There's a Fox after our Cat & I'm Terrified!!!

[MeantToStopAtTwo]

Yesterday morning we discovered what looks like a bite on his neck - not deep but quite extensive. We were puzzled and assumed it must have been from a passing dog or possibly a feral tom we know of. Thankfully it's healing well and doesn't appear to bother him at all.

Then this evening I found him hovering in front of his cat-flap (not like him). I wandered over to see what the problem was and saw a very skinny fox sitting against a wall watching him from directly, about 2 metres away. Now of course I'm convinced it was the fox (or another fox) that bit him and that it is purposefully stalking him and out to get him. It doesn't help that another cat who lived in this same house some 10 years ago is rumoured to have been eaten by a fox. We live in a rural area and the house is set back from the road, so there are no doubt plenty of them about.

We won't be letting him out after dark from now on but, other than that, what can we do to protect him? Is it likely that he would be seriously injured or do most domestic cats manage to fight foxes off?

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

There are, apparently, more urban foxes than rural these days, but if you have a skinny one it's likely to be young/hungry, and I have heard of cats being taken by same.

Any fox that took a cat a decade ago will now be dead. Though the descendants could still be about...

Sorry, not much help. :(

[SparklyCloud]

Why not feed the fox, if the poor thing is starving it will then leave your cat alone - thats what i would do anyway, as I would hate to see a thin animal and do nothing.

[ThatVikRinA22]

id be tempted to feed the fox a bit, watched The One Show about feeding foxes....you can give them a little bit of dog or cat food i think, will keep the foxes hunger at bay without it loosing its natural hunting instincts.

i have cats. would be mortified if a fox got mine, but i didnt think it was very common? id keep the cat in at night and feed the fox. (but i like foxes)

[SummerRain]

My cats used to chase the foxes I was feeding in our garden.

No contest, the cats won every time.

It's very unusual behaviour for a fox to spend time staking an animal that isn't particularly good to eat and can inflict serious damge on it.

IMO there are two possibilities:

a) fox is unwell and behaving out of character
b) Fox is starving and hoping for some food and it's just coincidence he happened to come begging at your door the day after you cat was injured.

[SummerRain]

*stalking

[clayre]

I would also feed the fox and i have cats, i hate seeing hungry animals.

[MeantToStopAtTwo]

Thanks everyone. DH suggested feeding the fox too but I'm concerned that it will just encourage it (and probably others too) to hang around our house, posing even greater risk to our cat. I don't want to become tied to feeding a family of foxes long-term.

[belgo]

Don't feed the fox, it will only encourage it and make it even less scared of humans. Foxes are wild animals and should stay that why.

If you feed it it will not leave your cat alone, animal's instincts don't work that way. My well fed cat always caught birds etc because that is just what they do.

[belgo]

'way' not 'why'

[SummerRain]

The fox we fed used to play in the garden with the kids.

Cats aren't a foxes natural prey like birds are for cats.... there's no instinct to hunt there. FGS it's like a wolf suddenly deciding to hunt cougars!

[belgo]

I'm sure a well fed fox will have a better chance at catching a cat then a skinny fox.

But if you want them playing in your garden with your children, then feed them.