The Intruder...

[Jemisa]

I let the cat out last night & left the door ajar for her to come in when she was ready, as I do most nights. 20 mins later I went to check if she was in & had the shock of my life, in the conservatory stood a fox, I wanted to scream I was petrified. It just looked at me didn't move, what shall I do? I thought for a minute & edged my way to the fridge its eyes still on me.
There was a chicken leg in there left over from tea I got it & got nearer to the door opened it wide & threw it, the fox just looked at me then slowly walked out the door (Phew!!) what a scruff of a fox it was it was a dirty grey/brown colour v/skinny & it only had half a tail.
Made me think will it be back tomorrow for more chicken?. Evidently the cat wasn't bothered she trotted in 5 mins later.

What would you have done?

jem

[Clanad]

Here in the inter-mountain western U.S. we rarely see foxes... but we have our rude awakenings from time to time with their cousins the coyotes... a little larger than the fox, they to have a bushy tail, alert upright ears and are generally a very nervous animal... not one to corner with no route for escape. Most of the itme they are solitary and don't come around the house and barn because, I suspect, the barn dogs wouldn't brook such intrusion.
They do become bolder n occasion and one wants to keep the rifle handy...

[ummmm]

It might come back with a hopeful attitude. It needs to eat.

[Answerprancer]

"what a scruff of a fox it was it was a dirty grey/brown colour v/skinny & it only had half a tail".
By the sound of it, poor Reynard was probably desperate and most likely FAR more petrified of you than you of him !
What would I have done? I would have put the chicken leg and any other scraps I could find into a bowl and placed them out in the garden where he could get to them without fear. Furthermore, I would regularly put a bowl of scraps/dog food out in a set location in my garden and enjoy from a distance, the sight of my 'guests' each evening.

[boxtops]

Me too, AP, if I could be sure that teh catz weren't afraid of it.

[rowanwitch]

I'd be off to the petshop for a regular supply of dog food for it but get it used to being fed away from the house

[LoftyLottie]

Poor fox, he must have been desparate. Why would you be frightened of a fox?

I probably would be inclined to feed him like Rowan. Funnily enough country foxes don't come near houses like they do in the town.

Funnily enough, we had a partridge come into our conservatory yesterday evening and make that loud chainsaw type noise that partridges make. Weird!!

[LoftyLottie]

Also also like AP and Boxtops would hve done.

[chaptazbru]

I would put food out every night in the hope it will come back and help it, as it sounds like it needs a lot of help. Poor thing.

[Kiki-frog]

Poor thing sounds like it's got mange from your description. I'd probably put food out for it, but at the far end of the garden

[Kiki-frog]

Jem, these people have a lot of info about foxes, so it's worth looking at their site. They're very slow to respond to emails though - I sent them a query on behalf of another AB member a couple of weeks back, and I haven't heard anything from them as yet

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

[Jemisa]

I realised the poor thing was hungry but I was too frightened to gather my thoughts on the spot. My neighbour is a vet nurse & I was telling her about it, She said ignore it do not give it dog food it is not a dog. They will eat it readily but their digestive system is quite different and they bring it up soon after. But they will attack a cat (not to eat it) I don't think my cat saw it.
So thats what I'll do ignore it and not encourage it.

jem

[China Doll]

Happened at my place last week, made me jump! I just walked in to the kitchen asking 'what are you doing in here' and he sloped out... the fox plays with my cat during the day so I figure he just followed him down, it seems to live in the garden. He's a shabby looking thing and I won't be feeding it as I don't want to encourage in any further in to my garden.

[LoftyLottie]

Very rare for foxes to attack cats unless the cats are old and feeble and the fox is starving or has starving cubs in the winter.

[LoftyLottie]

Town foxes seem to be very shabby and need feeding up. I suppose our country foxes have an abundant supply of food, so they don't need to come to the houses. I have seen very few around here in 30 odd years and none of them have been near dwellings. Most of the ones I have seen have been dead on the road, but the very few I have seen live have looked very healthy.

[tenrec]

Agree with Lottie, the country foxes fair much better than most of the town ones.

[LoftyLottie]

Much the same as us humans that live in the Country!! ;o)

[LoftyLottie]

Jemisa's avatar is very appropriate!!

[shaneystar2]

We used to live in London and used to feed the foxes .They are far more scared of you than you need to be of them .
Since moving back to Norfolk I've not seen one fox !
This lady has trained them to sit ..haha
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/18450226

[chaptazbru]

I live near a river and there are foxes in an area there and during the long dark nights I always leave food for them, but stop in the summer. Think they need more help in the winter.

[LoftyLottie]

We live on a farming estate that regularly used to host the fox hunt!!
Fortunately, they don't do it now, well not legally!!