FOX!

[exlibris]

Last night Twitch came upstairs to the the computer room and she had a tail massively fluffed up like a bottle brush. My first thought was "oh no, that bloomin' black cat has got in again". So I rushed downstairs to catch the little so-and-so stealing food but found no sign. Twitch just stood there meowing with her tail still massive. I was quite concerned - she's 13 and we're worried she's going senile. I thought "oh no, she's finally lost it". Then a fox walked past the French windows!!!!!!
He was a beautiful thing and was busily chowing down on the pizza crusts I threw outside earlier for the squirrels......I had no idea foxes liked pizza!

I was both elated and terrified (for the cats). It's so amazing to see a fox that close in real life, it hadn't noticed me to begin with but shot off as soon as it realised it wasn't alone.

I know foxes are a risk to cats (and other pets) but I'm thinking it's more a case of the fox only attacking if there's conflict rather than straight attacking (either way I need to be wary). Anyone got any information?

Either way - Wow! A fox! How amazing!

(NB- the sighting was near Linthorpe cemetery in Middlesbrough, so if you live nearby you might want to be wary)

[greenkitty]

I can't help feeling the foxes get the raw deal because of all the hype in the media, I'm sure the actual number of incidents of a fox attacking a cat are very small. Mr Fox was just obviously looking for a ready meal and gave Twitch a fright in the process!

Maybe for a while it would be a good idea to keep your cat flap locked in the evening and keep Twitch in and don't put any scraps in the garden so the fox will just move on.

[meriad]

I agree with Greenkitty - foxes definitely do receive a lot of bad press unfortunately. I am open to correction but as far as I know a fox generally won't attack a healthy adult cat; unless it's either very desperate or protecting it's young.

And also agree with Greenkitty re keeping the flap locked at night (both in and out as apparently some foxes have managed to get in though catflaps? Must be quite small ones I'd have thought thought) and also not putting food out for a while - the fox will soon move on; they're actually quite fond of an easy life

[bobbys girl]

.I had no idea foxes liked pizza!

Foxes, like most dogs, will eat ANYTHING!

I know what you mean, being torn between admiration of the fox and fear for your cat. We live in the country and have had the occasional fox and very rarely badger in the garden. Never seen the badger, but smelled them, whew That's the reason I don't like my lot out at night. I think town foxes are far less likely to attack cats - too many bins to raid and folks leaving food out for them.

A few years back I looked out of the window one morning and froze. There was an Irish Hare lolloping down our drive. They are like mountain hares but VERY rare. I watched as it stopped in front of me and had a little wash (I think I stopped breathing for a while). Then the moment was shattered. The hare spooked (not me guv) then Purdy trotted around the corner.

Then the boot was on the other foot. I know a hare could literally run rings around her. But my Purdy is a born hunter. She doesn't know she's only a little cat, she thinks she's a lion! Not this time - the hare was gone!

The others are right, I would lock the cat flap and not leave food out at night.

[Crewella]

We live in a very rural area and have an enormous dog fox that regularly drags the neighbours' rubbish into our garden to sort through it .... bless him, and has stashed the odd headless pheasant in our shed (before we blocked his access).

My gang are locked in at night, though quite late so there are a fair few hours they are out when it's dark. There have been odd evenings when they're a bit spooked and keen to come in, but overall cats and fox seem to rub along fine - I've seen them pass each other, each giving a wide berth. My only concern was for old Minnie before she died - at 19 she was very frail (a sneeze could topple her!) and I was very careful to keep an eye out for her when she was out.

A good friend of mine has a whole gang of foxes that she regularly feeds and photographs for her FB page, and several of her pics include her neighbour's cat ..... not bothered in the slightest.

I agree with the others - not necessarily a problem, but it may well depend on the availability of food where you live, so it might be best to lock the catflap at night and not encourage foxy by leaving food out.

**Am jealous of the hare sighting!

[elastu]

I love fox's and was one of the happiest people when hunting was banned; but yes they have been known to take a cat. I remember once answering our rescue phone and a man said Elaine a fox has just ran past my house with a cat in its mouth and this was about midday. Sadly many are hungry and as most homes now have bins etc it has become more difficult for thel the fox to get food and we have taken up much of their environment..

[AhmedUK]

I also love foxes - maybe I read too much Roald Dahl when I was a kid!

When I lived with my parents in London, the builders were knocking down a building behind, and a fox appeared, and a cat saw it, and there was a stand-off. They were both keeping their distance, and I was worried the cat might die, but then the cat decided to go and hide behind the rubble and the fox didn't like this, and then the cat suddenly came for the fox and foxy ran off!

[exlibris]

Twitch also thinks she's a lion! I came home tonight and let them out while I made a cuppa - whoosh! I've never seen her leave the house so quickly before - she wanted to take on a fox twice her size! (obviously it wasn't there, and hadn't been for hours).

I don't have a cat flap so I can easily control when they go out. Thankfully the inclement weather means my two don't want to stay out long.

[mr_frisky]

I agree that foxes attacking cats is unlikely. There's one near me who trots down the street at night. if I'm out there with the cats (if it's dark and they're out the front, has to be done) and the fox trots by, the fox doesn't seem interested and the cats vaguely sniff at him as he goes by.

[claire_lee]

we have foxes around us - we're on the edge of town and there is an allotment and school fields at the end of our road and there at least 2 in the area. One of them is a large magnificent creature with a big brush the other is a bit smaller and his(her?) tail is a bit scrawnier. They come up to the house and trigger our security light sometimes.
We keep our cats in after dark and lock the catflap (both ways) however on one occasion I was off work and looked out of the window at about 10.30am to see a fox running up the garden hotly pursued by Mali who is very fluffy and weighs 6kg!

Bobbys girl - I flew into Dublin airport a couple of years ago to visit my aunts and cousins - when we landed we saw all these massive long brown ears lifted up above the grass and then saw the hares loping around the grassed area of the airport. Hares are stunning creatures and once you see one you'd never mistake it for a rabbit. I think the ones at the airport are mountain ones though. Always look for them now when I fly into Dublin.

[bobbys girl]

Claire, I think you saw Irish hares. Mountain ones live in the mountains (oddly enough ). But like mountain hares, Irish hares have smaller ears than the 'mad March' ones of lowland England.

This thread has reminded me of a story my OH told me about a cat he once had. A huge ginger Tom cat, he would sit at the gate and watch the world go by. One day a dog passing by on the other side of the road thought is would like to chase a cat. it barked, the cat ignored him. It strutted over the road. The cat ignored him. The dog got closer and closer, the cat ignored him. Finally he charged the cat, who, in the blink of an eye, fluffed up to twice his size and raked the dogs face with a single swipe!

A short while later the dogs owner turned up to complain. OH said 'catch yourself on mate, are you seriously telling me my little cat attacked your big dog?' Put that way the dog's owner backed down and both went off to lick their wounds.

[Walesgang]

Oooohhh. I didn't know there were different hares!

We love seeing the 'mad March' hares, but we don't get many here

I love Dublin, but given we have 2 ferry ports on our doorstep we tend to sail the Irish Sea!

[bobbys girl]

We always sail FROM Dublin (to Holyhead) when we visit the family. Boy what a journey that is!