National Fox Welfare Frequently Asked Questions

From: Derek Moody (derek_at_farmdirect.co.uk)
Date: 08/10/04 

Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 17:28:03 +0100

http://www.nfws.org.uk/index.htm

Frequently Asked Questions
 

Dear NFWS

Please could you tell me when fox cubs are born, I believe it’s in
January—February but I am not sure.

The peak mating season is usually in January and cubs are born in
March. If the fox’s earth is in your garden you will usually be lucky
enough to see the fox cubs moving around mid April.

I am looking for a fox as a pet. I love pets and take many in. do you
know where I could go to find one? your immediate response is desired.

Sorry Wendy you have certainly come to the wrong place here. Foxes are
wild animals and this is where they belong. Foxes do not make good
pets, please believe me.

hi I am a student at a school and I have a project to do and I did a
red fox. bit it ask a question and I cant answer it so I am emailing u
to ask a question. it is what dose the red fox sound like ??please
email me a xxxxxxxx ok please do it son.

Does your computer you are using play wav files? If so I will send you
some recordings so you can hear for yourself. If not let me know and I
will describe them as best I can

I have a family of about 5 foxes living at the bottom of my next door
neighbour's garden. They all have the mange and I am heartily sick of
finding their mess all over my grass. Certain plants often smell of
them - the foxes leave a very definite smell - and my daughter is
afraid of going to the bottom of the garden on her own because of the
foxes.
I am worried that the foxes are making the garden unhealthy for
children and would be interested in ways of at least treating their
mange.

If you would be willing to put a little food out each night for the
foxes we would be only too pleased to send you the treatment required.
By putting out a little food you may actually stop the fouling in your
garden. If you are interested in treating the foxes please email me
with your full address and details

I live in Michigan, USA. I recently found a 6 month old brown lab
puppy in terrible condition. We've done biopsies, tested for fungus,
and are now considering a diagnosis of mange, though my vets are in
disagreement. No mites were found in numerous skin scrapings. His
itching and hair loss have been going on for 2 months. He is currently
being treated with Prednisone and Ivermectin, and showing marked
relief though probably temporary.
Desperate for more information, we searched the web and came across
your NFWS websight regarding a homeopathic remedy for mange. We'd like
to
know how we might be able to purchase this. We'd be glad to make a
donation.
 
Please send your full address and I will be only too pleased to put
you something in the post. Re the mange scrapings very rarely will the
mite show up in a scraping. The Ivomectin should kill the mites but
maybe now you should start to treat the skin. Here are a few
suggestions: Aloe Vera shampoo, normally obtained from a health shop
will work wonders. Shampoo the dog twice a week until itching stops.
This product is really brilliant.
Incidentally do you feed dry dog food to your puppy? Just for the
record, if you do, we questioned over 170 people whose dogs have
either got mange or have had it, and interestingly, 168 owners fed a
dry dog food. I can only liken feeding dry dog food to us eating
muesli at every meal, you are what you eat and the skin is the first
thing to suffer. Finally add some vitamin A and D in the diet. If you
can obtain a vitamin supplement (SA37 is good one) from a pet shop
this will help. Also use one teaspoonful of a good vegetable oil,
Sunflower the best, and add this to the dogs food each day.

I have a Grey Fox living under my barn and I have several pets. I
would like to trap it and then relocate it. What should I put in the
trap to
catch it. Thanks

Sorry we don't give advice on how to catch foxes to relocate them.
Thankfully in the UK relocation is illegal. The simple answer would be
to ensure your pets are fully protected. If the fox is a vixen and you
remove her then the cubs that are no doubt also under your shed will
die. Relocation doesn't work for many reasons.

I would like to know how to capture a fox for transferring him to
another part of the woods. he might eat my chickens. I have seen him
and would like to catch him, but not hurt him. please tell me how to
do this. thank you.

Foxes being very intelligent creatures will usually just find their
way back if transferred to a different location. In the UK this is
illegal since it is cruel and it must be said ineffective. Removing a
territorial animal away from its territory will only attract another
fox in. The safest way of guarding your chickens would be electric
fencing.

My friend has given me your email address. I wonder if you can help.
We feed the squirrels in our garden and last winter we noticed that
one of them was looking a bit "mangy". He lost the fur along his spine
(like a reverse mohican) and then all the fur on his back and sides
fell out. His tail was ok and his legs, but the fur on his tummy also
looked thin.
Since then the fur has started to grow back, starting at his neck and
growing down his body, so he is only half bald now. What can we do to
help him? We feed peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, seeds, apples, pears,
avocados, etc.

