Foxes under cabin in our garden - how dangerous are they? And how do we get rid of them??

[loveyouradvice]

Hi

A pair of foxes have managed to dig through the chicken wire and are happily ensconced in the large empty space beneath our cabin (built like this to protect our three poplar trees).

Two questions

1. How dangerous are they to our little dachshund who loves going down to the end of the garden?
2. How do we get rid of them?? (Then we'll install more robust chicken wire defences so they can't come back)

And when I say get rid of them I only mean move them on, so that the end of our garden doesn't become "their territory" to protect.

Thanks!

Is this a cabin you would like to use yourself? As I'm not sure I'd happily give it over to local wildlife, who might not not want share.
Some people have very large gardens if you can section some of it off for foxes!

@loveyouradvice I really like your calm, measured approach, and that of the majority of other posters on this thread.

It sounds like you may have a wonderful opportunity to watch a family of fox cubs being raised in your garden and I'm very envious. I mentioned cub season earlier on the thread and you're right that it usually happens in springtime (March/April) but there are outliers (cubs have been found as early as the start of Feb) and more of these are expected this year because of the warm weather before Christmas. Fox/wildlife charities are already preparing for an early influx of cubs.

I actually volunteer in the intensive care unit of a fox charity and it's incredibly rewarding - and heartbreaking at times. They are such smart animals, very curious and incredibly likeable. Seeing them up close and personal is a real treat as most people only get a glimpse of them. I just want to reassure you that you have nothing to fear. I've never been bitten in years of working closely with them nor have I caught any illnesses (had to pick off lots of fleas and ticks from them though). I've cleaned up more fox poo than bears thinking about (and have occasionally arrived home with it in my hair). Your little dog will be fine as long as he/she doesn't go looking for trouble. The foxes won't attack but they will defend themselves if they have to, especially if there are cubs. I've treated many foxes that are victims of dog attacks as sadly these are all too common.

If you need any advice or support, please don't hesitate to contact The Fox Project. They are lovely people and widely acknowledged as the UK's foremost experts on wild foxes.

foxproject.org.uk/contact-us/

They might attack if cornered. Otherwise, very unlikely. Given they are far less likely than a dog to attack cats, which tend to be the same size as a small dog:

From www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/urban-fox

Will foxes kill my cat?
It’s possible but very unlikely. A typical urban fox home range can be occupied by upwards of 100 cats, and most of these are out at night. Foxes and cats meet many times every night, and invariably ignore each other. When a fight does break out, it’s often the fox that comes off worse in the encounter.

Will foxes kill my pet rabbit/guinea pig?
Yes, they might if you do not look after it properly. But it’s easy to ensure it is safe; do not leave it out at night, make sure the hutch is securely bolted; and have weld mesh, not chicken wire (which foxes can easily break) on the front. If you take these precautions, there should be little risk.

Even when cornered they are unlikely to attack, only as a very last resort. I write this based on actual experience of cornering foxes (when trying to catch them / pick them up as part of my volunteer work).

SO CAN CATS AND OTHER THINGS

Unlikely though but not a bad idea to keep your dog away in case, we have plenty round here and they dont even bother our cats

Have you got a kimono? Or an idiot neighbour who does?

As well as other comments above, do bear in mind that they may have multiple access tunnels to and from their living space, which may not all lead in to your garden - given that going down burrows is what Dachshunds were born to do, I would be very wary that he can't escape.

Fox mange is also a consideration, along with fleas and ticks ...

We live on a farm, see the cute and the vicious side.

Thanks all... what a very informative thread.... Yes, we do like to use the cabin but really only in the warmer months so I am thinking simple fence for now as our wee dog could well go investigating a step too far, especially if there are cubs.

And then post-cubs, sadly, we will try to make under our cabin, unfriendly to foxes. These are urban foxes and our garden isn't very big, so given everything everyone has sad, I think this is the best solution.

Now going to make triply sure that my wee dachshund is up to date on all jabs etc.... Just to be safe.

And guessing the kimono comment was on the wrong thread? Wonderfully surreal to see that popping up midst everything else.

