To growl at a fox that is chasing me?

[ChasedByFox]

Well am I?

TLDR: I imagine a bite or scratch from a fox would require a tetanus jab and I don't have time for that, covid restrictions aside.

Full Story:
I was out running this morning at 5:30 (yes, I probably am certifiable) and a fox crossed my path. He began to follow me, so I ran a little faster. He matched my pace, so I ran faster.

By now I'm pretty much flying along, and this bloody fox is chasing me!

I'm panicking. I've only got five minutes left on my podcast, and I so want to finish it, because I'm on W9R3 of couch25k But if he attacked me, I would need to have a tetanus jab for a fox bite/scratch, surely?

So I growled at him, and he stopped in his tracks and shot away in the opposite direction

WIBU? Have I scared the poor fox for life?

Yes, obviously I've namechanged- I've been here donkeys years, and there's no way I'm going to be able to keep schtum in RL about being chased by a fox!!

YABU- you cruel animal abuser
YANBU- he could give you rabies! and tetanus, and fleas, and follow you home and attack your children

He was just being friendly.

During a visit to Brazil we came across raccoon like creatures called coati. Cheeky little buggers who'll rummage in your bags if you take your eye off them.

Thought some people would like this video

link

I’ve seen deer, badger, hedgehogs, owls, rabbits and even a hare whilst on my way into work

I’ve never seen a fox though

That video is great Sobriquet

@pigsDOfly I can just imagine in years to come people taking their pet fox on a lead for a walk, with the fox carrying his/her ball in their mouth 🦊

@Lurchermom lol!

I was wfh with the doors open one summer, and our regular visitor of a very mangy fox appeared - on the landing, outside our study. Couldn't get the blooming thing out. Chased it all round the house yelling at it. Ended up hitting it with a coat hanger... And I'm a mad animal lover, felt awful. Still didn't go. At one point it ended up on my DS's bed, fleas and all. Took me about 10 mins to get it out of the house, it was horrible. Wish I'd thought to growl at it!!

I nearly got taken out by a fox once.

I was walking back from my friend/neighbours house late one night after a few wines and this fox trotted round the corner . I thought it would see me and leg it in the opposite direction, but instead it legged it towards me! .

I honestly thought it was going to run into me but it veered off at the last second.

It was like playing a game of chicken with a fox!

I have hissed (and barked) at dogs, growled away an angry monkey - well done for talking fox language.

(Sounds like you should get an up to date tetanus booster if you’re out of date tho. You could get that just from handling soil or a small cut, and it goes out of date every ten years).

yanbu - and very funny.
we used to have a fox sleeping in our doorway regularly.
and when we came home or had to leave the house needed a mixture of a broom and growling so we could safely enter or leave our house.
we almost miss it now it's not there anymore.

@pigsDOfly

Does make you wonder as these modern day foxes become bolder and more used to being around humans, who often feed them, if some of them are attempting to do what dogs did thousands of years ago and get themselves adopted by humans and thereby become domesticated.

Perhaps they see dogs being fed and housed by humans and like the idea of it as an easier life.

I give you the domesticated silver fox

I’ve been watching some foxes in my garden (urban) and they’ve been sitting on my lawn and scratching and scratching very thoroughly, all over. They must have fleas, right? Felt a bit sorry for them. Until ds stepped in fox poo on the decking this afternoon.

pinkbalconyrailing Thanks for that. Seems that some foxes are opened to being domesticated then.

Maybe, as TracyBeakerSoYeah says, we might, in a few 100 years, see foxes out on their walks with their owners

@Imissmoominmama
‘Is that your fox?’
‘Yeah’ replied I, casually

That is utterly brilliant!

@Gumbo You are far more brave than I would be if faced with a ram! They're quite large, aren't they? Probably a large one would be up past my waist.

I'm so sorry but I can't resist it.............so what did the Fox say?

Fuck that, anything chasing me would get serious volume of shouting.
Followed by a good kicking. I'm not joking. Grew up in the countryside. However, the rabies reference, was that in jest? UK is rabies free, for now. Do be careful on the continent mind, fox tapeworm is even worse than it sounds.

When we lived in South East London we had one that lounged in the garden. It would sit next to me when I was gardening and look through the window at the back into my daughter’s room. It also used to come into our hall and steal shoes. Especially Birkenstock’s. We later found a little cache of shoes at the back of the garden so she was obviously doing it all over.

She had a kit one year and it was lovely watching them. Sadly the baby died and then Mum abandoned the garden as well. I miss that fox!

@Babysharkdoodoodood

I'd be thinking; ' What's chasing the fox?'

A mouse, followed by a creature with purple prickles all over his back.

This made me giggle!

I once nearly collided with a fox whilst out on a run - it came running out of a hedge as I was running past the hedge. We both skidded to a halt just in time, and looking at the fox's face it was thinking "shit!"

Then we both carried on running in the directions we had been going originally.

In Vancouver, I have seen many, many coyotes loping down the middle of my street early morning whilst leaving for work. Kind of spooky to be honest. We have to be vigilant with small dogs as they have been snatched.

The scariest urban wildlife experience we have had is being woken in the middle of the night by a full on scrap between a coyote and the neighbour's cat. This took place on our front porch, and there was plenty of evidence that it was serious all over the porch the next morning.

I thought the cat must have been goners. But no, the neighbours had big vet bills but the cat survived!

I am very, very careful with my little dog in the forest.

SkiingIsHeaven Sat 10-Oct-20 00:14:46

At least he wasn't on a horse blowing a bugle

We have a winner! :o

Quite a few people actually have pet foxes now too.

Very rarely a red fox, but other breeds of fox.

They are on my list of dream pets! Though I want a fennel fox not just a random breed

I would have done the same OP (and picked up a big stick or reached for my Swiss Army Knife in case foxy didn’t retreat). I’ve heard of people being attacked by foxes especially children. Foxes are vermin, riddled with disease and I wouldn’t hesitate to kill one that tried to bite me.

Trouble is many people are foolish and feed them, so they’ve lost their fear of humans.

@PurpleTrilby um, the "rabies" was hyperbole for comic effect

RattleOfBars

I would have done the same OP (and picked up a big stick or reached for my Swiss Army Knife in case foxy didn’t retreat). I’ve heard of people being attacked by foxes especially children.

Erm, would you do the same to a dog? Fox attacks (on anyone, let alone children) are incredibly rare....maybe one every 5 or more years. Dog attacks, in the other hand, are common and often deadly.