Here lately there has been a mommy fox and her baby in our yard, we live in a sub, so why would we have fox, I have never even seen a fox in the woods where we hike, so why in a yard. I love having them, but am not sure if it is okay to feed them or should I just let them be? I do feed squirrels and coons, don't know if that's really okay either.

Well, foxes and raccoons have reps of scavengers and can spread rabies and other diseases. I'd talk to your local animal control society and ask about the protocols.

The suburban fox, eh? Well,naturally I can only speak for the UK but here they are very common.They have been on the increase greatly over the last twenty or thirty years. Indeed it seems likely that in some areas they substantially outnumber their more rurally inclined cousins.

The habitat suits them fine. A suburban garden ( yard) is just like a piece of woodland edge; it's what most gardeners create,and the foxes like, with shrubs , small trees and borders around clear patches of grass. There are plenty of small mammals to eat, for example, be those rats or mice but foxes being foxes and quite intelligent, soon work out that the native humans have waste food outside too; they soon figure out ways of accessing it without making too much noise.You may well hear the clatter of bin lids while they learn !

I do not see any harm in leaving food out for them;indeed it seems a reasonable thing to do; they'll like it.Studies in Bristol ( West of England) showed that urban foxes were not as fit as rural ones; part of this was that their diet, if scavenging, was not as good. Their only real live hazard, apart from men with guns,I suppose, is the occasional large dog but that seems a small risk ( even whole packs of dogs don't get them often !). They are at risk from traffic sometimes but that is true of the rural fox too.

If the vixen is raising cubs nearby she will have them out playing at dusk; she may treat you to a show of her family when they are older. She will certainly come regularly to anywhere where she knows there is food set out.( Some people get night binoculars or night cameras just to watch; the fox is largely active at dusk or nocturnally )

Here we have just such a family (in the country); she regularly comes to the garden even though she must see and hear the nine dogs; we see her keeping a wary eye from a distance until they are in; she then strolls in and occasionally raids any dog food bowl left out.

I hope 'your' vixen and the cub(s) do well.She may have others and have taken just the one out with her on a forage.

[PS I've just seen the post above.Rabies is unknown in Britain. However for the life of me I cannot think that it is a real hazard in the instant case, but obviously we have no live experience of it; so I suggest you ask in case there is some local provision. I don't recommend you ask the local pest control firm though; they may tell you any story, true or false, for a job ! I must say that I've not come across this objection in France where I also live and rabies does occur]

[This message was edited by FredPuli on 07-05-03 at 03:13 PM.]

[This message was edited by FredPuli on 07-05-03 at 03:16 PM.]

Kitty,
I had a family of silver foxes coming around a summer or two ago. I wish that they would come back so that I could watch them (and hopefully this time, actually have film in my camera when I took their pictures!!! ). They came each night - eating the peanuts I put by the bird bath - and the Mom even reached up to drink out of the bath. They would run and play and were so cute to watch. Occasionally I have racoons and always have plenty of skunks that come and eat out of the dishes I have out for the stray cats. There has even been known to be a line at the dish itself

I know what Sher says is true, they do sometimes carry diseases, but nobody ever goes out there at night while they are around, so I'm not too worried about it. It is something to think about though...

Cool, I was really more worried about feeding them and then worrying that they can't fend for themselves if I should for some reason not be able to feed them, it gets a bit expensive. I think the fox probably comes because of the food for the squirrels (fig newtons, discount day old bakery goods, and nuts) The coon actually comes to the window when you call to it, my dad hates that, he is afraid it will get in and ruin the house or hurt the cats, but I don't open the door and offer an invite. LOL @ lydia for the cats in line at the food dish, a few years ago there were a pack of stray cats I used to feed, I would puto out leftovers and I would buy those big cans of cat food, one night after having several crab cakes left, I put them out on the deck and when I checked out the window later I counted 12 cats sitting around. Also the squirrells used to come to the kitchen window in the morning and knock on it, letting me know it was time for breakfast!!! Thanks for the input!!

I wouldn't feed the foxes.

1) This makes them more acustomed to people, which can lead them to get into dangerous situations.
2) Similarly, it can make them unafraid of people, which can lead them to be very agressive, which can lead to them attacking people.
3) They can carry diseases.
4) They can become dependant on you for food. This doesn't mean that they will lose their ability to hunt, but it does mean thet they will suffer malnutrition if you aren't feeding them the right diet.
5) They can bring their friends (one fox is cute, more may not be).
6) They won't stay in your yard and your neighbors may not be as pleased to have them around.
7) Foxes leave strong scents to mark their territory and they make loud noise at night during mating season.
8) While they aren't usually a threat to dogs or cats, they can be dangerous to smaller pets.



If you do feed them (again, I suggest you don't):
1) Check to be sure that it is legal in your area (it isn't everywhere).
2) Feed them from a distance.
3) Don't feed them often.
4) Feed them a proper diet (see below)
5) Always remember that, no matter how tame they act, they are wild animals and can behave unpredictably and aggressively.



If you feed them, feed them the following:
1) Meat (raw is better)
2) Fresh fruit, berries, and veggies.
3) Eggs
4) Earthworms



If you feed them, don't feed them:
1) Chocolate
2) Processed foods (chips, candy, etc.)
3) Dry pet food.

Check THIS out kittypal!

Originally posted by FredPuli:

"Rabies is unknown in Britain. However for the life of me I cannot think that it is a real hazard in the instant case, but obviously we have no live experience of it; so I suggest you ask in case there is some local provision. I don't recommend you ask the local pest control firm though; they may tell you any story, true or false, for a job ! I must say that I've not come across this objection in France where I also live and rabies does occur]"

Good advice.

Rabies is present in our local wildlife, and what the veterinaries advise is immunization of pets. This will not only protect against foxes but raccoons, skunks, feral dogs and cats, and other carriers.