Urban foxes - Not too shy then!
Discussion
I worked from home today. This generally involves me gazing out of our bedroom window whilst on various Friday conference calls.
Today, I noticed a fox 3 gardens over from ours. It wasn't just a fleeting glimpse though! It was there for at least 3 hours, just lazing around, occasionally yawning, scratching or getting up for a walk around the garden. Obviously nothing wrong with it, just enjoying a laze around.
I'm sure it would've done an immediate runner if anyone had come near to it (I was three houses over and up in our loft conversion, so whilst it knew I was there watching it, it also knew I wasn't close enough to be a threat), but it looked for all the world like a family pet not expecting to be disturbed!
Is this usual for foxes?
Today, I noticed a fox 3 gardens over from ours. It wasn't just a fleeting glimpse though! It was there for at least 3 hours, just lazing around, occasionally yawning, scratching or getting up for a walk around the garden. Obviously nothing wrong with it, just enjoying a laze around.
I'm sure it would've done an immediate runner if anyone had come near to it (I was three houses over and up in our loft conversion, so whilst it knew I was there watching it, it also knew I wasn't close enough to be a threat), but it looked for all the world like a family pet not expecting to be disturbed!
Is this usual for foxes?
They love peanut butter and marmite sandwiches 
which is good because they help them overcome mange & helps their coats get glossy 
They are actually very friendly once they have overcrowd their mistrust, although as I worry that they'll start to trust all humans and know that they cannot I tend to keep my distance with these on the Farm - although Mrs Fox would come right up to the window & take food from me, she would hide if she saw me outside.
which is good because they help them overcome mange & helps their coats get glossy They are actually very friendly once they have overcrowd their mistrust, although as I worry that they'll start to trust all humans and know that they cannot I tend to keep my distance with these on the Farm - although Mrs Fox would come right up to the window & take food from me, she would hide if she saw me outside.
When I was growing up, and still to this day, my friend's Father rescued foxes and ended up keeping many of them. Some had, and still have, runs in his garden, but back in the 70's/80's a few of them had the run of the family home too. They'd curl up in corners, under beds etc. They smell. They smell a lot.
I'm still local to that village, and in the countryside on farmland, yet other than his foxes, and a few deceased at the side of the road, I've never seen one in the garden or across the fields. Good job really as myself and my neighbour have a few chickens. She's a sheep farmer with maybe a dozen dogs, I have two. Not sure they/their scent is a deterrent or not?
Yet friends who live in town have them in their garden all the time. Mostly stealing shoes. Lots of shoes.
I'm assuming they prefer the town houses as there's more food within easy reach, bins to scavenge etc. And nicer shoes.
I'm still local to that village, and in the countryside on farmland, yet other than his foxes, and a few deceased at the side of the road, I've never seen one in the garden or across the fields. Good job really as myself and my neighbour have a few chickens. She's a sheep farmer with maybe a dozen dogs, I have two. Not sure they/their scent is a deterrent or not?
Yet friends who live in town have them in their garden all the time. Mostly stealing shoes. Lots of shoes.
I'm assuming they prefer the town houses as there's more food within easy reach, bins to scavenge etc. And nicer shoes.
Gretchen said:
Yet friends who live in town have them in their garden all the time. Mostly stealing shoes. Lots of shoes.
I'm assuming they prefer the town houses as there's more food within easy reach, bins to scavenge etc. And nicer shoes.
We get that. Guaranteed that if one of the kids leaves their shoes out under the trampoline, one of them will be missing in the morning. Never both, but always one.I'm assuming they prefer the town houses as there's more food within easy reach, bins to scavenge etc. And nicer shoes.
Sometimes we've found them again, sometimes not. When we have, they haven't been chewed, just moved.
What is it about foxes and shoes?
We have foxes regularly using our rear lawn as a run from one copse to another. Very rarely disturb anything in the garden, they do mark territory on the trail. Pass on through next doors garden and return between about 12.30 and 5.00 AM.
They do scream at night, occasionally in the furthest copse, fortunately. Awful sound. In the Spring we get a mother and two cubs wandering through and back, all in a line, very good parental discipline.
