Care sheet for foxes

FOX CARE SHEET

Activities for Foxes	This information is based on my experience with Foxes. Some or all my suggestions is NOT guaranteed to work on all foxes. This is only basic information about raising foxes. If you have questions, please feel free to join our message board. http://sybilsden.com/bb/ ================ Click the links to the Left or scroll down the page
Are you Ready for a fox?
Breeds of Foxes
Buying a Fox
Caring for a fox
Cleaning Products
Feeding a fox
Foxes Life Span
Foxes Scent Gland and Odor
Liter Training a Fox
Permits
Spay/Neuter A fox
Training an older or full grown fox

Darla Jean

Daryl Dee

Permits

Before buying a fox, please check with your state to see what is required. Many states require a permit.. This is very important, because there are some states that will confiscate your fox and possibly kill it, I know PA is like this..

Are you Ready for a fox?

Foxes are NOT like dogs. They do not like to cuddle, or like to petted all the time.
However, some like being petted only when they want to.

Ask yourself these questions:
Do you have the proper set up for a fox.?
Do You have experience with other animals?
Are foxes legal in your state? if so, what are your states requirements?
Do you know that foxes will mark?
Do you know their urine smells like skunk?
If you keep a fox in your house, do you realize it could smell, unless cleaned frequently?
If you do keep your fox in your house, do you also have an outdoor pen for him/her?
Do you have the time to dedicate to a fox?
Is there a vet nearby that will treat a fox?
Do you know you CANNOT leave a fox run lose?

There is more fox information on our message board. Please feel free to join us for further discussions on foxes. http://sybilsden.com/bb/

Breeds of Foxes

There are many different breeds of foxes. The following are some of the most common.

Red Fox
Silver Fox	Originated from the Red Fox
Grey Fox
Glacier Blue	Mix of Marble fox and Pearl fox.
Marble Fox	Originated from the Red Fox
Pearl Fox	Originated from the Red Fox
Swift Fox
Fennec Fox	Smaller Fox
Artic Fox	Originally from Alaska

Buying a Fox

Another important factor in getting a fox is to make sure you are buying one from a reputable dealer.. some dealers are in it for the money and don't really care about the babies.. others do care.. The breeder I bought all my foxes from, are very good breeders. I bought them in Mt Hope Ohio.

There is a exotic swap meet there every May. usually the second or third week in May.. There were many red foxes, gray and others there.. Check Sybil's message board for current dates. http://sybilsden.com/bb/
Also, there are several excellent breeders that are members on sybil's message board.

I definitely do not recommend shipping a fox or any animals for that matter.. this is way too stressful for them and to easy to pick up disease.. However, many have received animals through shipping, with no problem. The members on Sybil's message board do ship and have not had problems.

When buying a fox, you should get one no older than 5 weeks of age. Find out if this fox has been bottle fed. This helps bonding with humans much easier. Most foxes are weaned at 4-5 weeks of age.

Feeding a fox

Feeding foxes is easy. I feed mine, a little bit of dry dog food, a little of dry and canned cat
I also feed them cooked chicken, turkey, beef. I don't give my foxes raw meat or live food.
My foxes seem to do quite well on this diet.. You can offer a plate of a few different foods, fruits and see what the fox will eat.

Of course eggs are their favorite. I give mine a whole egg as a treat. Fruits is another type of food. Some foxes seem to have different tastes than other. It is best to offer different types and see what they will like. Marshmallows are also generally a treat for most foxes.

There are some fox owners that feed their foxes raw food or/or live food. I personally don't find it necessary... I just want to keep their food as safe as possible.

Caring for a fox

Now please keep in mind, foxes are not like dogs and cats. If given the chance, most will run away.

I highly recommend an outside pen for him/her.. of course you can still keep him/her in your house, but, they like the outside. Foxes like straw and dirt and a place to hide.

The more you handle your fox, the more he/she will be friendly, this also applies for others to handle your fox if possible.. Foxes are generally born in April. I would highly recommend getting a very young fox, this will give your fox a better chance to bond with you..

They should have some type of pen where they can go outside, A 10ft X 8ft or larger, is ok. but, you will have to put fence or cement on the ground and some type of top on the pen. Fence for top or corrugated panels work ok. If there is no top on the pen, they can get out..

When raising a kit (young fox) The first 6 months are the most crucial time to bond.
There are several different options to try. I raised 4 foxes and have learned different approaches.

You can start them out in a large cage. but, make it large enough that you can put a liter box in it.. If you have an extra room, that would be better after you have the fox for a week or so. The hard part is, trying to keep them friendly with you, but at the same time, liter train them and to let them release some of the energy.

when I raised my first fox, she was not liter trained. she was friendly though.
My second fox (Daryl), is 100% liter trained (except for periodically marking)
He was not friendly the first 2 years. After trying a different approach with him, he is now, very friendly. (not like a dog)

My third fox is about 95% liter trained. she will sometimes go by the door. She is semi-friendly, on her terms. She seems to be getting better with age..

Now on my fourth fox (Donnie), I took a little different approach than the first three.

