Followed and screamed at by a Fox!
Discussion
I was walking the Suki and Finn late last night (on-lead) and had the peace interrupted by a piercing scream from the local Vixen who was sitting in the road about 20 yards away.
Dogs went berserk of course so once I had calmed then to some extent I walked on only to find the fox following us and getting closer - I stopped and she sat and let off another scream which set the dogs off once more!! I decided a gentle jog home may now be best only to find her following yet again - she was at the end of my front garden path as I shut the front door.
She sat there and let off another 2 screams before going on her way - never seen her do anything like this before as she normally scarpers at the sight of a sight hound. I wonder if she was either protecting some cubs that we may have been quite close to (though the 2 dogs didn't show any sign of picking up a scent or noise) or whether she was looking for a mate and my Finn met her selection criteria!!
Any thoughts?
Dogs went berserk of course so once I had calmed then to some extent I walked on only to find the fox following us and getting closer - I stopped and she sat and let off another scream which set the dogs off once more!! I decided a gentle jog home may now be best only to find her following yet again - she was at the end of my front garden path as I shut the front door.
She sat there and let off another 2 screams before going on her way - never seen her do anything like this before as she normally scarpers at the sight of a sight hound. I wonder if she was either protecting some cubs that we may have been quite close to (though the 2 dogs didn't show any sign of picking up a scent or noise) or whether she was looking for a mate and my Finn met her selection criteria!!
Any thoughts?
ali_kat said:
It is unusual, and it's not mating season. What sort of area are you in? Middle of city or more outskirts of the countryside? That will affect the attitude of the fox.
How 'well' do you usually get on with her, ie how used to you is she, she sees you all often even though she runs?
I think you'd have noticed & said, but... If she's got to know you she may trust you enough to ask for help - Could she have been hurt?
What sort of 'scream' was it? The mating one is blood curdling like a woman screaming, their normal bark is similar to a dog.
If it were younger (as it will be about 3months now), I'd say it was a cub wanting to play; its the time of year that this is all they do. Mum is still hunting for them, she'll start to teach them towards end July.
That said, a cub that has been left to go it alone from an earlier age will try to follow people/other animals. ("Are you my mummy")
You get used to their sounds and if watching them at the same time, you get to recognise what the different sounds mean. They are very dog like in their greetings.
Foxes honestly do try to avoid human/canine/feline contact, but a vixen will protect her cubs and a fox cornered being chased by a dog will defend itself - but my Vet said he had never heard of/treated an unprovoked attack.
Foxes aren't a threat to most cats and are little larger than your average moggy - so aren't really any threat to larger dogs. An adult fox only weighs between 8-15 lbs, bear in mind that about 1/3 of a fox's length is its tail... they aren't exactly equipped to take on bigger dogs.
Can you tell I
foxes
Interesting - I am in semi-rural with a housing estate, a couple of fields and a town.How 'well' do you usually get on with her, ie how used to you is she, she sees you all often even though she runs?
I think you'd have noticed & said, but... If she's got to know you she may trust you enough to ask for help - Could she have been hurt?
What sort of 'scream' was it? The mating one is blood curdling like a woman screaming, their normal bark is similar to a dog.
If it were younger (as it will be about 3months now), I'd say it was a cub wanting to play; its the time of year that this is all they do. Mum is still hunting for them, she'll start to teach them towards end July.
That said, a cub that has been left to go it alone from an earlier age will try to follow people/other animals. ("Are you my mummy")
You get used to their sounds and if watching them at the same time, you get to recognise what the different sounds mean. They are very dog like in their greetings.
Foxes honestly do try to avoid human/canine/feline contact, but a vixen will protect her cubs and a fox cornered being chased by a dog will defend itself - but my Vet said he had never heard of/treated an unprovoked attack.
Foxes aren't a threat to most cats and are little larger than your average moggy - so aren't really any threat to larger dogs. An adult fox only weighs between 8-15 lbs, bear in mind that about 1/3 of a fox's length is its tail... they aren't exactly equipped to take on bigger dogs.
Can you tell I
foxesI have seen her a few times - last week was the previous occassion and she hid under a car whilst we walked past so no boldness then.
I wondered if she was either injured or hungry but seemed to be moving fine and no obvious . I wouldn't feed them as I don't want them coming to the house with my 5 year old twins in the garden!!
It was the blood curdling "Vixen's scream" - I jumped a mile when she first let one go!
