To feed a fox in our garden?

[MuseumofInnocence]

We live in a village. Recently I’ve seen a fox walk past my window twice in the past week, and being soppy, I considered feeding it. I did some googling and some recommend it, some are really against it. Would I be unreasonable to put some food out?

[NCforthis2019]

Don’t. My grandmother did that, the Fox got bold and starting coming into her house, killed her cat.

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

No. they shit everywhere, my garden stinks of fox piss because NDNbut1 feeds the bastard things.

[JanartaMeen]

I'm just about to have to go and clear up an enormous fox poo, so no, unless you want to do that every day, I don't recommend it.

(We don't feed them, they just like to poo right by the back door) .

[Steamedbadger]

YWBVVVU IMO

[HundredMilesAnHour]

Not a great idea. The Fox Project explains why:

foxproject.org.uk/fox-facts/red-fox-diet/

(The Fox Project is one of the most highly regarded fox 'experts' in the U.K., providing advice on humane treatement of foxes to almost all local authorities as well as individuals)

[Beamur]

I would.

[Beamur]

But not daily.

[Megan2018]

Foxes are evil bastards (chicken keeper here).
Fortunately where I live (out in farming country) we shoot foxes that stray into gardens. There's no way on earth I'd feed them.

Foxes should not be encouraged, they don't belong amongst people - they belong in the countryside where they have a ready food source from wildlife.

[areyoubeingserviced]

Absolutely not
We fell out with our neighbours because they constantly fed foxes. The foxes then began to go into both out gardens and made a complete mess of them.
A fox bit my two year old niece. Had to take her to the hospital for checks.
Don’t do it

[MuseumofInnocence]

It seems a fairly clear answer. I only really thought about it because our house backs onto fields. I guess the fox is doing ok as he looked quite well

[User12879923378]

Really, really don't. It won't be starving and you'll be doing it no favours teaching it to trust humans.

[MuseumofInnocence]

I don’t need to worry about the foxes going into our neighbors garden. They have two massive guard dogs and live in a fenced off house surrounded by cameras (we suspect them to be arms dealers)

[Yabbers]

They are vermin.

You wouldn't do the same to a rat, don't think it's ok to do it just because they look cute.

[Sparklingbrook]

I do. A fox appeared in the garden and was very ill with mange. I got some medicine from the local animal welfare place to place in food and over the course of a few months it got better.

I didn't feel after that I could just stop. It comes to the top if the garden in the evening and waits, I bring the food out, it eats and then leaves. But we have fields behind us and we never see a fox other than that.

The neighbours told me the other week that they saw a fox in our garden, and had no idea it's been coming for ages.

Sparklingcat just sits and watches.

[Damntheman]

If the fox was suffering from mange then I would feed it in order to get the necessary medicine into it.

Otherwise.. No I would not. You will do it no favours teaching it to rely on humans who may or may not move out or need to stop feeding it for some reason.

They also bite and carry tics and fleas that you do not want on your pets/children.

[HundredMilesAnHour]

They are vermin.

No, they're not. Fox are not, and have never been, categorised as vermin by DEFRA (Dept for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs).

[whitesoxx]

No. It's not a pet!

[GreytExpectations]

Noooo dont feed a wild animal! It will only make them come back for more and possibly become aggressive. Bad idea, OP

[NewFoneWhoDis]

We inherited a visiting fox when we moved, had been doing the rounds of our houses for years by then. It will wait patiently until my NDN cats have eaten their fill of their food then finish it off, then come around to ours for leftover meat scraps where the fox got first dibs. We have no rodent problem thanks to the cats and fox, no fox poo after the first scent-marking episode. My bin is lighter and far less stinky now meat isn't rotting in it.

At one point I fed it mince to hide antibiotics and pain relief after it had an injury on it's hindquarters. It's not been around for a month or so. We thought if it was female she might be busy with cubs but it's been a bit too long not seeing it so wonder if it got hurt or died.

If it wasn't already being fed I don't think I would have fed it.

[Halloumimuffin]

Foxes have very specific dietary requirements so I wouldn't!

Not to mention, it's never good to feed a wild animal, from your perspective, it will bother you continuously for food, and from its perspective, you take away its desire to hunt and exhibit normal behaviours, make it more reliant on humans and less able to survive on its own.

[Sparklesocks]

I used to have a neighbour who put food out for foxes, but it attracted rats who got there first, and they ended up having rats living under their decking!

[Nesssie]

Foxes should not be encouraged, they don't belong amongst people - Then perhaps people should stop building in the countryside?
Their territory is being taken over, so no wonder they are having to go into garden and cities and be closer to people.

And its very rare that foxes will attack cats/people.

[pilates]

No way

[Megan2018]

Indeed. I want no building where I am.
But they breed if they are fed. If they weren’t fed they’d die off.
People in towns and cities are creating the issue too.
Fortunately where I live there is no sentimental attitude (and we have guns).