We know very little about squirrels and no-one we have asked has been
able to help so far. None of the other squirrels have been affected.
Apart from the baldness, the sick squirrel looks very alert and
lively. Does it sound like mange to you
 
It certainly sounds like mange. If you can put a peanut butter
sandwich out or something like that for the squirrel we can send you
the treatment that will cure the mange. Please send full address and
details.
how much does a male red fox weigh?
Anything up to 8 - 9 kg average weight in pounds would be roughly 14 -
16 lbs

How do I get rid of the fox in my area, to relocate to another area. I
have two large dogs that want to "get" the fox. So far they have
been unsuccessful since we have a large fence around the property, but
it would sure make me feel better if it just went away.

To relocate foxes is illegal and wouldn't solve any problems since if
you remove one fox another would move into the territory and take it's
place. You could try using a repellent called Renardine instructions
for use are on our web site www.nfws.org.uk

What is the fox doing when it yells out in the night like a child
crying for help.

One of two things, it could be the vixen calling to her mate or it
could be the cubs fighting for their share of the food. Whilst either
sounds like they are killing each other no harm befalls them

Does anyone have any experience with Foxes as house pets?

Yes plenty. Every year we get a dozen or so foxes that have been
brought up in a house environment. People take a cub on thinking how
sweet. The cub will usually take to being handled quite well. However
once the fox get to the age of about 14-16 weeks it goes through a
stage called neophobia.
Young children go through the same stage, trusting everyone up until a
certain age then suddenly bursting into tears if they are handed to a
stranger. A fox cub on seeing a person who is not an immediate member
of the family will dart for cover and panic. At 14 - 16 weeks the foxy
smell will be on everything that doesn't move, and on some things that
do! Foxes being territorial animals will mark their territory
frequently i.e. the house and contents and will usually leave their
dropping near to the door.

Since their liking for chewing leather plastic, wire etc they actually
become a health hazard in the house in so much as they will chew
through electric cables without thinking twice. Nice stories of foxes
having being brought up in a house and then escaping to live a happy
life are often heard, but in reality the fox escaping will usually
prove to be a death sentence, as the fox will not only be in another
fox families territory but it also will not know where to get a
regular supply of food from.

Invariably Basil the fox will usually be introduced to Bruno the dog
and they may get on fine, but if the fox escapes suddenly enemy number
two to a fox is viewed as a friend rather than foe! Unlike a domestic
dog do something to a fox that it doesn't like and it's way of saying
no is to bite the nearest piece of exposed flesh, starts getting
serious when one imagines that children may also be sharing the foxes
territory.

This is when we usually get called to take on Basil! The householders
usually say we have now decided he belongs in the wild. Problem number
one for us is in attempting to integrate the house fox with a litter
of cubs of the same age. Most fox cubs denied contact with their own
species will be afraid and will hide away or try to get away. This
causes the other three or four cubs to investigate the unusual
behaviour exhibited and the problem then escalates until the cub is
completely paranoid. Problem two is in attempting to get a fox to be
afraid of dogs, no easy task! Problem three raises its head when a cub
will never accept other cubs. Also a problem if the fox escapes.

The main problem here is that you have a fox cub that has bonded with
one family, and one family only i.e. the householders who dumped him
on us. So the cub will not only be afraid of other cubs but will also
be afraid of any person it does not know. A cub that can not be
rehabilitated or will not accept life in captivity will have to be
euthanased.

I am sorry if I have rambled, but if just one piece of the above makes
anyone think twice about taking on a fox as a pet then it will have
been worth it. I can appreciate anyone having a passion for foxes, but
surely the passion should be for their welfare not our own selfish
reasons. Watching foxes in the wild state is a thrill hard to explain,
its also hard to explain the emotions of observing wild fox cubs
visiting your garden for their first time, although you may have
watched generations of them before.
Please do believe me when I say there is no thrill in watching a
captive fox pace continually during the night and sometimes during the
day, pacing out of boredom or the need for freedom.

Follow up reply: I'm a US wildlife lover who is just visiting in this
news group to learn more about foxes. I think your "ramblings" on this
subject were eloquent and a propros.

 
We live on a few acres adjacent to town. We are absolutely delighted
that our back yard brush pile has become the home for a vixen and
three kits. We are interested in knowing more about foxes, as a
result. We are curious how long they will stay with us as a group.
Usually the cubs will abandon their earth in June and start living
above ground and whilst they will still play together, they will start
to roam alone or at the very least in pairs.

How long the vixen might stay after the young leave?

