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Original poster

Foxes in garden - good or bad?

93 replies

guessmyusername · 17/08/2022 11:27

Hi, I live in a city and while I saw a fox wandering a couple of streets away a few years ago. Twice this week early morning I have spotted one actually in my garden, or rather on my shed and then walking along the top of the fence. I don't know if we should do something to discourage it or what. There are no young children or pets in this household. Anyone have any idea?

OP posts:
IrisVersicolor · 17/08/2022 18:53

StarDolphins · 17/08/2022 18:16

I would LOVE to have foxes in my garden, they get rid of rats & I really love foxes, I would even feed them if I saw them to encourage them to stay! & hedgehogs!

Yeah well I thought that back in the day. Now all my fox sympathy is gone and I feel like taking up hunting. Tally ho.

Caminante · 17/08/2022 19:00

I've twice had a family of foxes in my garden which was lovely BUT the first time I picked up fleas every time I walked down the garden. I had no idea for a while until I was covered in hundreds of bites, was getting changed in my bedroom and a flea fell out of my clothes 😑
So not quite as lovely then.

Bindayagain · 17/08/2022 19:52

Not all foxes are equal. We've had one that nipped repeatedly at both dh and I in the garden. I think it was annoyed we use our garden in the evening. You'd think they'd be scared of humans! And the amount of plants in pots they've dug up.. why? What do they want with them?

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kimchifox · 17/08/2022 19:57

Fox poo stinks to high heaven - like nothing else - so you can tell if it was a fox or another animal by the stench!

You can't do much about foxes and they are unlikely to hang about if you are outside so I'd just ignore it if you aren't particularly interested in it. We have them but the dogs chase them off if they see one in the garden - I always like seeing the cubs next door.

kimchifox · 17/08/2022 19:58

Re: PP I am shocked one would go for you! Wow! Digging is annoying I agree & don't leave your shoes outside or they will chew them!

alwaysstressed · 17/08/2022 20:10

@DameHelena

"applaud them for making a success of city living"
🤣🤣🤣

NeedMoreMilk · 17/08/2022 20:14

Ianrankinfan · 17/08/2022 17:52

😂😂 was just trying to point out that if you have a very old or young cat that a fox may attack it . It is fairly rare and a healthy cat will be able to defend itself. If you have foxes around and your cat has been unwell , best not to let it out at night. My former neighbour thought foxes were cute and cuddly and used to put dog food out for them.

Show quote history

Apologies! I thought you were implying that foxes were a danger to people because one of them had killed a penguin.

Which seems crazy now I’ve written it down, but I’ve seen similar suggested on threads about dogs 😬

Oblomov22 · 17/08/2022 20:19

I hate them. Used to like them. But Hate them in my garden: hate the vile Pooh, disruptive and messy.

WobblyLondoner · 17/08/2022 20:37

IrisVersicolor · 17/08/2022 11:41

You’re obviously not a Londoner city foxes are a daily menace.

You can try and keep them out but nothing works - fox spray, LED pest lights, not even lion pee.

They shit on our lawns, rummage thro our bins and keep us awake at night screeching. We can’t shoot’em in urban areas for reasons of public safety.

This. I would do anything (legal) to keep the effing foxes out of our garden. They have trashed it - endless holes and ruined plants. I can't plant anything new because they just dig it up. And they crap everywhere. What's not to like ...

MrsDThomas · 17/08/2022 22:26

Nice as they are, but i don’t want them.

vermin. No good cones from a fox

DameHelena · 18/08/2022 08:28

kimchifox · 17/08/2022 19:57

Fox poo stinks to high heaven - like nothing else - so you can tell if it was a fox or another animal by the stench!

You can't do much about foxes and they are unlikely to hang about if you are outside so I'd just ignore it if you aren't particularly interested in it. We have them but the dogs chase them off if they see one in the garden - I always like seeing the cubs next door.

yours may be ‘unlikely to hang about if you are outside’ but you do realise, don’t you, that not everyone necessarily has the same experience? Ours continue to lie on the shed roof/stalk birds/dig holes when I’m sitting right there at the garden table.

PepperRed · 22/08/2022 11:59

Yes, me too. Big mess at my front door. It smells and attracting clouds/ hordes of blue botttle flies. And screaming at 3am. I think one went for my cat as she screamed and a fox was there then ran off. Love cure to get rid of them. I know people feed them which I do not agree with as an artificial way to keep their numbers high.
I would not hurt one.

WobblyLondoner · 22/08/2022 20:44

PepperRed · 22/08/2022 11:59

Yes, me too. Big mess at my front door. It smells and attracting clouds/ hordes of blue botttle flies. And screaming at 3am. I think one went for my cat as she screamed and a fox was there then ran off. Love cure to get rid of them. I know people feed them which I do not agree with as an artificial way to keep their numbers high.
I would not hurt one.

Oh god, the screaming. First time I heard it I genuinely thought someone was being murdered - the most horrific noise. Wakes me up about once a week during the mating season.

LadyEloise1 · 03/09/2022 10:14

Squirrel fur on the lawn in the back garden last week
Lots of feathers yesterday. Sad

Epwell · 03/09/2022 10:26

We had one in our house (and we have a dog). We found the dog and the fox having a stand off in the lounge. Said fox did a huge shit behind the sofa before we managed to get it out. I enjoyed cleaning that up. They are a menace and are trashing our fences, locally they leave food, used nappies and rubbish in people's gardens. We also have the shit thing on the front door step, also on watering can handles, anything we leave outside. They are a complete menace. Chilli powder or cayenne pepper will deter them.

MistressIggi · 03/09/2022 16:56

Do you just sprinkle that around?

CloudPop · 03/09/2022 17:24

We have had great success getting the garden sprayed by a humane fox deterrent company called Fox-a-gon. We get it done about once a year and neighbours on either side do the same. It definitely keeps them away from the back garden although not much you can do about the screaming in the road at 3am

Daisychainsandglitter · 03/09/2022 20:55

We live in Birmingham and currently have a fox problem. Every day there seems to be poo on our drive or on the pavement. Their screeching at night wakes us up. They're really annoying.

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