by Gloria White
Fleas and Ticks
It has proven safe to use Frontline Plus or Revolution to get rid of fleas and ticks. Use the dose for puppies. Most fox owners do not recommend the use of flea collars.
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POTTY TRAINING
Foxes can be trained to go potty in litterboxes or outside. Success is never guaranteed, however. It is generally agreed that Red-type foxes are far more successful litter training than Arctics. Some Red Fox owners have achieved 100% litter success, but the norm seems to be more like 75% success (meaning you’ll still be cleaning urine and feces once or twice a day).
Litterbox Training
Foxes can be litter trained. Some foxes will take to it right away and others will take more work. Red-type foxes have far more success being litter trained than Arctics (and some would argue that Arctics cannot be litter trained at all).
Try to start litter training the day you bring your fox home. To litter train, buy a small litterbox (the same type used for cats). I do not recommend hooded varieties or mechanical varieties. Just start with a plain litter pan. Do not fill it too full as the fox may decide it’s a fun place to dig and bury household items. Just an inch or two of litter is enough. Place the litter box in the desired area of your house (and if you have an outdoor pen, place one in there too). Note that foxes can be very particular about where they do their business, so if you do not have luck where you originally placed the litterbox, try placing it in the area of the house where the fox tends to urinate the most.
Every hour or two bring your fox to the litterbox and gently set him inside. If the fox defecates outside of the box, pick it up and place it into the litter. For urine, try to get some on a paper towel and put that in the litter. Put the fox into the litterbox with the feces / urine (this will hopefully help him get the idea that this is the place he does his business). If you see the fox use the litterbox successfully reward him with nice pets and even a treat. Consistency is the key. Keep close watch and be diligent about getting the fox into the litterbox.
As a kit, try placing a small litter pan into the kennel at night (or whenever you kennel him).
As the fox gets older you may have to buy a larger box. Cement mixing trays (the large plastic ones you can find at the hardware stores) work very well.
Litterboxes should be cleaned daily. You can generally use any type of litter approved for cats.
Potty Training Outside
I recommend this route be taken in conjunction with litter training. Outdoor training seems to be much harder than litter training.
Like litter training, start from day one when you bring your kit home. Foxes should be harnessed as simple collars can easily be slipped out of. Buy a leash suitable for a small puppy (as your fox gets older you’ll obviously be switching into larger harnesses and leashes). Walk your fox in your yard every hour or two. If possible, take some feces from the litterbox (or more likely, your floor) and place it in an area of the yard you’d like him to use. Just like a puppy, consistency is key.
You may very well find that your fox never learns to go outside. This is why using a litterbox is crucial even if you want to attempt outside training. The main thing is that you want to try to encourage your fox to do his business in “approved” areas, meaning the litterbox or outside. Even if the fox never gets the hang of going outside, at least you have the litterbox.
Urination and Deification in Unwanted Places
This is going to be one of the things you’ll probably have to deal with as a fox owner. Remember that most foxes can never be 100% litter trained. Foxes might go in their food and water, on your furniture, and in places you never thought possible (on top of your washing machine). Foxes tend to mark and they will urinate on anything that they want to claim as their own (Claimed!). This includes their toys and valuable household objects.
If your fox starts going in his food and / or water, try placing the food and water dishes on a small stool or even a bucket. It has to be something narrow and just large enough for the bowls so they can’t readily jump up on to them.
If your fox starts going in other unwanted places (and he will!), you need to take a mild, corrective action but you also need to realize that this is normal fox behavior and you will likely never break him fully of it. You need to catch the little rascal in the act. If you see him on the couch and he starts to urinate, calmly walk over to him and gently grab him and say “No!” in a calm but firm voice. Then immediately walk him over to the litterbox and set him inside. Never hit your fox. Hitting your fox will not teach him anything except to be more aggressive, and he may even lose trust in you. A calm, firm, “No!” and a quick trip to the litterbox is all you can do. Again, you have to remember that a fox is NOT a cat or a dog. Foxes are not domesticated animals and have not been broken of their wild habits over the course of centuries.
Eliminating Fox Odors
If you have your fox in your house, you’re going to have a musky odor. It’s that simple. If they pee or poop on your carpet, it is going to smell—badly. I have found that the absolute BEST product for eliminating the odor of fox urine and feces from carpeting and furniture is Nature’s Miracle. You can try other products (there are a number of pet odor removers on the market) but many fox owners agree that Nature’s Miracle works wonders.
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DEALING WITH
AGGRESSION AND
OTHER BEHAVIORS
Sneaky Little Thieves
There is a reason that the fox in Dora the Explorer is named Swiper. Foxes are sneaky. They are also a little on the possessive side. If they see something they want, they will take it. You might leave a laundry basket of freshly folded clothes on the floor and catch your fox sneaking off with your favorite shirt. You might set your wedding ring on the bathroom sink for a moment, only to have your little furry friend jump up and make off with it. Worse, you might set your burger down to make a quick trip to the bathroom, only to come back to an empty plate. Foxes seem especially fond of shoes, gloves and anything made of leather (my belts all have chew marks).
So, what can you do about it? Just enjoy the ride. Appreciate your fox’s agility. This is normal behavior. If he makes off with something really valuable, the best thing you can do is gently grab him, say “No!” calmly but firmly, and (try) to take back the snitched item.
