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AIBU?

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Original poster

To help a mangy scrap of fox?

374 replies

HarrietKettleWasHere · 30/03/2017 23:46

I know I know, urban foxes get a lot of bad press. Yes they are naughty when they rip open bin bags and make a mess.

And yet, I think they are beautiful. We live in a block of flats (on the back of a big park) and around about Christmas time I noticed one sloping about at night. Actually we used to have a lot of mice/rats down where the rubbish room is so maybe he was attracted to that. He's beautiful- all rusty and bushy. I know it's a bit naughty but I started slipping him the odd bit of chicken or bit of ham. I would never want to get too close as he should be wary of humans would kill to stroke that gorgeous tail but he knows where I live and he will often trot by about 11pm to see if I'm at my window.

So a few nights ago he started bringing a little friend. I thought he looked a bit odd- like stumpy and mishapen and tonight I got a good look at him and he's all bald-patched and mangy Sad

Poor little scrap! And also it'll probably spread to my beautiful original fox as it's contagious. Can I help him? Are there mange tablets you can put in food? He comes every night pretty much so he would eat it. Would dog tablets work? Obviously I couldn't bathe him or give him drops totally would if I could

Please can I add the foxes are very respectful of the neighbours. They do all their shagging in the park and they can't get into the bins! There are a couple of cats here but they are totally unbothered by them.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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ohhereweareagain · 31/03/2017 18:41

they do love a bit of cheese

Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 01/04/2017 07:56

ScrapFox was round last night for his tea (raw chicken thighs) and honestly the poor thing-he's so patchy. I haven't heard anything from the first place I tried to get the drops so I ordered a bottle online last night from Derbyshire Fox Rescue. Should arrive on Tuesday! So hopefully he can start to feel better soon.

OP posts:
user1471467016 · 01/04/2017 08:01

Please keep posting - what a lovely warm story

loopylulu80 · 01/04/2017 08:06

What a lovely thread please keep us updated

neonrainbow · 01/04/2017 08:09

Aww i love foxes. I always think they're bigger than they are. I blame the animals of farthing wood books.

NotYoda · 01/04/2017 08:13

I like foxes and still get a little excited when I see them (almost every day). But by God the smell! And the nappies, bones, shoes and balls left on the doorstep with a bit of crap to tread in.

It's nice that you are trying to help him.

ImYourMama · 01/04/2017 08:14

When I lived with my dad we had a squirrel family in the tree, one day we found the mother dead in the road, so my dad built them a box and we fed them bird seed and fat balls and a few digestive biscuits. They used to run up his legs and sit on his shoulders Smile hope mangy fox is transformed back into beautiful fox soon!

Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 01/04/2017 08:24

Awww, that squirrel story is absolutely lovely Smile

OP posts:
neverthetwainshallmeet · 01/04/2017 17:18

This has made me happy. Good on you for trying to save him, poor little sausage. I love foxes Grin

WhooooAmI24601 · 01/04/2017 17:23

We have fields at the back of us so have foxes in the garden often. The idiot dog usually barks til they scarper but we've had a brave couple every week or so who sit by the decking waiting for treats. If they had brains they'd have a bash at the rabbits cage, so I can only assume these are stupid foxes to match our stupid spaniel. Gorgeous to see them though. DH goes berserk when he sees me leaving them gifts because he says they're evil bindogs of satan but I love them regardless.

MrsSeverusSnape · 01/04/2017 17:42

Aww OP you're good people. And if the drops arrive from the original website, you'll have some for any mangy foxes who decide to visit in the future!

y0rkier0se · 01/04/2017 17:49

Aw what a heart warming story. I also love foxes. When we lived more in the suburbs we used to have a group of three living in the fields at the back and they were regularly in our garden, we must've spent hours watching them out the window. We used to leave chicken etc out for them - not lots so they'd become dependent but occasionally as a treat. They also love dog toys! The only downside was that they occasionally left lots of pigeon feathers in the garden Sad

Natsku · 01/04/2017 18:55

I love foxes, they are such beautiful creatures. Don't get any visiting me though :( Probably because we have a lot of dog owners as neighbours, big noisy dogs!