The vixen will shortly start lying away from the cubs to wean them off
her milk and onto solid food. The vixen will still be in the area and
visiting this site nightly long after the cubs have left completely
What is the usual litter size?
Between 4 - 5.

At what age the kits turn red? (Ours are a dusky gray with dark feet
and white tail tip. (Approx age 4 - 5weeks)

Roughly five - six weeks

What are the chances that she will stay with us or return next year?

If she survives another year, very high.

She seems to be quite bold. She watches carefully as we come and go,
but she doesn't run as we walk to a vehicle 50 ft. from where she
suns. Are there addition web sites that might offer some general
knowledge? We are tempted to feed her, but don't want to make her
either lazy or fat. Thanks you for your help.

Try putting out raisins, foxes love these and they wont get fat on
them. By spreading the raisins around however will afford you with a
longer watch.

We have recently discovered a fox with 4 cubs in a field near our
house and have been watching for 3 days. If we leave some food will
this hurt the cubs later for getting their own food? Do the father and
mother stay with the cubs we think we've seen the father as well?
Their beautiful, we found them while camping. Thank You!!

As long as you don't leave to much food down there will be no
problems. Yes both the vixen and dog fox will tend to the cubs as will
up to five non-breeding vixens from previous litters.

Hello, I have previously contacted yourselves and received the
homopathic treatment for mange in a visiting fox. The fox is in a very
poor condition with a large bare patch on its back and sore patches on
both rumps. I have been treating the fox for about two weeks with
little success. I have now contacted the RSPCA who have supplied a
trap. They say that due to the condition of the fox the best course is
to put it down. I wonder if you agree or would be able to offer an
alterative. Over the last two/ three months we have been feeding it we
have become attached in an odd way and would like to do what is best
for it.

I would not expect to see results from the treatment we send out until
at least three weeks. During the time of treatment how much worse as
the fox got since you started treating?
I would certainly not put a fox down simply because of mange it can be
successfully treated (please see attached photo's before and after
treatment). Please, please do not let them catch this fox and kill it.
Where are you? We can arrange for a cage trap to be brought around to
you, we will catch the fox, treat it and as long as there were no
problems the fox would be released in about eight weeks after capture
please email your phone number and I will call you to discuss.
 
We own two red fox females, one captive-born the other wild born. The
wild one is semi-tame, brought to us by coon hunters who found it
crying in the night at about 8 weeks old.

The problem is the wild one (which is a little over a year old now) is
showing symptoms of mange. She has lost the hair from her tail and
starting to lose hair on her hindquarters, though no bare skin is
apparent anywhere. The tame one shows no symptoms at all. We have no
permit for the wild one, so veterinary care for her is out of the
question.

We do not want to risk losing our tame one over taking the other one
in for treatment. What suggestions do you recommend? Thank you for any
reply!

 
Any chance of a picture? When you state no bare skin is the hair just
coming off but fur underneath? It could well be that the fox is
beginning to go through the summer moult, this usually starts at the
tail and works its way through the body. Is the fox scratching
constantly?
Please reply and if needed I can send you treatment if the condition
is Sarcoptic Mange.
 
We have recently had the joy of seeing foxes in our back garden, but
to our horror a few nights ago we had our family tortoise dug up! I
wondered if any body else has had similar problems, or if you can
offer a solution to our problem as the tortoise hibernates outside in
shallow soil, and doesn't hibernate inside.

I can explain as to why they would do this, but to offer an
explanation may be more difficult. Foxes when they come across an
abundance of food, rather than waste it, will bury it. This is usually
called a cache. Opportunistic foxes may spend their nights raiding
their families caches. A fox coming across a tortoise underground may
see this as a cached supply of food and dig it up.
Certain chemical repellents can possibly be used around the site your
tortoise has chosen to bury itself. Renardine is by far the best and
can be obtained from most good garden centres. Use a bucket of sharp
sand and mix some of the Renardine in the sand until the sand becomes
slightly discoloured-coloured. Sprinkle the sand around the area.
Second option: get some garden twine, soak in Renardine over night and
do some twine lines cordoning off your tortoise's area. Set the twine
line at about knee height to a fox 'roughly 5 inches'.
 
I have been advised to check a couple of points before I go ahead:- We
have a couple of elderly (15 & 17) cats, not to mention those of our
neighbour's. If they sample the bait, will they be harmed?
I have not seen our foxes, who frequently bask on a bank at the back
of our garden, for some weeks, even on a sunny day such as today.
Should delay until later this spring?
 