When I first brought Donnie home, I kept him in a room with my older cat. If you have a calm or older cat, this is fine to keep them together while the fox is still small. It is also good, so that the fox can get use to a cat being around. However, once the fox grows up, I doubt they will be buddies. I don't recommend keeping a full grown fox with a cat in a room together unsupervised. NEVER PUT A KITTEN WITH A FULL GROWN FOX. Donnie no longer stays in the room with the cat. he runs with the other two foxes.

When Donnie was smaller, I tried to take him with me to whatever room I was going to be in.
I let him play while I am doing what I need to do. I held him as much as I can. It is good to at least pick the fox up, even if it is for a few minutes, then put him down. but keep doing this as often as you can, so the fox gets use to being picked up.

I think the key here is to let them release some of their energy, then hold them, pet them.
but, play with the fox as much as possible. The idea of letting them release some of their energy is so you can hold and pet your fox for longer periods of time and gain more of the attention. Otherwise, the fox will squirm and want down and/or ignore you.. I also held him sometimes while he is sleeping. As he grew a little older, he didn't seem to want to be held when he sleeps. As they grow, they sometimes are too big to hold while they are sleeping and become more independent. Donnie use to sleep on the bed with me most nights, he would snuggle up next to me, (which is unusual for a fox). Unfortunately , Donnie shied away from me. I made the mistake of letting him with the other foxes too soon and too often.
I hurt my leg and had a hard time getting around for a few months, so that sure didn't help in the training. Donnie is shy, but, he is actually better than Daryl was at his age. He is coming around.

As the fox gets older, most likely, he will want to do what he wants to do. But, still try to keep him with you and play with him/her as much as possible.

Foxes like toys. They will play with toys on their own and you can also a small dog tug-a-war rope, cat balls, squeaky toys or something similar.

If he/she is viciously biting, then there is a problem somewhere. None of my foxes have bit me out of aggression. As they get older and their teeth are more developed, you can grab one of the canines and gently tug and tell the fox "NO" but you need to be quick about it. If the fox is being aggressive, then don't do this. something is wrong, maybe the fox don't trust you.

Now, the other thing is, if you have other animals. Most foxes like dogs. But, it depends on how your dogs are. Are they pretty calm and easy going? Can you trust them with a fox this size? All my dogs are use to smaller animals, so I don't have any trust problems with any of them.. If you already have a fox and adding a second or third, I don't recommend putting any kits with the full grown ones until the older ones get use to the new fox. It is important to introduce them first. It will take a while. Let the adult foxes or dogs see the kit, but keep control of the kit at the same time.

Some foxes will be "helper foxes" My male fox (Daryl Dee)is a "helper fox"
If you don't know what a helper fox is, it is a fox that will care for a baby fox, bring it food and toys. It is important to let the older fox see the baby fox, but don't let them loose together until you are positive the older fox won't hurt the younger one .. I started mine a little at a time. I put them both in a room where I can supervise, but, I didn't do this, until the baby was a little older. The adult fox or dog should be familiar with the kit before letting them in a room together without control. Letting the baby fox in a large cage while the dog and/or older fox can see the younger fox would be a good start.

The above information is based on raising a fox in the house. But, can also be useful for outdoor only foxes.

Some foxes will bark and sound like more like a dog. Some outgrow this. To help even further with bonding, make the same noise to your fox, as close as you can. You don't have to do this all the time. but, once in a while. This way, the fox will think you are his family and could help bond that much more.

This information is not guaranteed, this is the way I raised mine. I am sure there are other ways to raise a fox to bond. but, it worked for me.

Liter Training a Fox

The urine of a fox is not very pleasant. it is almost like a skunk smell..
however, the males seem to smell less than the female.. I had a hard time with my first female using the liter box.. The male was very easy to liter train.. When I first brought my male fox home, I made sure I had plenty of litter boxes for him.. I would keep my fox in a 4ft cage at night only, in that cage was a liter box and a small food dish.. when he would poop out of the liter box, I put the poop in the liter box, so he could understand that is where he is suppose to go. didn't take long for him to figure that out.. Newspaper is also a good idea under the liter box and as a lining for the liter. Daryl (my male fox) is 100% liter trained now. When the foxes are young, some might dig in the liter box and throw the liter out. As they mature, they seem to quit doing this. You do not need a lot of liter in the pan as you would for a cat. Foxes don't bury their poop. A thin layer is fine, this way, it lessens the chance of the fox digging and burying food or toys in it.

When the fox gets a little older, they seem to like larger liter boxes. Most cat boxes too small. I have found that a small cement mixing pan seems to work good. it is not real big, but, not too small either.. They are even cheaper than most kitty liter pans.

Some foxes will take longer than others to liter train. but, don't get discouraged, keep trying. they should eventually get the idea. but, if they dirty on the floor, clean that up as soon as possible with a good cleaner. It could take from a few days to a month or so for them to get the idea.

If you keep your fox in a room, then obviously, you want to put a liter box or two in that room.. If the fox don't use it at first and seems to dirty more in a specific part of the room, then move the liter box where the fox is doing his business.