I think these are typical of modern Urban foxes, they avoid contact, and prefer not to be approached, but they clearly are perfectly suited to urban life. They look well fed and in good order the coats are excellent. Urban foxes seem to me to be increasing steadily and well adapted to this life. I wish I was.
They do scream at night, occasionally in the furthest copse, fortunately. Awful sound. In the Spring we get a mother and two cubs wandering through and back, all in a line, very good parental discipline.
I think these are typical of modern Urban foxes, they avoid contact, and prefer not to be approached, but they clearly are perfectly suited to urban life. They look well fed and in good order the coats are excellent. Urban foxes seem to me to be increasing steadily and well adapted to this life. I wish I was.
missdiane said:
Don't you want to just bung them in a bubble bath and give them a blow dry, they always look so scabby 
I can see health and safety issues arising here. Foxes are wild animals and I think from memory on the ferocious animals list. I would not recommend anyone to approach a fox unless they are suitably clad in secure biteproof clothing. Then only with extreme caution and preferably only of you are a really knowledgeable animal carer. Excellent chance of getting a nasty bite, probably from an infected mouth, foxes are still vermin, I think.
Their diet and lifestyle would certainly suggest infections in the mouth.
got a female who has come by from may to october every year. she like to call for my cat basil. they are mates and play together. she has brought cubs now and again too. almost like showing them this is a safe friendly spot. she will take food from my hand too seems very placid and seems to know i enjoy watching her. for the first time this year she has let me pet her too. felt amazing for a wild animal to show such trust.
JumboBeef said:
ali_kat said:
The Gamekeepers here only shot them if they had mange over 50%, now they know it can be treated they don't even do that!
Not around here. Fox = shot. They do too much damage.Shame in many ways, I do like the fox. It is just that they are such killing machines.
If the domestic cat grew to Alsatian size they would be outlawed overnight. Such an animal would terrorise the neighbourhood. Only their diminutive size stops concern. I like cats, but they are not gentle caring animals.They are cruel vicious killers with immense natural hunting ability.
There was one in the gardens over the back last week. The gardens border open farmland, and foxes scale low fences in an amazingly cat-like manner. The people at the end have chickens, and he was sniffing round their coop. The next garden on from there has rabbits in an outdoor run, but their garden is better fenced. I did knock on at the neighbours with the chickens, but there was nobody home.
Looked a lot less manky than the one above - is it in the nature of urban foxes to look like that?
Looked a lot less manky than the one above - is it in the nature of urban foxes to look like that?
otolith said:
There was one in the gardens over the back last week. The gardens border open farmland, and foxes scale low fences in an amazingly cat-like manner. The people at the end have chickens, and he was sniffing round their coop. The next garden on from there has rabbits in an outdoor run, but their garden is better fenced. I did knock on at the neighbours with the chickens, but there was nobody home.
Looked a lot less manky than the one above - is it in the nature of urban foxes to look like that?
I think so from years of observation. They are a rangy, thin, wiry animal and a lot of the apparent size is made up by the tail which adds a lot to the look and agility but not the body mass.Looked a lot less manky than the one above - is it in the nature of urban foxes to look like that?
Never seen a sleek well covered glossy furred fox. I must have seen hundreds over 60 years. Certainly at least 6 a year. The covens in urban parks and wildlife areas that I have seen have frequently had two or more adults and four to six cubs.
The urban life reduces their predators and offers a pretty rich diet, I suspect. There are definitely more around the Midlands. One of the walks I do occasionally at night along an old Roman Road across a park, never reveals less that two or three pairs over about 2 miles.
The one that visists me looks amazingly healthy, not mangy at all. fluffy shiny coat and a big bushy tail, in fact she seems to get better looking the older she is getting. i think she will be around 7 or so now. started leaving a bowl of dog food out for her and her little cubs. i love seeing them , my cat basil waits at the patio doors for her around half nine ten at night. she will paw the door letting basil know she is here, then they just bounce around the garden together for an hour or so playing. never once hurt each other, they just seem to enjoy each others company for some weird reason. Ive grown very fond of her and as i said this year she has let me pet her too. feels great to think she trusts a human and has a norwegian forest mog as her best friend. no way would i want her shot.
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