My pet fox! [Pictures, bunches!]

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Anton Anagram

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Anton Anagram

Aha. It was Tiny Tracks.
I am glad to hear that they are not as bad as I was afraid of them being. The person who wrote for the website just seemed kind of...abrasive.

I would love to be able to spend some time with a fennec before I committed to anything but I just have no idea how to even go about doing that. I do not know of any fennec breeders in Indiana. The boyfriend is not much of a cat person but he really loved Loki when we finally got to meet him so I think he might grow to love the racket. oA o

I know that they are quite different but we already live with two dogs who are very affectionate only when they want to be and he does not seem to mind. Maybe a fox is not so unlikely a goal after all.

I guess my biggest concern would be finding a veterinarian who handles foxes. Which species would you say a vet is most likely to have experience with?

I figured it was Tiny Tracks...I'm not their biggest fan, but they do breed some good foxes. Abrasive is putting it mildly. -_-

Most responsible fox owners aren't too keen to let strangers around their foxes. If you were to get bitten and report it, most likely the fox would be killed for rabies testing, depending on where you lived. But there are owners that will, so good luck! biggrin

I would research a bit before setting your heart on a fennec, swifts kind of look like large fennecs, and have many of the same mannerisms minus the screaming.

Bella the Swift fox
More Bella

Ack. Sounds like someone I would rather not deal with, if I could help it. ^.^;

So I know that most future dog and cat owners are advised to research and spend time with the breed of their choice (through breeders or dog/cat shows or breed meet-n-greets). With foxes, it is obviously not as simple as that. What would you suggest for really getting to know a particular species of fox or are online accounts and narratives about the best that one can hope for if they are not in the position to meet one?

I think all foxes are super nifty. Should I get one, I will choose based on compatibility rather than personal preference.

Sybil's. They have been invaluable in helping me. There are pages of topics all about foxes to read over. Closest you can get without actually interacting with one.

[Mad Hatter Wolfe]

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AlucardsLuver

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AlucardsLuver

Hmmm... I did more research on the red fox then any other fox. I learned that they breed during January-March, or at least are in heat at that time. Well, I learn that off an English site so it may be different there. But cute fox! I wish I could have one, but Kansas doesn't allow foxes for pets.

Yeah, i started with research into reds years ago, and decided I just didn't want one. I joined a fox forum years later though, and members pointed out other species as options. I fell in love with gray foxes. Yeah, breeding/kit season is Jan- April, maybe later the more north you get.

Hmmm, as far as I'm aware, fox are legal as pets in Kansas. That state doesn't ban much the last i looked into moving there, only REALLY overtly dangerous things. Maybe foxes are under a fur bearing law there, and not exotic laws though,

I looked into it and the law states that one cannot have a fox as a pet. Bugger knows why though.

Hmmm, well, technically I think you could have a fennec or arctic fox as a pet, as Kansas doesn't regulate small exotics like that. Reds, grays, and swifts might be illegal because they are native.

Hmm, I never thought of that. At one point I did want an arctic, but I read from this one site that they get sick very easily and suffer from joint pain and a type of Alzheimers and will bite and become very mean. So that kinda scared me out of having one lol.

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AlucardsLuver

Hmm, I never thought of that. At one point I did want an arctic, but I read from this one site that they get sick very easily and suffer from joint pain and a type of Alzheimers and will bite and become very mean. So that kinda scared me out of having one lol.

I've never heard of that before, but I'll admit I didn't research into arctics all that much after i heard the phrase, "They are like a hyper red fox."

I'd give your state's Fish and Game a call, to ask them directly. The only laws i found expressly forbidding foxes as pets were laws only for Wichita. Plus, some states that ban reds because they are native don't ban reds of non wild colors. Such as this marble fox.

[Mad Hatter Wolfe]

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AlucardsLuver

Hmm, I never thought of that. At one point I did want an arctic, but I read from this one site that they get sick very easily and suffer from joint pain and a type of Alzheimers and will bite and become very mean. So that kinda scared me out of having one lol.

I've never heard of that before, but I'll admit I didn't research into arctics all that much after i heard the phrase, "They are like a hyper red fox."

I'd give your state's Fish and Game a call, to ask them directly. The only laws i found expressly forbidding foxes as pets were laws only for Wichita. Plus, some states that ban reds because they are native don't ban reds of non wild colors. Such as this marble fox.

Ah, alright. I'll look right into it!

[marshmallowcreampie]

Keyona

so what is the difference between "tame" and "domesticated" foxes?

Also, you got her at 5 weeks, i know many animals larger animals, (aka not gerbils) shouldn't be separated from their litter or mother until they are older 8-10 weeks. It is safe to remove a fox this young?

Domestication is a genetic thing. The animal has been bred, intentionally or unintentionally, to naturally get along well with humans. Taming is when you raise a non-domesticated animal to live with humans. Think of it like this: a regular dog puppy can be raised with people and can learn to live in a human-filled home environment without TOO much work. A wolf puppy, though, would require lots of extra time and training, and even with that, it won't be as well-behaved as the dog.

Anyway, Tribble is so cute! (funny thing, I've decided that I want to name a future pet of mine Tribble) If I'm ever in a good position to do so, I might consider getting a fennec fox, someday.

[Chocolate Banana Smoothie]

Tribble is getting more foxy everyday. heart She will tolerate strangers, but I'm the only human she trusts. Oh well.

[Obsidian Dreamlight]

Oh heck, she's so cute! How do you stand it? emotion_dowant

[Chocolate Banana Smoothie]

Obsidian Dreamlight

Oh heck, she's so cute! How do you stand it? emotion_dowant

Whenever I start to overload on just how damn cute she is, I just have to remember that she likes to BITE MY FACE in the morning if i don't wake up to feed her. That usually helps me not to be overwhelmed by her adorableness.