In answering the questions there is no danger from the treatment to a
cat of any age. We only advise putting the treatment on a jam sandwich
so the cats don't pinch the treatment. I would not delay at all, mange
can kill a fox in a matter of between 3 - 4 months
Are Red fox's endangered?

The answer is simply no they are not. Our work is carried out to help
the fox population remain healthy. It must also be said that many
people only start to care when an animal is endangered i.e. the Tiger.
If more people had the interests of the tigers to heart prior to them
becoming endangered, it just may not have been allowed to happen.
We see our role as being the advocates for the foxes
 

I have heared people say that foxes kill cats, is this true.

#No, there has never been a reported case of a fox killing a cat.
Foxes will scavenge dead cats off the road and anyone seeing this
assumes the fox has killed the cat. I have seen on many occasions a
fox carrying a marrow bone, never do I jump to the conclusion that the
fox has killed the cow! Peak calls regarding foxes and cats come in
during the mating times, because of the blood chilling scream of the
vixen calling her mate. We then get another load of calls when foxes
are observed chasing cats in March/April. This is usually the dog fox
or vixen chasing away a cat from the earth, as cats given the chance
will play with and kill fox cubs.

Finally we get another load of calls stating the foxes are hunting in
packs after cats. This is usually in July when cubs, although nearly
the size of adults will still be in the family group and if a cat is
observed by one of them they will go over for a closer look, usually
once the cat has scratched them on the nose that's enough to satisfy
their curiosity. In this case curiosity certainly didn't kill the cat.

 
Do foxes make good pets?

The answer to your question is quite simply no. They are wild animals
and this is where there belong. To condemn a fox to life behind bars
just because someone wants a unique pet would be cruel to say the
least.

At what age are foxes mature enough to breed?

Roughly ten months, cubs born in March will usually breed in January

My wife and I are very comfortable with the foxes sharing our yard,
but not everyone is so accepting of their wild neighbors. We would be
happy to postpone our party if the den! will still be in use but we
would prefer to have it when scheduled

I honestly do not feel you will have to. Obviously tell the children
not to play in the holes or put their hands down there, but I am sure
your party will go brilliantly and the children want be bothered by
the foxes and likewise.
The pups are just beginning to turn red and are probably half the
shoulder height of the mother. And they play out side of the den when
mom isn't around especially in the morning.
The vixen will now be lying away from the cubs to wean them off her
milk onto solid food, hence the reason you see cubs often but without
mom

A friend of mine has a fox den in their yard very close to a horse
barn and a chicken house. He knows there are 2 cubs in the den. They
were unaware of this until the fox came after them when they were
finding the horses. How can they encourage the fox to leave the den
with her cubs?
They are definitely animal people and don't want to hurt any of them,
but they do have animals of their own and don't want anything to
happen to them
or their animals and live stock. What would you recommend? How much
longer will they be there. I believe he just notice them a few days
ago.
Any help you can give would be appreciated.
 
Left to their own devices the cubs will leave the earth usually late
June. If this is to late then get a product called Renardine. It wont
hurt the foxes or any others animals but it will deter them. The vixen
will take the cubs on somewhere else. Usually there are two holes on
this basis get two bundles of rags, soak the rags in the Renardine and
loosely block the holes.
Loosely so anything underground can get out with ease. For the first
couple of days the rags will be moved just put them back in the holes.
The indication that the foxes have gone will be that neither sets of
rags will have been moved for four - five days.

 
We have two vixens (one the daughter of the other) in two separate
earths both within our garden which is around one third of an acre. We
have fed the foxes in our garden for many years but this is the first
time two have decided to move in. The two vixens spar regularly but
would they kill each other's cubs given the chance? We have found two
bodies, one with an ear bitten off and skull crushed and one with no
head at all. Could this be the rival vixens or is it more likely that
a dog fox has been around? It is very distressing and we pray that the
little ones will grow quickly so that further attack is less likely. I
would be interested in joining your organisation if you could also
send details. Thanks.

