The Pet Fox

Reality Check: Foxes and the Law

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:33:00 +0000

Zara, the mate of Valo the fox.

Note: This is the first in a series of posts I'm going to be making as a reality check to potential fox owners--things that must be considered, but time after time I see newbies glossing over or completely ignoring. The tone here might not be friendly and I may come across as heartless, but I only have the best interests of your fox (or potential fox) at heart.

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So, you’ve done all your homework on their needs and care, and you’ve decided that yes, owning foxes is for you. You look up your state laws, and it turns out that they are legal pets in your state! In fact, they even issue permits specifically for foxes! Just sign up for that and you’re in the clear, right?

Not necessarily.

I find a lot of fox owners don’t seem to have a clear grasp of how the law works, and innocent foxes pay the price for it every year. Many people are under the mistaken impression that “State Law” always overrides city or county laws; if the state says it’s okay to have a fox, then it doesn’t matter what the city says. This could not be further from the truth. The reality is that the more restrictive ruling always applies.

If your state says “no”, but your city says “yes”: No, you can’t have a fox.
If your state says “yes”, but your city says “no”: No, you can’t have a fox.

It doesn’t matter if you have a state permit. It doesn’t matter if you’re a nonprofit sanctuary. It doesn't matter if you're inspected and licensed with the USDA. It doesn’t matter how much you love the animal or how good your care is or how responsible you are. If your city has an ordinance against owning foxes, and you buy a fox, you are breaking the law, and you are in the wrong.

To reiterate: if your city has an ordinance against foxes, it doesn't matter if you have a state permit.

It also doesn't matter if the "State Division of Wildlife" or "State Department of Natural Resources" official who issued your permit told you that you are in the clear. Typically that individual only knows what the state laws are; while many do know local laws throughout their districts, not all do. And knowing the local laws is not their responsibility--it's yours.

It's your responsibility to make sure there are no state laws against owning foxes.

It's your responsibility to make sure there are no county laws against owning foxes.

It's your responsibility to make sure that there are no city laws against owning foxes.

The recent case of Valo the fox highlights this. The whole mess could have easily been avoided, as Fairborn OH has all of their ordinances online. A thirty-second google search reveals that Fairborn OH has an ordinance against them, and would have let the owner know not to move there. By taking the word of a state official instead of doing her own homework, the owner unintentionally put her foxes at risk. (A collar or a microchip could also have saved Valo's life, but that's a topic for another article.)

If you fail in your responsibility to make sure you are legally in the clear before obtaining a fox, and your animal is confiscated and/or euthanized because of it, then that animal's death is on your hands. Not the city, not the state, not the county, not the mean government officials who are just doing their jobs by enforcing the law--it is your fault for keeping an illegal animal.

New House!

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 01:56:00 +0000

I know it's been a while since my last update, but things have been a bit hectic. We've moved to a new house, and Gizmo has a new, even bigger outdoor enclosure. He still has all his old toys, plus some fun new ones (like climbing logs!)

The best part about the move, though, is in our new neighborhood he is allowed to go for walks again! Earlier today on our walk, he managed to catch a sparrow that hopped out of a bush right in front of him. Always the gentleman, he saved one of the wings for me.

Now that life has settled down quite a bit, I should be back to updating regularly. Due to an overzealous spam-filter, I lost a lot of my e-mails. However, the problem should be fixed now. If you sent me a message and never got a response, please just drop me a line again at either admin@thepetfox.net or ragtatter@gmail.com.

Of Foxes and Teenagers

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:42:00 +0000

Miehiera the arctic fox.

The following was written by a friend of mine, Alynn, who writes a blog about her fox Miehiera. I get a lot of e-mails from teenagers who love foxes and want to get one for a pet, so I wanted to give you guys the perspective of a teen who has been there and gotten her fox.

Hold off.

I am about the same age as you (I turned 14 this year) and in the same situation. I got my fox the summer that would between my 8th and 9th grade year (I skipped a grade).

