Now I know you are all going to think i'm am completley nuts but this is 100% truth I promise (I do have a photo to prove it).

I had real problems a few months back (last time my bitch was in season) with a local fox who suddenly became completely obsesed with my fron garden and car. I was so concerned as I have 2 cats, 2 dogs and a young son and I caught the fox staring in the open front door and trying to get into the back seat of my car (I was moving boxes from the car to the house and everytime I turned there he was!). I kept the cats in from mid afternoon till mid morning for the next week or 2 and the dogs supervised in the rear garden, they are not small dogs but he had no fear of them (and very little of me) at all. Anyway her season went and so did he, possibly a coincidence???

Well I was just thinking the other night Ellie is just about due in season (showing no signs yet tho). When I left for work this morning the fox was about and so was one of my cats (how will try and see the fox off, I have seen him try in the past) so chased the fox and put the cat in the house and though nothing else of it. But, I have just gone to lock the front door and noticed something move at the back of my car, on closer inspection its the fox. Shouted my boyfriend to look as it was standing with its front feet on the back bumper sniffing the boot (Ellie was at work with me today and travelled in the boot). By the time I went back to the window he was on the roof of my estate sniffing the top of the boot door. I couldnt believe my eyes so caught a pic on the camera (v blurry cos of lack of light but you can tell what it is).

Has anyone else ever had problems like this or has any suggestions how to deter him? I've never had trouble like this before and Ellie has had seasons before without problems as did my previous bitch.

Gill

Just tracked down youngest cat and shes been in the wars, she attracts trouble that one. Shes not looking too bad cleaned her up and used the cream the vet gave her the last time will take her for a check in the morning.

hi gill, glad to here your cat is ok :) i have never had a problem with foxes, apart from their loudness at mating time in the woods opposite my house! :) but how very strange for the local fox to take a fancy to your girl, not sure what to suggest, i know there is a spray you can get to stop the scent of a season, whether you could use that? Sorry i could not help anymore but hope you can get something sorted out soon x x

Hello,

You can call the fox welfare society in Northampton..tried to post their number but it didn't work.. and they maybe able to give you some advice..

I love having them in my garden and have rung the above to get some hoemopathic mange treatment for them :)

I hope you find a way of detering him from your garden.

Annee :)

what part of uk are you in? I know several good fox controllers in various places.

I'm in Glasgow. Not seen him today only just got home so theres time yet.

Gill

Foxes can be quite curious especially when young - I have quite  few around my area and they never actually cause any problems except for the calls in Spring when mating (and to be honest that can't be called a problem when compared to the noises people make at night sometimes!).

I'd not be too worried, especially if you are in an urban area,  but just relax and enjoy their presence. I expect he is interested in the seasonal smells again but will move on when more experienced perhaps?

> fox controllers

What are they ?

"fox controllers".......sounds like people who will come and kill the fox. Maybe I am wrong. Sounds extreme to me.

Thats what i was thinking..i really hope not :(

There are many ways of controlling foxes.

get teh local hunt round.

The fox isn't causing a problem though is it? No need to kill it I'd think.

I could understand more if there were free range chickens or something but so far there's bitch in season and a car the fox jumps on :0

I believe there are things from the garden centre you can buy to keep them off gardens - not sure if they work though!

Lindsay
x

I would never dream of having a fox killed in this sort of environment. But yes he is causing problems so if anyone knows how to discourage him I would be very greatful of the advice.

yes thats what fox controllers do. Vermin control :)

Is there a fox or wildlife sanctury nearby that could help with removing it and replacing it somewhere else away from your home?

> get teh local hunt round.

Even though that is supposedly illegal?

No, it isn't, as long as only two hounds are used to flush out the fox so it can be shot.

its not illegal, our hunt do fox call outs all the time, quite within the law thankyou!

Thankfully outlawed in Scotland, I think!!

> Thankfully outlawed

...if only that were true all over :(

We have foxes living very close to our garden. They come into our garden a lot and mess etc. Our dogs have come into very close contact with them as sometimes the foxes sleep in our compost heaps :( They are a real nuisance and the situation has been made worse by so called animal lovers (neighbours) who feed the foxes nightly in the field next to our house. If the foxes don't eat all the food, our dogs often find it the next morning - including cooked bones :( :( There is no need to feed them. The foxes have a ready supply of chickens around here :( The noise at night when the foxes call is horrific. I'd be quite happy if the foxes disappeared :(

Daisy

I feed my foxes in the garden...organic chicken from M&S :)

Not every night as don't want them to lose their hunting skills and become lazy.

I love to see them and understand that we all don't agree but speaking for myself i love seeing them in my garden..especially when the young first venture out.

In reply to no one in particular but I was reading a leaflet in the vets this morning that did suggest that  foxes could be implicted in the spread of lung worm due to them also being able to contract it range over an area and shed into the enviroment via scat. Slugs and snails then ingest and so it goes on.