what creature eats tulip buds?

[parietal]

I have a bed of tulips coming up - leaves all look fine. but some creature has eaten every flower bud off the top of every plant. you can see a nice clear end to each stem where the flower should be.

I don't think it is slugs because there is no damage to any leaves. And it is not deer when we are in an enclosed London garden.

could it be a fox? a cat? a squirrel? And how do I stop it next year?

That's a coincidence, I've just got in from the garden and noticed that some furry (presumably) bastard has been eating my tulips too. Not all of them, but quite a few. I assumed it might be a squirrel, as I know they eat the bulbs, and a couple of the bulbs have gone as well as some actual flower buds. We have a lot of hedgehogs, but I doubt they could get into the pots.

I spent a bloody fortune on bulbs and pots as well, having visited Keukenhof last spring and fantasised about recreating it in my garden!

I would suggest squirrels. I had one who would brazenly bite off my crocus flowers even though he could see me watching him.

Yes the bastard squirrels have been at mine

Squirrels