Aggression and Biting
If you get your kit at the proper age of 4 – 6 weeks and you do your job of bonding with him aggression and biting should not be an issue. Typically aggressive behavior is displayed in foxes who were obtained too late, were not bottle-fed, and / or who were not bonded with by the owners.
Like a puppy, your kit will nip and gnaw on your hands if you let him. When you play with your kit try to discourage any biting. If he starts to bite tell him “No!” in a calm, firm voice and give him a chew toy to gnaw on. When you feed your fox as a kit, practice giving him a treat and then taking it, then giving it back. This can help curb food aggression later on. Play and bond with your fox and give him all the love you can and aggression should not become an issue.
However, in rare cases, foxes can be aggressive and bite. If your fox becomes aggressive and bites you, gently grab him and say “No!” and place him in his kennel for a quick time-out. Never hit your fox! This will encourage even more aggressive behavior. Anytime you see your fox becoming aggressive to the point that you think he will bite, try giving him a time-out. Whenever he plays nice, give him a treat! Encourage and foster all the good behaviors as much as you can.
One other point to make is that fox’s have a nose that is more sensitive than a dog’s. If you just ate and your breath and mouth smell like a delicious piece of fried chicken, your fox might inadvertently nip you if you lean down to give him a kiss, thinking he’s going for a treat. He might nip your fingers if they smell like food too. Be mindful of this.
Shyness
Foxes are skittish by nature. Even a well-bonded fox might be shy and skittish around new people. This
is normal. However, if your fox is displaying shyness or terror of YOU, the owner, then corrective action needs to be taken right away.
As a kit, if your fox seems afraid of you or very shy, try sitting or laying near him. Speak gently and softly. Don’t force the fox to come by you. You need to gently develop the fox’s trust. Offer treats, but let the fox take it from your hand. Speak calm and softly, give him a pet here and there. Do your best to gain the fox’s trust and he will eventually warm up to you.
If it is an older fox and he has suddenly become a little standoff-ish with you, it could be because you did something to make him lose trust in you. You’ll have to rebuild that trust by speaking to him softly and calmly, letting him take treats from your hand, etc. It can be a slow and tedious process.
I’ve said it before: Never hit your fox. If there is one thing that will damage the relationship more than anything else, it is you being aggressive with your fox.
The October Crazies
Among fox owners you’ll hear a lot about the “October Crazies”. Foxes do indeed seem to become a little crazy and unruly during the fall months. Likely this has to do with their breeding season and natural inclination to get ready for the coming winter. Spay / neutering seems to help ease some of this, but not all. The October crazies isn’t something to fear (your fox isn’t going to turn into a deadly were-fox or anything!). Just be prepared for some extra goofiness from your fox.
What Does the Fox Say?
This is the million-dollar question that all you non-fox owners have. All I can say is that it’s a hard sound to describe. Some foxes bark similar to a dog. Most foxes make a type of screaming sound (our Arctic likes to start screaming around 3:00 a.m.). They can also growl when they are angry or upset. Our foxes tend to scream their pleasure. When they are happy they will come slinking over to us, with a huge smile on their faces, screaming all the way. To the uninitiated the sounds can be quite frightening (our dog, a big German Sheppard, is terrified of the fox whenever it screams at him). You’ll get to know all the foxy sounds they make by being an owner, and you’ll come to know the “Oh yeah, keep scratching me there” growl from the “Get away from my turkey gizzard” growl in no time.
The Public and Your Fox
This is a bad idea. A really bad idea. Remember how I started this book with all the “oohs!” and “ahhs!” I get, but also all the horrified whispers? The horrified whispers are from people who might seek to strip you of your right to own a fox, and the people who ooh and ahh over him might reach down to give him a pet and get nipped. The public and your fox should never mingle. Never.
I know, I know. You really want to walk your fox to the park. Don’t.
As far as exotic pets go, Foxes are right up there with tigers and monkeys. They are exotic pets and many people do not like the thought of anybody owning anything other than a dog or cat. Recently there was an owner of a very sweet, loving fox that a nasty neighbor had destroyed. The neighbor falsely claimed that the fox bit him, called animal control, and the fox was confiscated and destroyed without the fox’s owner having any recourse. Things like this happen all the time to fox owners and other owners of exotic pets. You never know who is eyeing your fox with disdain when you take him out, and all it takes is for one person to claim your fox bit him to have your fox taken away and destroyed—even if you legally own the fox and have all necessary permits.
Sadly, this means keeping your fox confined to your property. Walk your fox in your yard, or, if you have a private hiking trail, walk him there. Try to keep your fox out of the public’s eye as much as possible. If you have family over and trusted friends, by all means allow them to pet your fox and give him some love. Socialization makes for friendly, loving animals! But, know your fox well before you allow guests to give him a pet. Foxes tend to be skittish and not all foxes welcome new faces. If you even suspect your fox might bite, do not let anybody (even family and friends) pet him.
Table of Contents
Cover
Credits Page
Dedication Page
1 Introduction to Foxes
2 Legalities of Owning a Fox
3 Obtaining Your Fox
4 Care and Feeding
5 Potty Training
6 Dealing With Aggression and Other Behaviors