Foxes

[Sweet]

Will be off to work in a bit......

I had a massive fox in the garden just a while ago, got both cats inside and took neighbours cat back to her also.

Do FOXES harm cats/Kittens?????

Love, Julie x

[EmmaG]

Julie, yes I believe they can do, also I believe (from what I have read) that they will not normally try and attack a healthy cat unless they are very very hungry, as their is easier food sources for them that trying to get a cat.

We have them over the field at the back of our house, I don't worry too much about them.

Good idea to get the cats in though just in case.

[dinahsmum]

I don't know, though I've heard 'tales' of cats disappearing to foxes. I'm a bit sceptical. They're pretty small, you know. I think foxes mostly eat worms, slugs and snails, with mice and rabbits if they're lucky. There are nasty 'hen-house' incidents as well, and foxes dispose of carrion.
Maybe someone can tell us true (i.e. personal) stories of fox attacks?
I'll remain sceptical for the present.

[EmmaG]

My vet told me it happens a lot less than people realise or are lead to believe. (some people want foxes to get a bad name)

[Luke]

I've known of foxes attacking cats...had an incident with Clementine once..she came home on day with a sorta gash on her shoulder area (if i remember rightly) and there had been a fox seen roaming close by the night before, and in the garden there was that fowl fox stench that was VERY strong...but it could have been a coincidence
I was allways raised to believe that a fox could have the potential to damage most cirrters smaller than itself...

[Fran]

We have foxes visit our garden at night. To be honest they seem more interested in the rabbits than the cats. I think it is fair to say that as a rule a fox will not tackle a healthy cat unless like someone has said already they are absolutely starving. They keep poutly and ducks on the livery yard where we stable our horse and they have lost many chickens and a couple of ducks to local foxes..

[Nicola]

I love foxes. Have bunnies in my garden though so don't really want them in my garden but do like seeing them around.

[yola]

I love foxes also. However they do attack cats. My Mum's 1st cat (an ex-stray tabby gentle giant) was badly bitten and subsequently died of septacaemia :cry: The vet did confirm that they were fox teeth-marks. :shock:

[Nicola]

Oh no:cry:

[Bengal Babe]

Yes they do attach cats -

they are lovely though - I have only ever seen 1 - he was trotting down our road very early in the morning - I had got up to use the bathroom -

[borderdawn]

Tend to agre with Frans thoughts here, as a general rule they wont attack a healthy Cat.

I have controlled Foxes for many years with the Terriers and they can be terrifically viscious and do incredible damage. They generally weigh about 14-17lb. If they are ill they will behave abnormally, I think this is when peoples Cats can be at risk, desperation etc will cause them to act irrationally. They are also oppertunistic feeders, and will kill everything in sight, rarely taking any. They will often come back the following night to take some more to bury etc for later, but given the damage they have done, they are rarely met with a welcome!

One major concern is mange. Dogs get it quite easily and it is nasty and hard to get rid of. Urban Foxes are covered in it in a lot of places, they often look like a totally different species to those controlled properly in the wild.
Dawn.

[Kim]

When the pair of foxes visited our garden the cats would watch them and sometimes the cats would chase them! The foxes never retaliated at all, just ran away. I think foxes are beautiful creatures.

[Emm]

my cats mix with the foxes here no problem - I have watched them side by side completely not bothered by each other - I love watching them they are beautiful animals.

[Kazz]

Hi
There are foxes around here but being an estate as such we don't see a lot of them although they are around I have seen them when its quiet early morning normaly. I'm with Dawn on the mange thing they are riddled with it and there is a place by me a where I won't walk the dogs as nearly everyone I see whose dog has/d mange has walked there and its right by where I know there are foxes in abundance :?

But with cats I would not fancy foxes around a kitten young cat an adult cat I wouldn't see any problem unless one or the other was ill but in the past Oscar has sauntered down the road early morning about 4.30ish and foxes have moved out of his way. He was unbothered by them but
never keen on them around his garden, mind you the dogs don' like them either:roll: I don't mind foxes where they are controlled but in inner cities they are mangy mostly they can't be happy or well with that terrible disease anyhow.:(

Karen

[Sweet]

Just caught back up with this thread..........

Thank you everyone :) for your thoughts x

[dinahsmum]

Just caught back up with this thread..........

Thank you everyone :) for your thoughts x
It was a good question - with interesting answers.