GlitteryFluff · 02/04/2017 01:04

Lovely thread.
And that video was amazing.

Jaysis · 03/04/2017 11:42

I've just discovered my new house's estate has a visiting fox Smile

user1490634864 · 03/04/2017 21:07

Most dog flea treatments treat mange? If you can get close enough you just squeeze the pippette of treatment on their neck/shoulder blade area.

LittleCandle · 03/04/2017 21:22

The other morning I was standing at the kitchen window filling the kettle, still mostly asleep when movement on the back fence caught my eye. The dog was still in bed and the cats were having breakfast, so I had a look to see if it was the neighbourhood bully cat. But no, parading along the fence was the neighbourhood fox. He jumped down into the garden using the garden furniture, and started to walk up towards the back door. I didn't want the cats to go out at that moment, as I don't know how they would have reacted - or how the fox would have reacted. But I must have moved, because he froze, looking up at me through the window. I don't how long he stood there until I must have moved again and he shot back across the garden and got back onto the fence via the furniture, then stopped to give me one more haughty look before strolling off back the way he came. They are gorgeous creatures.

myusernamewastaken · 03/04/2017 22:03

I live in rural Norfolk and have a garden that opens onto fields.....ive never seen a fox here....how can i encourage them in....i love them x

isupposeitsverynice · 03/04/2017 22:19

Haha I opened this thread feeling really dubious about its contents - I'm a chicken keeper and I hate the foxes because for every chicken they eat they kill another bloody five and leave them there to traumatise any who managed to escape the carnage.

But actually I think treating mange is a public service even in skanky little vermin as other animals including domestic pets can catch it, so good for you, and actually all these pictures are quite sweet so I'm leaving this thread marginally more sympathetic to foxes than I came in Grin Well done OP!

5OBalesofHay · 03/04/2017 22:25

We had chickens. We loved them fucking nasty Fox vermin killed them. Bring back hunting. Keep the fuckers heads down.

Maxwellthecat · 03/04/2017 22:31

Place marking, I want to get updates on the fox!

Therealslimshady1 · 03/04/2017 22:35

Would you do the same for a rat?

HazelBite · 03/04/2017 22:52

We live in Hertfordshire, and back onto woods so have regular foxy visitors. A couple of years ago I caught my two cats chasing (yes chasing) a fox cub. There followed a close friendship between our ginger tom and the fox (who we called fleabag, for very obvious reasons) fleabag got hit by a car and must have died from his injuries, and the cat missed him!
There was an urban fox living in the grounds of the Royal Courts of justice who I used to see regularly when I worked there.

nackle · 03/04/2017 23:00

I used to live on a farm. One afternoon there was an almighty racket
going off with the geese near the back of the house.
I dashed out to see a fox had one of the geese by the neck and was
running round in a circle - with the poor honking goose standing still
while the fox stretched it's poor neck.

The fox took not the slightest bit of notice of my arm waving, yelling
like a banshee efforts so I threw some water at it form a large bowl
of animal drinking water. The fox stopped dead and gave me a look
of distain as it side stepped the water hurled at it.

It stood looking me in the eye for a few moments before slowly
sloping off, every now and again he looked back at me ...I get the
impression he was doing a pffft! sound under his breath at my
pathetic attempts to clear him off.

The goose was fine, no harm done but that cheeky fox stood on the
wall at the edge of the field and watched for quite a while.
After that I started putting some hen's eggs in a corner of the field for
him - didn't stop him from having my best cock a few months later
though. Which I blame myself for - it's up to farmers/hen keepers
to keep their chickens safe.

thecatneuterer · 03/04/2017 23:49

Would you do the same for a rat?

What's that got to do with anything? I would though. In fact I went out of my way to rescue a rat just a couple of weeks ago. If any suffering can be avoided then that is surely a good thing, regardless of the creature involved. They all feel pain, fear, hunger. It all matters.

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