David
Just got back from another episode filled walk!
Within 10 yards of leaving the house, I hear "the scream", albeit sounds a couple of hundred yards away on the fields so I decide to walk my evening loop in reverse to avoid her - fat chance!
Before I am out of my road, there she is 50 yards away watching, I walk on and so does she getting a little closer by the time I stop and turn - even the 2 dogs appear somewhat perplexed by her boldness as they are relatively calm despite seeing her. No screaming at all - she just follows keeping a 20-30 yard distance. My route is nearly a mile in a square and she followed the whole way, quiet but not afraid to be seen sitting and watching.
There is a small enclosed area near the open field where the dogs can stretch their legs and do their "business" so I let them off and they both run to the far side with tails wagging - there she is, sitting around 10 yards away from the fence - no screaming, just with an interested look! I did have chance to see her condition and there is nothing obviously wrong. As this was very close to where she was screaming last night, I am not convinced she is protecting cubs as she readily abandoned them to follow us on a mile's walk and showed no stress at all.
Very odd!!
Within 10 yards of leaving the house, I hear "the scream", albeit sounds a couple of hundred yards away on the fields so I decide to walk my evening loop in reverse to avoid her - fat chance!
Before I am out of my road, there she is 50 yards away watching, I walk on and so does she getting a little closer by the time I stop and turn - even the 2 dogs appear somewhat perplexed by her boldness as they are relatively calm despite seeing her. No screaming at all - she just follows keeping a 20-30 yard distance. My route is nearly a mile in a square and she followed the whole way, quiet but not afraid to be seen sitting and watching.
There is a small enclosed area near the open field where the dogs can stretch their legs and do their "business" so I let them off and they both run to the far side with tails wagging - there she is, sitting around 10 yards away from the fence - no screaming, just with an interested look! I did have chance to see her condition and there is nothing obviously wrong. As this was very close to where she was screaming last night, I am not convinced she is protecting cubs as she readily abandoned them to follow us on a mile's walk and showed no stress at all.
Very odd!!
ali_kat said:
What size is she? I'm wondering if she's a cub and orphaned?
Ignoring the tail, size of a King Charles Cavalier. Hard to guess weight, but perhaps 7-8 kg?I wonder whether to take some food out tonight and throw it to her and see what happens with it - what would you recommend?
D
ali_kat said:
That does sound June/July cub sized to me...
At that age, she could be orphaned, but she could also just be curious about the Salukis
Feeding her? At this age she should be learning to hunt & be self sufficient... lets see what Bex says?
I think in your shoes I'd keep an eye out & on her, judging it on her appearance. I don't think you want a pet fox? (although they can be tamed & house trained )
I would be feeding her & tempting her back to mine but I'm a softy & had a garden big enough to sustain her when I was rural (city central now - how I miss my foxes!!).
Pet fox - nope! Cannot see the Mrs agreeing to that!!At that age, she could be orphaned, but she could also just be curious about the Salukis
Feeding her? At this age she should be learning to hunt & be self sufficient... lets see what Bex says?
I think in your shoes I'd keep an eye out & on her, judging it on her appearance. I don't think you want a pet fox? (although they can be tamed & house trained
)I would be feeding her & tempting her back to mine but I'm a softy & had a garden big enough to sustain her when I was rural (city central now - how I miss my foxes!!).
Also, I know what the sh*t smells like after the dogs roll in it!! Why do they do that??
Lets see what Bex says...
bexVN said:
Oh and sorry for referring to the fox as an it. I wasn't sure if it'd been established if it were a male or female. I'm assuming the male fox does not make these sounds then?
It's definitely a vixen as this is the noise she makes..https://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&t...
Scares the crap out of you if it happens by surprise about 20 yards away in the middle of the night!
David
Last nights instalment - no sign of her at all until about 200 yards from home when she let off a scream and I turn around to see her sitting on the pavement about 30 yards away. Dogs are quite controlled though tugging away to go towards her but despite that she advances to within 20 yards and gives another scream at which point, my 2 go ballistic as they would like nothing better than a fox chase being sighthounds!!
All parties just then sat and stared at each other for a couple of mins before she stood up and jogged away.
Thats the closest I have seen her and she looks pretty healthy, perhaps a tad thin but not too drastic.
David
All parties just then sat and stared at each other for a couple of mins before she stood up and jogged away.
Thats the closest I have seen her and she looks pretty healthy, perhaps a tad thin but not too drastic.
David
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