And guessing the kimono comment was on the wrong thread? Wonderfully surreal to see that popping up midst everything else.

Op Google Maugham fox kimono

Foxes carry mange, fleas and other parasites. I'd want to keep any pet of mine well away from them. We had them a couple of years ago in the narrow bit of no man's land between the fences at the bottom of our garden and the neighbour there. They climbed into my garden, breaking plants and trellis in the process, knocked over (and broke the containers of) all the baby plants that were being hardened off before being planted out and then pooed all over the paved garden So they were unwelcome to say the least. I'd read that male human urine deters them, so that was liberally sprinkled all around the garden and fences wherever I thought that wouldn't stink and be a nuisance. After a few weeks they cleared off, presumably into the nearby woods. Good riddance!

Oh I’m so jealous. I love foxes.

I wouldn’t feel 100% safe having them in my garden with the dogs I have now, but if I didn’t have dogs, I would welcome them happily.

My smallest dog is 2kgs..so very tiny.

My ddog coexisted with foxes for 10 years before moving. Mostly they learn to ignore each other. Mange is the biggest problem, make sure you have regular spot on treatment for your dog .

Now the bigger problem was the badgers, ddog really didn't like them... 3 times I found adolescent males living in my garden (sett was around 200m away on next street)

This is an interesting read from The Fox Project on mange:

foxproject.org.uk/fox-facts/sarcoptic-mange/

My friends dog was attacked the other week, half his ear hanging off. Was awful. Fox at Bo of their field like garden. Keep your little dog on a lead would be my advice

My parents (who live in a town) get lots of foxes in their garden. I think many people put food out for them (including my parents), so while still timid; they will happily sit in the garden waiting for food. And yes, I am well aware that some people think foxes are the devils spawn and you should not feed them, but that is up to my parents and their neighbours.

To get to the point, my parents have two cats. They sit outside with the foxes and watch them. Foxes ignore the cats and have never attacked. Perhaps this is because they are well feed and not starving. It might be a different scenario if the foxes are really hungry and protecting the young.

Get yourself a nice fluffy cat.

I'd be concerned for your wee dog.
My neighbours' dogs got mange from foxes in our suburban gardens.
It cost a lot of money in vet fees.
The vet told me that our small dog was at risk because of the foxes and not to let him out into the garden on his own.

It's interesting reading some of the comments on this thread about how generally foxes will ignore cats/dogs. I have witnessed with my own eyes two foxes chasing after a poor terrified cat outside my flat. I live in a very urban area though, maybe it does just depend on how urban/hungry the foxes are.

This. Please don't harm them.

Fox-a-gon are excellent

However the chances are you will have baby foxes gambolling around before long and they won't do anything until the whole family has moved on.

Be advised that once they've nested once they will come back every year - for many years - so it would be worth getting it fox-proofed by someone like fox-a-gon if you don't fancy it becoming an annual event

We had fox cubs in our garden a few years ago. They were so lovely.

Brilliant!!!

Hi I haven't read the entire thread so apologies if this has already been suggested. We have foxes in our garden, our security cam has even caught them on our patio 2pm in the afternoon.

We tried everything and thing only thing that deters them is male wee. I started with getting ds to wee in the planter the foxes made their bed, but with rain it didn't last so I now leave half filled bottles of male wee slightly tipped so it doesn't fill with rain water around the garden and it definitely deters them. Worth a try and it's free!

The garden is your little dog's natural domain. He should not have to use the garden with a lead on and you should not have to be constantly vigilant in case he gets hurt. They are bigger than him ... and there are two of them ...and that's before they have cubs to protect and feed.
I have nothing against foxes and if I didn't have a small dog I would love to see them in my garden and to enjoy seeing any cubs gambolling about.
I'm on afraid that as I have a small dog I would want to evict them...without harming them ...as soon as possible. Much as I would enjoy them under other circumstances I would be nervous and constantly on the alert if my little dog ventured near in her own garden. I like foxes but the pet I made myself responsible for comes first