FENNEC FOX CARE SHEET

Diet
Fennec foxes are omnivorous in the wild. A common fennec fox diet is high quality canned cat food mixed with a cup of vegetables once or twice a day. Some owners choose to mix in cooked chicken, but it is not necessary. You should also leave out small-sized dry dog food for them to nibble on. Fennecs generally need a high taurine diet, so it is suggested that you either mix in a crushed taurine pill or find food with a high taurine content. Even though fennec foxes do not drink much water in the wild, it should always be available to them.

Fennec foxes love treats. While many household foods can be used such as fruits and vegetables, pickled (or live) locusts, grasshoppers, pinkiemice, mealworms, boiled or scrambled eggs and others make great snacks.

While fennec foxes will eat almost anything, there are many foods that are either poisonous to foxes or add no nutritional value. Always make sure to keep your fennec away from grapes, raisins, and chocolate. For a complete list, click http://www.thepetfox.net/2010/08/what-not-to-feed-fox.html

Caring for a Fennec Fox
Before purchasing your pet, please keep in mind that fennec foxes are not like dogs and cats. If they are given the chance, most will run away. If your fennec escapes, it is highly unlikely that s/he will come back. As such, it’s not necessary but it is smart to install double doors to any out door enclosures or even for your home if applicable. When bringing your fennec outside, it is important to use a walking jacket. Collars will easily be slipped out of, and even harnesses are not safe for a frisky fennec. Walking jackets cover most of the body to securely fit around your fennec. It has been observed that fennecs do not follow a lead very well, somewhat like cats.

Most fennecs are indoor only pets. Fennecs have a very high tendency to create messes, hide objects, use the bathroom inappropriately, dig and cause general havoc when unsupervised. As such, it is recommended that you purchase a large cage or crate for your fennec. A three or four story ferret cages work very well, but owners are known to use alternatives such as cat cages or extra large dog crates as well. If purchasing a ferret cage, be extra careful to place fabric over the ramps if it has small mesh-like holes in it. It is not uncommon for ferrets/fennecs to get their feet or legs stuck in the holes.

If housing outside, be cautioned that fennecs are extremely good diggers so posts and fencing must be at least several feet into the ground. They are also agile climbers, so it is highly suggested that your enclosure includes a roof. Please make sure that the fencing you use does not have any holes big enough that a fennec may squeeze through, as they are known escape artists and can fit through most small openings. You should make sure that your fennec has adequate housing that s/he may use if it rains, as well as toys to play with and things to climb on. Fennecs love to dig, so it is not unusual to find a sandbox in a fennec enclosure.

Socialization and Training
A large difference between dogs and most exotics is that they generally do not hold the same desire to please humans. As such, just praising is considered to be less effective than giving your fennec a treat. A combination of this and their high energy level means that your fennec is unlikely to ever perform tricks for you or come to their name.

All socialization should begin when the fennec is very young and continue on into adult years. As mentioned before, it is very important that you get your fennec as early as possible so you have a chance to socialize and bond with them. Anything you wish for them to be able to do when they are older you should start with while they’re young. This means you should spend time bathing, handling, training and placing a harness on your fennec.

You must be very careful with your fennec and strangers. By law, foxes are a rabies vector species and rabies vaccines have not been proved effective. If someone reports your fennec biting them, most states require that your fox be euthanized and inspected for rabies. That said, fennecs often communicate with small bites that don’t break the skin. If a fennec bites you with intention to harm, however, it can do substantial damage. In order to help curb biting habits, you should never play with a fennec with your hand/fingers or reward biting activity. If a fennec bites you, sternly tell him “NO” (it is usually suggested to make a “hurt” noise as well) and place a toy in their mouth instead. Praise your fennec and give them a treat for playing with and biting the toy rather than your hand.

Studies have shown that positive reinforcement produces significantly better results than negative reinforcement in children. The same goes for animals, as well. You should never hit or otherwise hurt your fennec if s/he does something wrong. Doing so only makes your fennec fearful of you and may permanently break or severely damage their bond with you. They may also have trouble associating what they did wrong with their punishment. The best way to train your fennec is to use positive reinforcement. If s/he uses the bathroom in the correct area, praise him/her and give them a treat. If they behave well during a bath, reward with a treat. Many professional trainers use clickers to train both domestic and exotic animals. The effectiveness of a clicker with a fennec is unknown, however.


Litter Training & Smell
Fennec foxes are the most difficult of all foxes to litter train. When deciding to buy a fennec, you should assume that yours will not be litter trained. Even those who are house trained are rarely 100% accurate. It is believed that fennecs may mimic the behaviors of animals around them. As such, if you have a friendly cat that uses the litter box well you may want to allow your fennec to watch on supervised visits only.