To be honest, if I could do it all over I would have waited until I was out on my own or at least had a job. I had to pay for everything, and without a job this was incredibly hard. I am taking her to the vet and spending all my savings to do that just to get her checked up.

I have to rely on my parents a lot for additional expenses and for transportation. Rather than be able to expand her kennel right away, I have to slowly save up. This would be so much easier if I had a job.

I'm a full time college student. I just finished a semester with 14 credit hours.
We have a lot of financial strain that I didn't foresee when we put down the deposit.
None of this I have any control over.

I just really don't have control. I can't go out and just get her more panels. I can't just drive her to the vet if there's a problem. I do get very busy and I have to admit Miehiera does not get as much attention as she deserves.
There's also the problem that I don't know where I'm going to be in the next five years, meanwhile Miehiera is probably going to live for another 15.

I say you need to wait until you're AT LEAST 16 and you can pay for the expense of the fox.
I would not get the fox unless your parents pushed for it first. If your parents are like mine, they're not going to spend the money unless they absolutely need to. You're going to have to pay for everything.

You might be looking at my post and think, "Yeah, I can pay for things! I can handle this!" Well, that's what I thought. I love Miehiera to death, she's my world. Nothing more uplifting than after a long, hard day going outside to see a fox screaming, wiggling, wagging their tail and running all up and down their pen in sheer joy just to see you. However, I have a lot of stress in my life and Miehiera is suffering because she doesn't get the time or the immediate care she deserves. I definitely admit I was not ready for her in hindsight. But I have her now, and by getting her I made her the promise that I would take care of her.

Please, wait until you're at least 16. It would be a lot better if you waited until you're out of college or at least to a point in your life that you know where you're going to be for the next 20 years. I don't know where I'm going to be in five.

I'm not saying it won't work out for you because I am having a hard time, but if you're really determined I would save up at least $5000, not including the expense of the fox itself. The vet bills, the food, the toys, the kennel - it adds up quick and you need money for a rainy day, because things do come up.

If you REALLY want to work with foxes, I would recommend finding a sanctuary with foxes. That will give you invaluable experience. You may even be able to find fox owners near you, or find a breeder. Find an exotic vet to volunteer for. There are lots of zoos that will have summer camps for kids your age. I found one here in Michigan, I think you could find one in Lousiana. I even believe that going to an exotic animal swap meet/auction (I think there is one in Lousiana) you can see some foxes and perhaps talk to breeders.

I spent a year researching, saving and so on and that didn't even prepare me totally!
I do take good care of my girl and love her to death, even if she doesn't get all the attention she deserves. For her sake and mine though, I wish I had waited until I was absolutely sure of where I was going to be in the next 10 years.

If you have to get a permit, that can be tricky too. Because I am not old enough to own an animal, legally Miehiera belongs to my father. All of her health records and documentation is in my name. This was confusing to work out with my breeder and my vet. And if anything ever happens to cause us to get in trouble with the law (say, she bites someone, which I don't allow her to be visited by many people anyway), my dad's head is the one on the table. I legally can not take responsibility and that bothers me. If you get a permit, your parents are going to have to be the ones to apply for it. It's really frustrating to have to have someone represent you like that, and it's best to wait until you're old enough to take direct responsibility for the animal itself.

Overall, unless your parents really want the fox too and are willing to pay for every expense and help you care for it, I wouldn't go for it. Spend the next couple of years getting experience, mulling things over and saving up money.

Pet Fox Enclosures: Fencing

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:33:00 +0000

As a small forward, sorry for this post being so late. We're in the middle of a major move, and I haven't had time to update.

After you have the location and flooring decided, the next major component of a fox enclosure are the walls. Any material that is safe and strong enough to keep the fox in (and curious or malicious strangers out) will do, though some work better than others. The enclosure should also be tall enough for you to enter and exit easily.

One of the best enclosure wall designs are large, bolted-together panels. They're strong, made of fox-safe material, weather-resistant, and very easy for one person to take apart and re-assemble. Due to their modular design, it's very easy to move or alter your enclosure if you need to. The same panels can be used for flooring under a layer of mulch, and for an escape-proof roof. This is what I made both Gizmo's indoor play-pen and outdoor play-yard out of, and I have never had an escape or injury.

