AIBU to ask a stupid question about this fox cub?

[Sundiamond]

So around 6pm every night for about a week/10 days, a fox cub has come to our back door and tapped. I believe there are foxes living somewhere over one of the back fences that are in our neighbourhood.

Why? What does he want? Food? Is he intrigued by our dog? We never feed him, we shoo him away. Although I have to say, he has the most gorgeous little face...

We have them and I'd prefer them to our neighbours cats which now stay away.

We had an injured fox cub in Our garden (London) and while I was waiting for someone to come out it has been there all night and refused the dog food they told me to give it bread and jam and it loved it.

@GCITC

We used to have a fox that called for our big ginger cat. They used to go off together and play.

Least it's not just me that has a crazy cat-fox relationship going on! 🤣

I’d not feed him becayse he won’t be a cub forever and you’ve a dog.

The foxes in our garden used to taunt our dog. We would let him out then one would come and sit at the fenced in area just literally staring at the dog, as he went nuts. They were literally inches apart, with the metal fence between them.

I’m not sure how aggressive they are, or your dog would be, but with a dog I’d not be encouraging them.

They leave disgusting bacteria filled piles of poo that are a hazard to children in particular.

As do dogs ....

We used to have a family of young cubs that visited and would play with our kitten which was really sweet. On the downside, in the days of old fashioned dustbins (not wheely bins) the adult foxes regularly upended it and spread the rubbish everywhere.

@DGRossetti

They leave disgusting bacteria filled piles of poo that are a hazard to children in particular.

As do dogs ....

as do my neighbours cats. I'd rather have a fox than the cats.

@RaspberryCoulis

I always wonder about the mentality of people who hate animals.

I always wonder about people who struggle with reading comprehension and interpret "don't feed them" as "I hate animals".

Quite clearly talking about the several people who called them Vile and Vermin, or are those terms of affection to you?

Yes, fox cubs are abnormally sweet. Little fluffy teddy bears with puzzled faces who can barely walk without falling over their own paws. Cute beyond your wildest dreams of cute.

Fox teenagers however are not sweet. They are long legged, clumsy, filled with fox hormones , play fight and chase for hours and don’t care what you say to them.

The first year we were blessed (ha!) there were six of them .SIX. My garden looked as though a tank regiment had rolled through and back again. I had to barricade my back door if we wanted to open it for air, and we made it a rule to never leave the door open if the kitchen was empty. They dumped and abandoned other people’s stolen shoes, towels, rags, sponges, socks, t shirts, toys, takeaway containers. They played with dead rats. They shat everywhere. They dug holes in my borders, buried disgusting things that they then forgot about, and made my garden a no go area from May to September when they thankfully moved on. The next year a vixen managed to sneak in despite my vigilant patrols and had four more. Rinse and repeat.

I have now had my garden cleared of all possible den locations, and am making it clear to all passing through foxes that they would be better off somewhere less hostile.

Quite clearly talking about the several people who called them Vile and Vermin, or are those terms of affection to you?

For a brief second I imagined that post accidentally popping up in the currently baby name thread in AIBU

Meet my twins ... Vile and Vermin

Then there was the issue of the fox chasing my elderly cat who disappeared for a week. I have no proof it WAS a fox except that when she eventually returned she spotted a fox in the garden the next day through the window and froze to the spot trembling with fear.

Foxes are not vermin, they are however naturally curious and playful. Watch SaveAFox on YouTube, she does lots of work with Foxes, they really are rather funny!

@GalaxyCookieCrumble

I'm obsessed with the saveafox videos! I really want my own Finnegan 🦊

Most likely drawn in by the smell of your dog but the tapping at your door is probably the cub trying to paw at its reflection in the glass. I have birds and foxes who play/attack their reflections in my mirror in the garden.

Please don't feed him. My NDN had her little dog killed in front of her in broad daylight by a fox which had lost its instinctive fear of people after being fed by a nearby family.

Please don't feed him. My NDN had her little dog killed in front of her in broad daylight by a fox which had lost its instinctive fear of people after being fed by a nearby family.

This would be very, very unusual.

And remember that some dogs attack other dogs and humans but we don’t see that as a reason to not keep dogs as pets. So this wouldn’t be a reason for everyone to not feed foxes in my opinion.

It’s clear that there’s some very ignorant people on this thread talking absolute rubbish. 🙄

We’re in the grips of a true shitshow of a pandemic, directly caused by humans interacting with wild animals in a way nature never intended.

...and yet here you find a thread in which people think it’s a good idea to actively encourage wild animals Into the environment now inhabited by humans?

Has this year really taught you nothing about appropriate boundaries with wildlife?

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze

Please don't feed him. My NDN had her little dog killed in front of her in broad daylight by a fox which had lost its instinctive fear of people after being fed by a nearby family.

This would be very, very unusual.

And remember that some dogs attack other dogs and humans but we don’t see that as a reason to not keep dogs as pets. So this wouldn’t be a reason for everyone to not feed foxes in my opinion.

Daylight fox attacks are very common . Ask anyone who has ever kept any form of livestock.

Never feed a wild animal.

Don't encourage him in any way!

Daylight fox attacks are very common . Ask anyone who has ever kept any form of livestock.

It’s not common for foxes to attack dogs !

Never feed a wild animal.

I’ll do what I like and what local sanctuaries advise, but thanks for your concern.

NikeDeLaSwoosh

Lol. I don’t eat foxes or any other animal for that matter. I practise good hygiene so I should be ok. 🙄 Nice try though. 🤣

Sweet it may be but I wouldn't feed them. You might end up with more than your bargained for and your neighbours may not appreciate it either!

I don’t know about feeding him but please can we have a picture?! I LOVE a fox cub 🦊

@GeidiPrimes

This is what I miss about living in London - I live in the countryside now and only see one streaking across the fields once in a blue moon. I used to love watching them climbing about, agile like cats. I was walking through Poplar one night and I saw a fox waiting at the zebra crossing, McDonalds bag in mouth, which tickled me.

That's hilarious!

I'll call our local Wildlife org, see what they say.