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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be so upset to be told a near neighbour has just tried to poison our fox?

118 replies

tinalane · 28/12/2009 12:28

We have a local fox & one of the things that makes DP happy is to spot the fox out the window, walking about at night.

A neighbour has JUST THIS MINUTE been walking about unannounced in the back garden & told me that something just got his chickens, so he put some meat down with poison & was looking to see if he's killed it.

(weep)

Why didn't he put better fences up???

Why did he have to poison what makes DP & me happy?

I said he'd better put better fences up then & closed the door before I cried or said something I'd regret.

I don't want his chickens hurt either but he seemed so sadistic it was horrible.

(shaking)

What if poor DP find out? How horrible!

OP posts:

ScreaminEagle · 28/12/2009 14:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

VicarInaTinselTuTu · 28/12/2009 15:08

YANBU at all.

id do what screamin suggests above. id also tell the fecker that if he comes into your garden again to put down poison youll have his nasty arse for trespass. some people are such bastards. if he chooses to keep chickens he needs to enclose them properly.

Pannacotta · 28/12/2009 15:10

It's illegal (and wildy stupid and irresponsible) to leave posion down for foxes.
I have a friend whose kitten died from eating rat poison. He said it was awful, a really painful and agonising death, the vet was unable to save her.
I know other people whose cats have died after eating poison presumably left for rats or foxes.
YANBU and I would ask your neighbour to remove the poison or tell him you will call the council/RSPCA.

DoesntTheTurkeyDragOn · 28/12/2009 15:13

I thought he was looking for a dead fox in the OPs garden, not that he'd put the poison in there.

Foxes had a neighbours cat. Left nothing but the tail.

Do you feed the fox?

edam · 28/12/2009 15:26

There's some dodgy logic going on here.

A. People eat chickens
B. Foxes eat chickens
C. People keep chickens and get upset when they are killed.

Doesn't really add up, does it?

Neither fox nor human killing chickens is morally superior to the other. And I doubt the distinction is particularly interesting to the chicken. If anything, people are worse as they have a choice.

All this exaggerated hatred of foxes is ludicrous - yes, so they make a mess when they kill chickens. That's because they are wild animals who don't have access to slaughterhouses (and tbh slaugherhouses aren't particularly nice places either).

DoesntTheTurkeyDragOn · 28/12/2009 15:34

You wouldn't have a problem with a fox eating what is essentially a pet then?

Missus84 · 28/12/2009 16:15

A chicken is a possession - surely people are upset about foxes killing chickens because they are worth something to them, either financially, as a food-producer, or as a pet.

ijustwanttoaskaquestion · 28/12/2009 16:49

YANBU, although i suppose he has a right to protect his chickens, poison is not the way to go - what about local cats? or will he put a sign on the poisoned meat in cat language warning them not to eat it? I'd report him, im not sure he is acting within the law

mayorquimby · 28/12/2009 17:20

if it's your fox keep it out of his garden,simple.

ijustwanttoaskaquestion · 28/12/2009 17:26

Is it just me and the OP who think that foxes are amazing animals. More genetically akin to cats than dogs apparently. ~I was walking through the alley to pick up DD the other day and an enormous fox appeared from under a fence, saw me and froze, we were stood looking at each other for about a minute - he was beautiful. Mind, a couple of days later, walking through the same alley, there was a huge chicken up on the fence so figured thats what he was doing there. They go with the territory of chicken keeping - tell the guy with the chickens to get a dog, or at least some lion poo (from the zoo) as we had a dog and i had two rabbits who lived out in my garden, no hutch (they abandoned them, we just left the doors open) we had the bunnies for about 7 years in total an never visited by foxes.

mayorquimby · 28/12/2009 17:30

no i love foxes and they're plenty of urban foxes around here that i think it's great spotting. But i understand the need for some people to protect their live-stock and also that they are a pest to some people.

ijustwanttoaskaquestion · 28/12/2009 17:33

i totally agree mayor, i dont think it is actually the OPs fox though, just an affectionate term. However, i do disagree with poisoning, when i worked as a vet nurse i saw the results of too many times Of course if the foxes weren't forced into the towns by the red coat brigade...............but then thats a whole different can of worms.