I have about 3 or 4 litter boxes though out the house for my foxes.. However, I have 2 raccoons that also share these boxes. I make sure I keep the liter boxes clean. I change the liter every other day or third day.. I put the original 4 foot cage outside in his 10 X 20 pen.
I don't think it is necessary to put the cage they started out in. I removed the cage and now have about 4 liter boxes in their pen. (one is the cement pan) I plan on getting a couple more of them and use them in the place of the smaller liter boxes.
Again, just enough liter to cover the bottom is fine. (saves on liter too)

Now for the downside of owning a fox. They will pee a little in a food dish or on certain items they want to claim.. but, my first female was really bad for this.
Darla and Daryl don't do this all the time. Seems they sometimes do this in empty dishes.
If you can set up some type box where they can reach the food, but, cannot stand over it, that would be ideal. That is what I have for their outside pen. I keep their food dish under a shelf. They can reach in to eat it, but, can't really pee in it.

The other concern is, dog or cat dishes. They might pee in them. but, I put stainless bowls in a high bucket for the dogs. this way, the fox really can't reach the dish to pee in it.
Keep your counter and table cleaned off, especially plastic bags. For some reason, they seem to like to pee on plastic bags. I keep my kitchen door closed so the foxes don't have access in their. However, I do let them in, when I am in their.

Spaying and neutered also helps lessen their marking and the odor.

I have found that the females seem to mark more than the males do.
Daryl is pretty good, and seems to be getting better about marking.

Foxes Life Span

I believe a captive-born fox life span is about 10-15 years old..
I have talked to a few people that had a fox that lived to 15 years old..

Foxes Scent Gland and Odor

Foxes have scent glands that can throw off a very mild skunk-like odor. but, when this happens, it is because they are scared. however, by removing this gland, it will not help the urine odor.. generally, once they get use to you and your environment, they generally don't get scared. I DO NOT recommend removing this gland. This procedure is more complex than skunk glands. It can be unsafe for a fox.

Activities for Foxes

Toys is highly recommended. They love squeaky toys. The more toys and things for him/her to do, the better. Foxes are thieves, they will steal items and hide them.
The more they have to do, the less trouble they will get into.
My foxes have each other, dogs and raccoons to play with, which also helps.

Also, to re-arrange their pen once in awhile. They seem to like this.

Training an older or full grown fox

Usually young foxes under six months of age are fearless. Once they reach 6 months. (maybe a little sooner or a little later) This is one reason why it is very important that you spend as much time everyday with your fox to help with the bonding process.

If your fox should begin to shy away from you or if you already have a fox older than six months and want to get him/her more friendly. Then here are a few ideas to try.

1	Sit her lay on the floor where or near your fox is.
2	Softly talk to your fox. (they will hear you)
3	Have a treat in your hand that he/she really likes. (mine loves whole eggs, shell and all)
4	Hold the treat with your arm extended out. Most likely, your fox won't take it from your hand the first time, or even second, third try or even day.
5	When your fox see's the treat, he/she will want it, but will be afraid. Do NOT give the fox the treat unless he/she takes it from your hand. Try to do this everyday and as many times as you can. Most likely, your fox will be scared the first time you are down on the floor if you have never done this before. Keep in mind, many foxes are intimated by a person because we are not at their level/size.
6	When your fox finally takes a treat from your hand, remain on the floor at his/her level. However, the fox will most likely take the treat and run.. but, he/she will be back for another.
7	Once your fox gets use to the idea of taking a treat from your hand, next hold the treat and extend one finger out to pet his nose. If your might get scared and run, but should return. If your fox is still scared that you extended your finger, wait a couple more times to try that.. Eventually, your fox will let you touch or pet his nose. Actually, my Daryl Dee (my male) is to the point where he thinks this is part of the treat. He won't take the egg or treat unless I touch his snout. I
8	If you do this everyday and as often as you can, your fox should become more friendly. It will take a while, but, it should happen. My foxes love to have the inside of their ears scratched. (do it gently when they are ready for this point)
9	Daryl Dee made a very big change since I started doing this. He now comes to me when I call him. He comes and nudges me to be petted. He lets me pet him anywhere, his back, rear, head. When I am laying in bed, both foxes will come to me to be petted. Sometimes they will sleep on the bed with me at night. Daryl Dee will jump up at me for treats and follows me around once in while.

With Daryl Dee, I made the mistake of not spending as much time with him when he was younger. I didn't hold him. pick him up as I should have.

With Darla Jean, I started out ok. but, then did not pursue the contact she needed.
She is friendly, but, not as friendly as Daryl is now. She is getting "better with age"

Spay/Neuter

If you are not planning on breeding your fox. I highly recommend spaying the female and neutering the male.. This should be done by 6 months of age, or before they reach maturity at one year.
I feel this makes a big difference in their personality. It never changes, even at breeding season.

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Fox odor can be very difficult to remove. But, I have found that Nil-odor products or some Zep products work. If you really want to cover up fox odor, try Creylon. This is sometimes sold at farm/feed stores.

For the rug, you can sprinkle a little moth crystals and rug deodorizer before vacuuming.

Zep has a product called "odor destroyer" it is in a spray bottle and can safely be sprayed on carpets, tile floor, counters. This is to be used after you clean.