Urban foxes & pets

[LordHaveMurci]

My OH & the kids have been feeding a pair or foxes in our back garden, I had wondered if this was a good idea as we have two dogs & a cat. The cat will happily sit in the garden & watch them, often wihin 2-3 metres but are our pets at risk of mange, the foxes clearly aren't aggressive. Any other risks / reasons not to encourage them (apart from the haters personal opinions please)?

[bexVN]

Foxes often carry mange so your dogs could be at risk of pickng that up. Plenty of flea treatments help protect against Sarcoptic Mange (fox mange) aswell these days. (Stronghold/ advocate)

Foxes are getting braver and have been known to attack cats, with some ferocity, not something I would've thougth likely a few years ago.

[rudecherub]

bexVN said:

Foxes often carry mange so your dogs could be at risk of pickng that up. Plenty of flea treatments help protect against Sarcoptic Mange (fox mange) aswell these days. (Stronghold/ advocate)

Foxes are getting braver and have been known to attack cats, with some ferocity, not something I would've thougth likely a few years ago.

My Grandma who would be over a 100 if she was still with us, told me as a boy that foxes take and eat cats, she lived and worked as a farmer in rural North Yorkshire.

[bexVN]

rudecherub said:

bexVN said:

Foxes often carry mange so your dogs could be at risk of pickng that up. Plenty of flea treatments help protect against Sarcoptic Mange (fox mange) aswell these days. (Stronghold/ advocate)

Foxes are getting braver and have been known to attack cats, with some ferocity, not something I would've thougth likely a few years ago.

My Grandma who would be over a 100 if she was still with us, told me as a boy that foxes take and eat cats, she lived and worked as a farmer in rural North Yorkshire.

I'm referring to urban foxes, who usually treat cats with extreme caution but are getting braver.

[Superficial]

Our last house backed onto woodlands and fields, but was on a suburban street. There was an abundance of foxes and I'd often see them around, many times with one or two cats very close by. Never had any issues, definitely were not any interspecies fights.

I'd only worry if your cat was ill or elderly, aside from that cats and foxes generally just ignore each other, infact cats can see foxes off pretty well if they need to. Hate the RSPCAs stance on rescuing animals but just to show you have very little to worry about:

http://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/faq/-/question/E...

[bexVN]

I used to think and advise Owners the above but in recent times we have had cats brought in that O' have witnessed being attacked by foxes. One fox chased a cat into its cat flap and managed to bite the cat on its backside.

However I agree that they are still more likely to ignore each other and try and stay away from trouble.

[NDA]

I find it strange that folk feed squirrels, foxes and other vermin.

They get shot down my neck of the woods.

[Japveesix]

I find it strange that folk shoot squirrels, foxes and other wild animals.

They get fed and encouraged down my neck of the woods.

[toxgobbler]

Japveesix said:

I find it strange that folk shoot squirrels, foxes and other wild animals.

They get fed and encouraged down my neck of the woods.

Yes, lets save the fluffy cute ones. Meanwhile lets stick chickens in a cage, pump pigs & cows full of hormones and antibiotics. I am assuming based on your post that you're a city dwelling vegan?

[Japveesix]

toxgobbler said:

Yes, lets save the fluffy cute ones. Meanwhile lets stick chickens in a cage, pump pigs & cows full of hormones and antibiotics. I am assuming based on your post that you're a city dwelling vegan?

lol...

Wow, you really rose to that bait impressively. There's two sides to every story, posting that foxes are vermin and should be shot is just as stupid as what I posted and equally unbalanced as a opinion.

As it happens I work in the countryside, have eaten masses of game in the last year (though yet to actually shoot my own), lived on farms and am fully aware of the potential damage foxes, squirrels etc can cause. But I still don't think they should all be shot on sight because I'm not an idiot

Apart, of course, from those which are prowling our streets and eating our dogs and babies. Those ones should be killed to death.

