people rush at it. The goal is to protect your family, avoid direct contact, and keep the animal from moving deeper into the house. (mass.gov)

Use this quick checklist:

1. Move children and pets out of the room or area. (mass.gov)
2. Close interior doors if you can do it from a safe distance, so the animal stays in one space. (mass.gov)
3. Do not try to grab, corner, or handle the animal with bare hands. (cdc.gov)
4. If the animal seems sick, cannot move normally, or is acting strangely, stop and call for help. CDC says common rabid animals in the United States include raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. (cdc.gov)
5. If anyone was bitten or scratched, wash the wound right away with soap and water for 15 minutes and seek medical care urgently. (cdc.gov)

If you are not sure which local office handles the problem, start with Animal problem: who to call or search your city, county or ZIP. Local responsibility can fall to animal control, the sheriff, the health department, or the state wildlife agency depending on the animal and where you live. (cdc.gov)

If the animal can leave on its own

For one loose wild animal in a single room, the safest fix is often to let it escape the way it came in. A Massachusetts state wildlife page says the best action for a bat in a room is to open a window or door to the outside, close off the rest of the house, and block the space under the door with towels. It also says to keep pets and children away. (mass.gov)

The same calm approach can help with other small wildlife, such as a bird or squirrel, if there is a clear outside exit and you do not need to get close. Turn off loud TVs, back away, and give the animal space. Chasing it with a broom, blanket, or net often makes it panic and can send it into another room, a vent, or behind furniture. This is an inference from how official wildlife guidance stresses keeping distance and letting the animal find the exit rather than cornering it. (mass.gov)

If the animal does not leave, disappears into a wall, attic, chimney, or crawl space, or if there is more than one animal, it is time to call a local office or licensed wildlife professional. For help sorting out whether the situation belongs with local animal control or the state wildlife agency, see Animal control vs. the state wildlife agency: who handles what. (michigan.gov)

Bats are a special case

A bat in the house should be handled more carefully than most other wildlife. CDC says to avoid touching bats, notes that bat bites can be tiny, and says that if you find a bat in your home, you should contact animal control or your health department to safely capture it for rabies testing. CDC also says not to release the bat until you have talked with a public health expert. (cdc.gov)

If no one had contact with the bat and it is flying in one room, official Massachusetts guidance says to open a window or outside door, close off the rest of the house, block the gap under the door with towels, and turn off or dim the lights so the bat can find the opening. (mass.gov)

But do not use that wait-it-out approach if there may have been human or pet contact. Massachusetts says a bat found in a room with a sleeping person, an unattended young child, a mentally incapacitated person, or a pet should be safely captured and tested for rabies. CDC also says to talk to your health department if you think you may have been in contact with a bat. (mass.gov)

If you need local help, use state-by-state pages or search your city, county or ZIP to find the right office for your area. (cdc.gov)

If there was a bite, scratch, or saliva exposure

Any bite or scratch from a wild animal deserves prompt attention, even if it looks minor. CDC says rabies exposure care starts with immediate wound washing, and people who may have been exposed should seek medical care urgently. If saliva or brain material gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound, CDC says to see a healthcare professional urgently. (cdc.gov)

Try to remember what the animal looked like, where it went, and whether it seemed sick or moved oddly. That information can help public health or animal control decide what happens next. If the animal is a bat, do not release it before speaking with public health if capture can be done safely. (cdc.gov)

Because rabies rules and testing steps can vary by state and county, confirm the next step with the relevant official office in your area. If you need the reporting basics, see How to report an animal bite and what happens next. (cdc.gov)

Clean up the right way after the animal is gone

Once the animal is out, check for droppings, urine, nesting material, damaged food, and entry holes. Wear gloves before you clean. If the problem involved rodents, CDC says not to vacuum or sweep rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials because that can stir contaminated particles into the air. (cdc.gov)

Instead, CDC says to spray rodent droppings and urine with a bleach solution or EPA-registered disinfectant until very wet, let it soak for 5 minutes or according to the label, then wipe it up with paper towels. After that, clean hard surfaces with disinfectant and wash your hands after removing gloves. (cdc.gov)