It could well be the dominant fox (vixen) ensuring her cubs have the
better chance of survival, I doubt it would be the work of the dog
fox. Alternatively if the cubs have died through natural causes the
other cubs will eat them. The first thing to come off is usually the
head or ears. If you feed from one area in your garden it may be worth
placing two or three piles around the garden in different areas, this
will stop any conflict over food. If however another cub is found dead
in the meantime it would be kinder to think of deterring one of the
vixens, if this is the case either email me back and I will describe
what to do

How old are cubs when they leave the den? I have a single fox cub in
my back yard that appears to be only 3 months old. Is this normal? Or
have his parents and siblings been killed?
Usually cubs are born in March and will leave the den around June/July
weather dependant. Are you sure its a cub??
Follow on: Definitely a cub. Probably about 15" long tip to tail, and
less than 8" tall. Furry little thing, more sandy than red, white tip
on tail, and darker legs. Warbles a bit around dusk before venturing
out. What is best course of action at this point?
What may be worth doing is feeding a little food just to help the cub
out if he is on his/her own. It's unlikely that both parents will have
died. To see if the cub is not visited by adults leave a couple of
eggs out in the shell. It's really only the adults that will take
these away, so if they have gone in the morning then adults are sure
to be visiting the cub through the night. However it may be worth
putting out a little dog food and a bowl of water for the cub just in
case. Please let me know how it all goes and if in doubt, give us a
shout.

I have heard that foxes may kill all the chickens in a yard, yet only
eat a few. Is this true? Also, why does this happen (fox behavior
question, I guess)? I was under the impression that animals kill
(mainly) for necessity.
I would appreciate any information you could give me. Thank you.
 
When one talks about foxes the fox and chicken scenario always springs
up, usually in defense of fox hunting! Imagine for a moment the fox in
a field, around the corner are twelve birds eating seeds. The fox
creeps up on the birds and pounces, and is lucky to catch one, eleven
however fly away. The only time this falls down is if the birds can
not get away i.e. a chicken coop. The first question to ask if anyone
brings up the fox and chicken scenario is how do you know it was a
fox. The answer is usually because they seen the fox return. If the
fox had killed the chickens it didn't take for pleasure then why is
the fox coming back. The answer is simple a successful predator will
kill more than it needs when the opportunity arises so it can store
them for a day when food may be short i.e. they cache them. This is
why the fox will come back to the coop, its to take the dead birds
away and bury them.
Many predators surplus kill or have at least surplus to their
immediate requirements. The domestic cat will however much you have
just fed it, still go out and kill birds, mice etc. A domestic dog
when its eaten all it can will often be seen trying to bury its food
either under the carpet or a bone may be buried in the garden. Its
quite remarkable really when one considers that a Lion, considered by
most, to be the king of the jungle, will often kill more than it can
eat at one sitting yet no one questions why one lion will kill a zebra
when a gazelle would have been more than sufficient.

It amazes me how with today's technical advances that we can speak via
the computer, we can have board meeting without anyone leaving their
house, we
send rockets to planets millions of miles away, yet people still fail
to be able to protect their chickens from a twelve pound fox. If we
can keep foxes in our care when we are treating them, surely people
with chickens can keep them out? Whilst foxes are intelligent animals
never have I observed one carrying keys. In short if they can not get
in they can not kill any chickens.

Lastly, how many people go to a supermarket and shop for just one days
dinner and how many people just go shopping when they are hungry?

Follow on: Thank you so much for you insightful information.
I am an animal rights activist myself, but the question about
(foxes) killing more than they need was one of a very select
few I have not been able to answer. Thank you so much!
 
A fox (female) regularly comes into my garden, day and night. The
other night (at about 5am) I was woken by the fox barking persistently
for about 20 minutes. She was sitting in the middle of the lawn, not
in distress, but making a lot of noise! Even when I put on the
security light she did not move, only when I walked down the garden
did she retreat, but continue barking at a further distance. I left
her alone as I was satisfied that she was not in distress, which is
what I originally thought. I would be interested to know why she was
doing this as she has never shown this behaviour before. I assume it
was either related to mating or cubs.
It could possibly be a vixen who will not leave her new born cubs for
too long so calls to the dog fox to bring her food
For six weeks we have fed a young vixen, three weeks ago she had four
cubs. We carried on feeding them, three days ago she vanished the
earth is secluded and has not been disrupted by anyone. Unfortunately
we have a lot of cats in the area, in the last few days they have been
eating the food we have left out for her. Do you think she has been
frightened off by the cats, I am concerned the cubs may still be in
the earth. Any ideas?
To start with I would suggest putting an egg out in the shell near to
the earth. The cats wont touch the egg, the cubs will be to small to
pick it up and remove it and the fox is really the only animal that
will take an egg away in the shell. This will at least give an insight
as to whether the vixen is still returning to the earth. The vixen
will sometimes move her cubs up to three times when they are young.
Also this time of year the vixen will start to lay away from the cubs
to wean them off her milk onto solid food, this could account for why
you haven't seen her. Jam or honey sandwiches can be put down, foxes
love sweet things, cats don't.
What is the proper name for a fox's den ?
The proper name is an earth.
 
 
 
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