[Obsidian Dreamlight]

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Obsidian Dreamlight

Oh heck, she's so cute! How do you stand it? emotion_dowant

Whenever I start to overload on just how damn cute she is, I just have to remember that she likes to BITE MY FACE in the morning if i don't wake up to feed her. That usually helps me not to be overwhelmed by her adorableness.

B..but, that's cute too! redface

Do foxes have extra razor-y teeth? They look pointy.

[Chocolate Banana Smoothie]

Obsidian Dreamlight

N-no, it's not!

Not extra pointy, just puppy sharp and she doesn't pull punches on my face(only my hands). She usually goes for the nose, after faking like she's going to lick my chin or something.

[Obsidian Dreamlight]

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Obsidian Dreamlight

N-no, it's not!

Not extra pointy, just puppy sharp and she doesn't pull punches on my face(only my hands). She usually goes for the nose, after faking like she's going to lick my chin or something.

What a Sneaky Pete. whee

[Henrika]

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Tribble is getting more foxy everyday. heart She will tolerate strangers, but I'm the only human she trusts. Oh well.

She's not even a year old right?

It could possibly be the "october/teenager" crazies. Just keep up with your training and socialization and she may turn out to be ok around strangers. (Obvs not loving them, but to be able to tolerate being around people.)


Then again, some animals just don't do well with strangers. My cats get unbelievably stressed around strangers - to the point that they will actually make themselves sick and vomit/get diarrhoea.


At my parents house, we actually had to crate our cats in a "safe place" before people came over, to keep them from panicking too hard. Once we found Jellybean halfway up the bookcase smushed between some books and the wall, and had had explosive diahrrea all down the books and the wall and the floor. She was just paralyzed there with fear and we had to dig her out of the books and carry her to the upstairs bathroom to hide.

I should add that this is the cat that will scream at me for love and affection, comes when I call her, and flops for bellyrubs at any opportunity.

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Henrika

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Tribble is getting more foxy everyday. heart She will tolerate strangers, but I'm the only human she trusts. Oh well.

She's not even a year old right?

It could possibly be the "october/teenager" crazies. Just keep up with your training and socialization and she may turn out to be ok around strangers. (Obvs not loving them, but to be able to tolerate being around people.)


Then again, some animals just don't do well with strangers. My cats get unbelievably stressed around strangers - to the point that they will actually make themselves sick and vomit/get diarrhoea.


At my parents house, we actually had to crate our cats in a "safe place" before people came over, to keep them from panicking too hard. Once we found Jellybean halfway up the bookcase smushed between some books and the wall, and had had explosive diahrrea all down the books and the wall and the floor. She was just paralyzed there with fear and we had to dig her out of the books and carry her to the upstairs bathroom to hide.

I should add that this is the cat that will scream at me for love and affection, comes when I call her, and flops for bellyrubs at any opportunity.

She's not quite old enough yet to have entered her 'October crazies' time yet. She's wary of new people, but will usually elect to ignore them after they settle in. Her ability to handle strangers will be apparent after her maturity, once I get past that I'll know if she's okay around people or not. For now, yes. Later, who knows?

I'm sorry your cats experience such an extreme reaction like that.

[xXFurygeistXx]

How do foxes get on with other household pets, like cats and dogs? Are they able to be taken for walkies? Can they climb trees (I can't stop thinking of foxes as cat dogs, cuz they just seem so alike to both species, hence the stupid question)? Do they need to be spayed/neutered? Is it safe to do that? Sorry. I've never run into anyone who had a pet fox to ask these questions of. sweatdrop She looks like a peppy little girl.

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xXFurygeistXx

How do foxes get on with other household pets, like cats and dogs? Are they able to be taken for walkies? Can they climb trees (I can't stop thinking of foxes as cat dogs, cuz they just seem so alike to both species, hence the stupid question)? Do they need to be spayed/neutered? Is it safe to do that? Sorry. I've never run into anyone who had a pet fox to ask these questions of. sweatdrop She looks like a peppy little girl.

How much a fox will get on with other pets is dependent on the other pets, usually. Foxes are pretty ready to be friends with a cat or dog, if the cat or dog will allow it(small mammals are a bad idea, as the fox would most likely kill a guinea pig or rat...eventually). Tribble gets along very well with my dog, and tries to investigate my cat; but my cat absolutely loathes Tribble, so I try to limit their interactions as much as possible.

Walkies depends on where you live and the fox. If you live in an area with high foot traffic, or people walking their dogs all the time(e.i suburbia), taking the fox for a walk might not be a good idea. If you even can depends on the fox, though. Some very much like going for walks, some are frightened of the new smells and sounds and don't want to. More like walking a cat, i think, than a dog. Species also plays a part. I wouldn't take a fennec outside for a walk, they are so tiny I'd be afraid it would slip its harness and be gone forever. From what I've heard, fennecs are a devil to catch once they escape, unlike other species. The one time Fizzgig(my late fox) got out, she responded to her name and came back very quickly.

Most species of fox available in the pet trade can climb trees in come capacity, but grays are actually one of two canine species that are excellent climbers(the other species being the raccoon dog). They even sometimes live in tree hollows.

Spaying/neutering is something that the fox owner must decide. Unless you have multiple foxes, the chances of your single pet getting knocked up is very slim so fixing them to prevent unwanted babies is moot. I'm not sure how much of an impact fixing has on personality. I would only have the procedure done by a vet that regularly sees foxes.

I love answering questions about foxes! biggrin