Can this have been done by a fox?

[crockshard]

Our pet cat, Foz, went missing for a couple of days. We live in quiet East Kent counryside, on a farm. On Saturday evening Foz managed to drag himself indoors through a cat-flap. We had to have him put down by a vet. He had been eaten alive. Most of his shoulder, surrounding flesh and ribs had gone and underlying flesh badly necrosing - black and stinking. Leather collar also missing. An horrendous experience for the cat and all the family.
Would a fox do this?
We have also lost young suckling piglets in a stable this year - head and guts gone, 'meat' remaining.
This morning we awoke to snow on the ground. Found prints around the house. Do fox prints tend to go in a straight line, about a foot apart?

[amonty1144]

Hi, Sorry to hear about your cat. It is likely to be a fox. They also have regular patrol routes , so you need to make sure what you have left is quite secure. I would get in touch with anyone locally that carries out vermin control, as the fox needs to be killed. In some urban areas, foxes have developed quite a taste for cats.
A fox is usually the size of a small dog, so the track width is about right.
Regards

[ruthann58]

oh my god what an awful experience for you and your poor cat my deepest sympathy to you xxx ruth xxx

[carmalee]

Sorry to read about your cat. I also live on a farm in East Sussex and we have a regular parade through the farm of foxes, badgers and wild boar. (So much for the quiet East sussex countryside!) There are a couple of things which are supposed to work as fox deterrents (?SP) one is lion poo - you can get it from Safari parks and funnily enough, human hair tied at frequent intervals on the fence seems to help.

[crockshard]

Thankyou for your answers. We do have Howletts nearby - perhaps we should go and collect a bucket of tiger poo!

[puss_boots]

Aww your poor cat, I am so sorry, it must have been awful for you.

[tigwig]

So sorry for you that sounds horrendous. At least the cat can rest in peace now the poor thing.

[danchip]

i would say it sounds more likely to be a badger or dog rather than a fox

[crockshard]

Pretty sure fox. Snow yesterday when we woke up. Followed prints. Got game-keeper in with a gun. He is following up lots of fox-attacks (mating season Dec/Jan). Saw fox and followed. Clearly after more of our cats now it has a taste for cat.Too much moonshine to deal with it last night, but he will come back to dispose of it humanely.