Milliways · 28/12/2009 17:48

We have a fox that sunbathes in our garden (when dog is indoors) and we had a 3 legged fox that could still scale the 6ft fences!

I like to watch them, but was concerned when I found one neighbour was feding them dog food. I hate the mess they leave.

Poison should not be left though - cats etc will get it. And WAS he in YOUR garden??

Mishy1234 · 28/12/2009 17:54

YANBU to be upset if it's something you and your DP get pleasure out of seeing.

However, foxes are generally viewed as vermin by people who keep chickens etc. Your neighbour should be aware that killing this particular fox will not solve his problem. Another fox will just take it's place. It's his responsibility to ensure his chickens are protected in a safe enclosure, as it's the only sure way to stop a fox.

tethersjinglebellend · 28/12/2009 17:55

As an aside, does anyone know how to get rid of foxes (save poisoning )?

I have at least one living in my garden, which was really overgrown when we moved in. I need to get rid of it; yet the RSPCA won't touch it, ditto the council and the housing association.

Any ideas?

ReindeerInaSkoda · 28/12/2009 18:00

YANBU. Quite apart from the fact than another animal is likely to scoff the poison, get rid of one fox and another takes it's place.

There's no bleeding point, basically (and I get this information from a billionth generation farmer). Proper fencing is the way forward apparently.

DoesntTheTurkeyDragOn · 28/12/2009 18:01

I'm p*ssed off with the foxes chewing anything that gets left in the garden. Hose, toys, shoes... and let's not forget the unbelievably smelly fox poo.

LadyBiscuit · 28/12/2009 18:02

Foxes are out of control in our towns and cities, they have natural predators and are a source of disease and infection, not to mention causing a health hazard by dragging animal waste out of bins. I daresay you'd love them a lot less if you had to clear up as many nappies and carcasses as I do that they've dragged out of bins and strewn all over my garden and path. It's revolting

YANBU to be upset but YABU to consider the fox 'yours' - it's a wild animal. You have no more rights over it than your neighbour does although I think poisoning is completely inhumane.

ZuzuandZara · 28/12/2009 19:19

Tethersjinglebellend the only way to get rid of a fox (imo) is to kill it (not poisoning!!) using a pest control company. You cannot relocate a fox ie get RSPCA or someone to trap and move it as they are such territorial animals you can't just move them to another area and hope they'll get on with existing foxes iyswim. However, if you have one fox in your garden, chances are you'll have more as they live in family groups. They love overgrown gardens to live in, under summer houses, sheds, decking etc so you need a 'clean/tidy' garden to deter them. Bearing in mind it's just coming in to fox breeding season (their cubs will be born Jan/Feb) I'm not sure if they are protected at all at this time of year. I would seek advice from decent pest control company. Do you really need to get rid?

cornsilkcremeeggspotter · 28/12/2009 19:25

I had one in my garden. You need to move all the stuff away from around it's den and it will move very quickly.

Goober · 28/12/2009 19:25

YABU

I am your neighbour!

poinsettydawg · 28/12/2009 19:25

yanbu

If people want to fanny about keeping chickens, they have to accept they might get chomped by foxes and skulking about poisoning potentially every living thing within a 2 mile radius is not a sensible option.

I'd tell him you'll report him if he doesn't develop a few shreds of sense and sensibility pretty damn quickly.

edam · 28/12/2009 19:26

DragOn, of course I'd be devastated if a fox killed my pet. But I wouldn't be stupid enough to blame the fox for existing.

Human beings do far more damage to the animal kingdom than foxes - they have never driven another species to extinction. Bit rich for us humans to slag them off!

Vallhala · 28/12/2009 20:18

Well said edam.

I'd happily advocate poisoning the neighbour personally. Or how about Bernard Matthews instead. After all, he's responsible for far more poultry deaths than any fox and you know what they say about sauce for the goose....

edam · 28/12/2009 20:20

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