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Original poster

Our young smallish cat got chased by a fox on her first day outdoors

55 replies

Nathalie1975 · 27/05/2021 07:25

Re-posting this in Chat as I didn't have many replies in The litter tray.

We have a just over 1 year old female cat, Cleo. We kept her indoors as a kitten but thought it was time to allow her out. We are first time cat owners and a bit nervous so we got her a gps tracker and for the last 2 weeks we let her out in the garden for 1 hour each day supervised. On Monday we decided it was time to give her more freedom so I let her out on her own in the morning and she spent several hours exploring the garden and going in and out of the house. But then at some point in the afternoon I heard a scramble and saw a big fox chasing her through the garden. I screamed and the fox ran away but obviously now I am terrified of letting her out on her own again. I am gutted because before that happened she was having the time of her life. I keep reading that foxes are not a risk to cats but then why was the fox chasing her? Would love to hear experiences of people who have outdoor cats in a fox populated area. Thank you.

OP posts:

ChrisWitlessPatrickUnbalanced · 27/05/2021 14:03

@MrsCatE

Foxes will kill cats.

Only very ill/frail cats or tiny kittens without mum around. Even then it's extremely rare.

Op your cat will learn to live with the foxes. I've only ever known my cats to chase the foxes not the other way around.

EYProvider · 27/05/2021 15:55

I think you have to live with the risks if you have an outdoor cat. I couldn’t do it personally, which is why I’d never have a cat. I mean, I can understand why it’s better for a cat to be outside for their own quality of life, but then you have to accept that the cat might be run over or attacked by another animal.

You probably just have to detach yourself a bit and accept that you can’t have a bond with a cat like you can with a dog due to the above.

catmandont · 27/05/2021 16:01

Our cat and the fox that occasionally lives at the end of our garden get on fine.

They lounge around the grass, not together but a few metres apart.

I think they've accepted the garden near the house is the cats territory and up the end is the foxes.

SirenSays · 27/05/2021 16:52

Cute cat! Please make sure that collar can break away if she gets stuck somewhere when out exploring. Bulky collars can be deadly.
I'd also consider a small bell to help prey avoid her, cats decimate wildlife.

Original poster

Nathalie1975 · 28/05/2021 08:56

@SirenSays

Cute cat! Please make sure that collar can break away if she gets stuck somewhere when out exploring. Bulky collars can be deadly. I'd also consider a small bell to help prey avoid her, cats decimate wildlife.

Yes it is a breakaway collar.

OP posts:

Original poster

Nathalie1975 · 28/05/2021 08:59

Thank you for the replies. I think we will supervise her in the garden a bit longer. And yes, the gps tracker is on a 30 days trial so I will probably send it back before the 30 days. I am well aware we are being very PFC (precious first cat).

OP posts:

midlifecrash · 28/05/2021 09:13

I have seen an urban fox chase a cat along the top of a wall.

When my cat was younger she would see off any fox (we once had to bring her in to let one escape). Now that she is getting on I do keep her in at night if I hear foxes about - this tends to be in the winter.

OuiOuiKitty · 28/05/2021 09:17

We had a cat when I was growing up that was eaten by a fox. I can still remember the horror of going out to school in the morning and seeing what was left of her. She wasn't old or frail either.

silentlight · 28/05/2021 09:39

I might be tempted to help your cat scent mark your garden by sprinkling a bit of used cat litter in your borders, so the foxes get the idea that your cat owns the garden now.

CoronaBanana · 28/05/2021 09:46

@OuiOuiKitty

We had a cat when I was growing up that was eaten by a fox. I can still remember the horror of going out to school in the morning and seeing what was left of her. She wasn't old or frail either.

That's horrible, poor cat but I wonder if she'd died another way eg being run over and the opportunistic fox saw her as a food source?

Original poster

Nathalie1975 · 28/05/2021 09:51

@silentlight

I might be tempted to help your cat scent mark your garden by sprinkling a bit of used cat litter in your borders, so the foxes get the idea that your cat owns the garden now.

I did that before we first let her out but it has rained quite a bit since then so I'll do it again. Thank you for the suggestion.

OP posts:

SakuraEdenSwan1 · 28/05/2021 09:52

@MrsCatE

Foxes will kill cats.

Foxes do not kill cats, check out SaveaFox who will educate you further.

Funnyface1 · 28/05/2021 09:54

I'm sorry, I have nothing helpful to add but I read your title a bit quickly and thought it said "stylish cat"

Original poster

Nathalie1975 · 28/05/2021 10:35

@Funnyface1

I'm sorry, I have nothing helpful to add but I read your title a bit quickly and thought it said "stylish cat"

She IS stylish though

OP posts:

silentlight · 28/05/2021 11:23

I have also heard that foxes are not keen on male human pee.... in case you know anyone who you don’t mind pissing in your borders?

Just don’t overdo the pee now the weather is finally warming up.

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/05/2021 11:28

You can cat proof trees. It’s an extra expense but it can be done.

If she’s small a fox could take her.

Honeyroar · 28/05/2021 11:51

Im very anti fox hunting and love foxes, but foxes absolutely could kill a small cat. My friend in Germany has lost two of her cats, one last week, to foxes. I’d be a little worried too, but I’d still want my cat to go out, as you do. Hopefully your cat is canny and will learn to avoid the fox - a cat must be able to outclimb etc a fox..

LST · 28/05/2021 12:02

My cats have always chased off foxes. We have loads and sometimes they just sit in the garden looking at each other.

ChrisWitlessPatrickUnbalanced · 28/05/2021 12:31

If she’s small a fox could take her.

My old girl is tiny, people often mistake her for a kitten but she will not stand for any foxes coming near her, she terrifies them

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/05/2021 12:34

Not all cats are feisty though.

SingingSands · 28/05/2021 12:35

We have camera footage of a fox chasing cat up our driveway. The cat dived under my car and the fox slunk off. I've seen my old cat nose to nose with a fox on the garden wall before.

TheDiddlyGang · 28/05/2021 12:47

We have foxes here and loads of cats, I have never seen a fox go for a cat.
That’s not to say it can’t happen but I’ve never experienced it nor heard of it.

I would get rid of the tracker and collar as they are dangerous, the snap mechanism can fail on the collar and the elastic ones can stretch and get stuck (happened to my childhood cat, came in walking oddly with the collar stretched under her arm).

And I’d catproof the garden.

pickledpumpkins · 28/05/2021 13:32

I've seen a suburban fox carrying a dead pet cat in its mouth at night. Maybe their tougher where I live. Having said that we also have a cat but we don't let her out at night.

Honeyroar · 28/05/2021 13:41

It will probably depend on what other sources of food is around and how hungry the fox is, plus how feisty the cat is. I find foxes round here (rural) are braver when it’s autumn or spring and they are rearing young.

SappysCurry · 28/05/2021 13:53

They have Cubs around at this time of year, they are protective over but it is worrying as a fox can easily kill a cat or cause life threatening injuries (but it is quite rare) it will be better when the Cubs have grown and gone their own way.
I had the same happen a couple of weeks ago and Sappycat was terrified, still goes out at night though and I have seen a cub in the garden a couple of weeks ago during the day.

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