If you find a dead rodent or a nest, CDC says to spray the dead rodent, nest, and surrounding area with disinfectant, let it soak for 5 minutes, place the material in a plastic bag, tie it closed, then place that full bag into a second plastic bag before putting it in a covered garbage can. (cdc.gov)

For a closed-up room, shed, cabin, or similar space with rodent contamination, CDC says to open doors and windows for 30 minutes before cleaning and leave the area during that time. If rodent material is in air ducts or there is heavy infestation, CDC says to contact a professional service. (cdc.gov)

If the animal was injured or you found a baby wild animal after the incident, do not keep it in the house and do not feed it. Use Found injured or baby wildlife? What to do for the next steps. (michigan.gov)

Traps, relocation, and why local rules matter

Many people assume they can set a live trap and move the animal somewhere else. That is not always legal, and it is not always safe. Michigan says only certain species are eligible for removal through nuisance animal control companies. Pennsylvania says some wildlife may not be trapped by landowners and homeowners, and once traps are set there, they must be checked daily. (michigan.gov)

Pennsylvania also says wildlife taken alive may not be retained alive, sold, or given away, and it warns that rabies vector species such as skunks, raccoons, bats, foxes, and coyotes should not be relocated like other wildlife. That is one reason a do-it-yourself trap can turn into a bite risk fast. (pa.gov)

The practical takeaway is simple: before you trap, move, or keep any wild animal, check with your local animal control office or state wildlife agency. If you need a loose dog or stray pet contact instead, this guide is for wildlife only; for domestic animals, see Who to call about a stray or loose dog. (michigan.gov)

Help keep it from happening again

Wildlife usually comes to houses for the same few reasons. Pennsylvania’s Game Commission says the most common are shelter, food, and accessibility. That means long-term prevention is mostly about making your home harder to enter and less rewarding to visit. (pa.gov)

For bats, CDC says they can fit through openings as small as 1/4 inch. CDC recommends checking for openings, caulking openings larger than a dime, using screens, chimney caps, and draft guards, filling electrical and plumbing holes with steel wool or caulk, and making sure outside doors close tightly. (cdc.gov)

Timing matters too. CDC says that if you are bat-proofing between May and August, you should be careful not to trap young bats inside. Pennsylvania also warns that summer exclusions can force bats into living quarters, and says it is better to wait until later rather than seal them in. Similar timing issues can matter for other animals using attics, crawl spaces, or den sites with young. (cdc.gov)

If noises, smells, or repeat visits suggest an ongoing den or colony problem, that is usually a job for a licensed wildlife control professional working under local rules. Also fix whatever invited the animal in, such as a loose vent, uncapped chimney, or pet door left open. (mass.gov)

Frequently asked questions

Should I try to scare the animal out with a broom or by chasing it?

Usually no. Official wildlife guidance favors keeping your distance, isolating the animal in one room, and giving it a clear outside exit instead of cornering it. For bats, Massachusetts specifically says to open a window or door, close off the rest of the house, block the gap under the door, and dim the lights. (mass.gov)

What if the bat was in a bedroom?

Treat that more seriously than a bat seen in a living room. CDC says not to release a bat from your home before talking with a public health expert, and Massachusetts says a bat found in a room with a sleeping person, an unattended young child, a mentally incapacitated person, or a pet should be safely captured and tested for rabies. (cdc.gov)

Can I trap and relocate a raccoon or skunk myself?

Maybe not. State rules differ. Michigan limits which species are eligible for nuisance removal, and Pennsylvania says certain wildlife may not be trapped by homeowners, traps must be checked daily, and rabies vector species such as skunks and raccoons should not be relocated like other wildlife. (michigan.gov)

Can I vacuum droppings after the animal leaves?

Not if they are rodent droppings or nesting material. CDC says not to vacuum or sweep them. Wet them with disinfectant or bleach solution first, let the material soak for 5 minutes, then wipe it up and clean the surface. (cdc.gov)