Some owners have found that fennecs are easier to house train in litter boxes, while others like puppy pads. If you decide to use litter, make sure you use non-clumping so it doesn’t stick to the bottoms of their feet. It is also suggested that you use non-clay because it’s less dusty. Because of their digging habits, you should either place a very small amount of litter in the pan or buy a covered litter box. Covered litter boxes may also help to alleviate digging problems around the house.

If your fox has access to more than one room, you should consider placing a litter box or puppy pads in each one to help eliminate inappropriate bathroom usage. Make sure you keep their cage accessible to them as well, as some prefer going there.

Unlike other foxes, fennecs are said to have no offensive body odor and are relatively clean animals. It has been noted by a few owners that immediately after using the bathroom their pee may smell, especially if you do not clean it up. Some owners said their fox will urinate in their bedding.

Playing & Behavior
Common behavioral problems in fennecs include but are not limited to:
- Peeing outside of the litter box or designated bathroom area
- Biting or aggressiveness, whether in general or over food
- Skittishness and reluctance to be touched and/or held
- Frequent digging

When owners are asked to sum up a fennec’s behavior, it usually is something along the lines of “a ferret on crack”. As such, fennecs need a lot of play time. They are extremely high energy and require a lot of attention. If you cannot be at home for most of the day, this is probably not the right pet for you. With improper training and attention fennecs may become extremely difficult to handle. It is always important to remember that, despite good socialization, your fennec may grow up to not like strangers or certain people.

Fennec foxes like to dig. If they are not given an area to dig in your home, it is likely that they may dig at carpet or hardwood, sometimes causing damage. If you are experiencing problems with digging, it may help to give them an area to dig at, whether this is a section of carpet for them, a covered litter box, or a sandbox.

Fennecs are also very loud animals. This is not something you can train them not to do as it is instinctual. When fennecs become happy or excited, they will usually squeal, wag their tails, and run around in small circles.

Happy and excited fennec fox noises: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su3ovMsFXMg

The more time you can spend with fennecs, especially while they are young, the better temperament and personality they will have when they are older. It is important that your fennec spends the least amount of time in his cage as possible - ideally, only at night time. Once your fennec is out of his cage or enclosure, try to pick him/her up often and pet him/her to get them used to your touch. Most fennecs are not very cuddly and won’t allow more than a few moments of petting before they would like to be placed back down to play. Make sure you allow your fennec to continue playing even after you have picked him/her up so they don’t associate you picking them up with the end of play time.

Fennecs enjoy toys and seem to love chasing things on strings. Considering they are so small, owners usually buy cat toys (usually mouse or ball shaped) and small rubber Kong's to place peanut butter in. It is not uncommon to see a fennec throw a cat toy up into the air and play fetch with himself. Usually once or twice a day, you might see your fennec run around in energetic circles around the house to release stored energy.

Video of fennec fox with a lot of energy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6yIgG6sw_k

Veterinarian Care
It is suggested that you take your fennec to a veterinarian that is experienced in fennecs, but sometimes this may be difficult to find. While there are many exotic veterinarians, not all are licensed, qualified, or comfortable working with fennec foxes. Most vets charge higher fees for exotic animals.

Fennec foxes have a similar structure to canines. While they are given most of the same shots, you must ALWAYS make sure that it is a killed vaccine, or your fox will likely die. It is up to you to make sure that your vet knows this. Please be sure to remind your vet never to give your fox MLV canine cell line origin distemper vaccine, or s/he may get distemper. While it is not required that your fox be given a rabies vaccine, it is still a good idea to help put family, friends, and strangers at ease.

It is not necessary but highly recommend that you spay or neuter your fennec fox unless you plan on using them for breeding. Many owners believe that fixing their fennec helped curb aggressive behaviors that showed up after the fox matured, but it may be more beneficial to neuter around 6-8 months (before sexual maturity) because of hormones.

However, fennec foxes are very fragile animals. It is very important to find a vet that understands fennec foxes.  If a fennec is given too much anesthetic, it will kill the fox.  This has been known to happen. 

Pre-Cautions
- It will be necessary to fox-proof your house. This means removing anything small that your fennec may be able to chew on and swallow, keeping windows closed and screens in good repair, covering electrical sockets and taking special care to remove easily breakable items from their reach. Fennecs seem to have a particular love for anything shiny. If your fennec swallows anything, you should immediately take him or her to the vets office as they may require surgery.

- Fennecs do well with most animals, but in the wild they are still known to eat small rodents. Therefore you should be careful to separate your fennec from anything that is not substantially larger than it, especially prey animals such as birds, rodents, etc. If fennecs grow up with animals they are more likely to be tolerant of them. This said, it has been noted that fennecs seem to make better friends with dogs because cats are annoyed by their high energy level.

- Fennecs are great with children, but as with any animal you should never leave them together unsupervised. However, it is not recommended for children under 6 years if age,

Make sure your child knows to be respectful when playing with your fennec, as even the sweetest fennec may bite when provoked.