Grey Fox

[Klutz]

We have fox that has been hanging around our house for a while and not sure what to do about it, if anything.....

I spotted it one night a few months ago early eve when I was calling my cat in for the evening, I could've sworn that it chased her right past the door. As I saw someting real quick chasing her, I slammed the door not letting either in, then shortly after that my cat came in with wide eyes.

Stupid cat still wants to go out at night. We've nicknamed her fox-food. Then one morning getting ready for work the stupid cat was out again all night and right out our door was the fox. He/she kinda looked at me through our glass door and just stood there, then I opened the door slowly to kinda scare it away so I could find my cat and was fearful that she had become fox food, but alas she showed up shortly after the fox mendered off. Also the fox does look healthy.

Then we came home from a weekend/overnight trip(cat was left inside, while we were gone, BTW) and the fox was sighted yet again by my husband this time, right at the end of our driveway. I went in one way and didn't know it was there, he was going to try to get a picture of it, but I let the cat out..... and it took off. Again stupid cat, hey I try to keep her in, but she insists that she wants out when she wants out. It would really suck if she did become fox food, but I really think that she has a good hiding place or something......she still comes home.... Now my neighbor says that someone from across the pond has seen it walking down our steps from the yard to the pond.

Guess I'm concerned if we should try to capture it and have it relocated. Have a heart cage??? Something like that???? Is there such a thing for a fox??? What would you do?

 

[NewHampshire]

Get a properly sized humane trap and relocate it or call Fish and Game and explaine the issue to them and they may be able to remedy the issue for you using the same said form of trap.

Brian

 

[Klutz]

Actually there was an article in the Foster's a few weeks ago about the foxes and they said that they are not going to move a nuisance fox just for the sake of moving it, that you'd have to hire someone to do it. Right now, I'm not about to spend money on that.....

My husband wants to shoot it with his cannon, his 8540-digital, that is.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

My brother has a mother fox and three cubs in his neighborhood. The three cubs all eat the cat / dog food off the front steps. Apparently people in the neighborhood are feeding them because they come right up to people - within 5'. The cats and dogs don't freak out when the cubs come in the yard. They just kind of look up and yawn as if the fox is a member of their family. It seems to me that this can't end well for one or more parties.

This is out in the Springfield, MA area.

Tim

 

[Trudy]

My cats have co-existed with foxes, with no tragedies so far. I've had some skinny, small red ones come right up to the house, which I didn't like. I yell at them, chase them out of the yard and follow that up with a few blasts from a shotgun, aimed in their general direction but directed at the ground. It's not my intention to hurt them, ever, just discourage them.
Recently there's a beautiful grey fox who visits. My cats know he's around; they're sticking a little closer to home. Most cats will adjust their habits to cope with a predator.
I would try running your fox off with a lot of yelling, firing blanks, using firecrackers, etc. Make it feel threatened. The fox will get the idea.

 

[smitty77]

I would try running your fox off with a lot of yelling, firing blanks, using firecrackers, etc. Make it feel threatened. The fox will get the idea.

And sometimes not. We had a red fox come hang around the yard one day, sitting on my retaining wall just out of reach of my husky on her dog run. The dog was barking like crazy trying to scare it away, but the fox didn't care. When my wife went out to scare it off with some noise from a pot and spoon, the fox jumped on the dog's head and began attacking. The story didn't end well for the fox as it was found an hour later in the neighbor's driveway with severe trauma. The dog was in quarantine until the state tested the fox for rabies.

We later learned the same fox harassed my next door neighbor while she waited with her son for the school bus. Amazingly, the fox tested negative for rabies, and it was unknown if it was suffering from anything else.

I'd be wary of any animal that seems too comfortable around humans.
Photo here:
Taken just seconds before the attack

 

[Chip]

We had to treat our dog last year for a skin disease the Vet called Fox Mites, which is a pleasant way to say Sarcoptic Mange. Untreated this can kill a dog and can scar a human. I don't know if cats can get this, I'd imagine they can.

The extent to which you tolerate wild animals in your yard is a personal decision. There are legal ways to remove those that are unwanted, understanding they'll probably be replaced soon enough by another.

 

[AndyF]

In Raymond this year there were some rabid foxes reported in another part of town from where I live. Last summer there were some rabid foxes in my neighborhood that attacked my neighbors chickens and horses. An officer came out and shot one of them.

I would say the best bet is to call your towns Animal Control Officer. They may not be able to do anything, but may have some good advice. Also make sure your cat is up to date on her rabies vaccination.