[LordHaveMurci]

You see, I didn't want this to turn into a big bun fight over whether foxes (& squirrels somehow got involved too?) should be shot on sight or not. I have shot plenty of game birds, pigeon & rabbits, know lots of people who shoot rabbits, deer, foxes & gamebirds.
That wasn't my question, we do feed them, fact. What I was asking was if mange & indeed the foxes themselves was a threat to our pets.
Many thanks to those who have responded to my original question, to those who wish to take this thread OT please start your own thread & debate (argue) to your hearts content.

[Nightmare]

toxgobbler said:

Yes, lets save the fluffy cute ones. Meanwhile lets stick chickens in a cage, pump pigs & cows full of hormones and antibiotics. I am assuming based on your post that you're a city dwelling vegan?

sorry...maybe Im being thick but where on earth is there a connection between feeding foxes and squirrels and pumping pigs and cows full of hormones???

[omgus]

Unfortunately for the local fox population my elder cat hates them with a passion and the younger one has picked up her tendancies. However since moving to the new place she seems to have lessened hostilities, it used to be that seeing a fox would cause her to bolt off and chase it, now she just stares evilly at them from inside.
Of my mothers 3 terriers one of them is indifferent one is barky and a bit scared (of everything not just foxes) and one of them is part of the fox family and seems to spend most spring evenings playing with them and then being de-ticked.

[rudecherub]

bexVN said:

rudecherub said:

bexVN said:

Foxes often carry mange so your dogs could be at risk of pickng that up. Plenty of flea treatments help protect against Sarcoptic Mange (fox mange) aswell these days. (Stronghold/ advocate)

Foxes are getting braver and have been known to attack cats, with some ferocity, not something I would've thougth likely a few years ago.

My Grandma who would be over a 100 if she was still with us, told me as a boy that foxes take and eat cats, she lived and worked as a farmer in rural North Yorkshire.

I'm referring to urban foxes, who usually treat cats with extreme caution but are getting braver.

What I've read around this to me seems to suggest that urban foxes are in the first stage of domestication.

The current theory regarding dogs were they lived at periphery of early human settlements.

This kind of relationship is seen in the feral dog populations that live in eg certain Indian cities.

This semi-domestication means selection is favouring foxes who are braver in the presence of humans - and aggression.

[HiAsAKite]

Our dog really dislikes foxes - and they are terrified of him and scarper at first sight.

Fortunately, we keep him on lead when walking at dusk/evening/early morning so he can't actually chase them, but there's no doubt he would have a go..

He's 35kg of greyhound, so would probably be able to catch them in his initial sprint...
..not sure what would happen when he caught them though, and don't really want to find out..

[kmpowell]

HiAsAKite said:

..not sure what would happen when he caught them though, and don't really want to find out..

When we lived in the Wiltshire countryside, our house backed onto fields and stables. We arrived there to an abundance of foxes that used to come down to steal the horse food at night. Suffice to say that after a few weeks, the presence of a whippet lurcher hound who would chase & catch them, scared them off. I witnessed many a stand-off between Betty and the foxes, and Betty would always come out on top...

In contrast, when we moved to London in January I was staggered at how 'ballsy' the urban foxes are! True to form Betty smells them in the air immediately and starts tugging on her lead so she can get her head down to track. Then when she sees them she'll stop and let of a sharp bark. The big difference here is the urban foxes don't react, they simply stare at her which riles her more. I daren't let her off the lead becasue I'm pretty sure the mangy foxes would give it a good fight and give her all sorts of horrible diseases!

[BruceV8]

HiAsAKite said:

..not sure what would happen when he caught them though, and don't really want to find out..

Exactly the same thought occurs to me. My old Vizsla always chased them but he had no killing instinct so probably wouldn't have got to grips with them if he ever caught up with one (which never did). My Ridgeback also chases them if he see them before I do. He isn't as fast but definitely does have a killing instinct (I've had the rabbits to prove it). I do worry about what would happen if he ever caught up with one. I've no doubt he would come out on top but he would probably sustain some horrible injuries and possibly some nasty diseases in the process. We have some big foxes around here!