One such kennel set can be purchased here. Please note that if you do go this route, you will need to buy several of the sets to make an enclosure big enough. Also keep in mind that the roof that comes with the kennel set is not sufficient to keep a fox enclosed. To create a minimum 10' by 10' enclosure for one fox, using panels for both flooring and roofing, you will need to purchase 3 sets.

Another alternative is to use chain link fencing for an enclosure perimeter. This is a cheaper option, though they are generally less portable and more difficult to construct, so keep that in mind. They do manufacture chain link 'dog kennel' sets similar to the metal panels I described above, but buyer beware. Some sets come with rounded doors on them as opposed to squared-off ones. Your fox may try to escape through this "corner" and get caught--I know of at least one dog who suffocated this way. If you do go with chain link, find a set with a door that closes flush with it's frame.

I would advise against using wood to build fox enclosure walls. To be safe for the fox (they chew everything), the wood would have to be untreated, and untreated wood for an outdoor enclosure would have a relatively short lifespan. Once it starts to weaken and rot, it becomes both and escape and a splinter hazard.

Pet Fox Enclosures: Flooring

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:48:00 +0000

Special care must be taken when deciding what sort of flooring to use in your fox's outdoor enclosure. They are natural diggers, so it is up to you to make sure that they do not dig out. Don't assume you'll be able to catch them at it or spot any holes before they get big enough to escape through.

For a non-portable, permanent enclosure, I have heard of some people using a poured concrete floor. If you do choose to go this route, be sure to account for drainage or your enclosure will quickly become a swamp. Concrete can be very rough on a pet fox's paw pads, so plan to cover it in either dirt, mulch, or some other soft "diggable" substrate.

Another common and highly effective floor strategy is to bury chainlink or similar fencing under a thick layer of mulch. This allows for great drainage, but also prevents dig-outs and escapes. There are many variations on this theme that can be explored--for Gizmo's outdoor enclosure, we have buried heavy paving stones under a thick layer of dirt and mulch to prevent dig-outs. This leads to a more natural look when he does happen to dig deep enough to uncover one. If stones are used, they need to be spaced very closely together to prevent the fox from digging between them.

For the mulch covering, it's best to use natural, untreated mulch spread in a very thick layer over the entire area. Treated mulch can have questionable dyes or pesticides meant to discourage termites in them--not something you want to expose your pet fox to. I also strongly advise against using any of the new "rubber mulches" that have come out. Yes, they're long lasting. Yes, they look great. But they're also made out of the same material as most dog toys. By now, your fox has likely come to view rubber as something to put in his mouth and play with, and a swallowed rubber mulch chip can lead to blockages or worse.

Be sure to come back next week for more information on designing the ideal enclosure for your pet fox!

Pet Fox Enclosures: Choosing The Location

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The first two things to consider when building a fox enclosure are size and location. For a red fox, an absolute minimum of 100 square feet is needed. If multiple foxes are to be kept in the same enclosure, start with a base of 100 square feet, and then add an additional 50 square feet for each fox in the enclosure (so an enclosure to keep 3 foxes should be a minimum of 250 square feet.) Keep in mind that these are the absolute minimums. If at all possible, your fox’s outdoor enclosure should be much bigger. The more room you can give them while keeping them safe and secure, the happier they will be.

The enclosure should be in a safe location. Ideally, it should be protected by a privacy fence, and invisible from the road, to discourage curious passerby or those with bad intentions. Inspect the area you’re considering turning into a pen. Avoid marshy ground or standing pools of water, as these indicate drainage issues that will not be easy to fix. If you build the enclosure on a slope, keep in mind that foxes love to dig in well-drained, sloped soil, so you will need to take even more precautions against dig outs.

The last thing you need to consider about location is exposure. Your pet will need to be sheltered from the elements. Consider if your chosen location has a windbreak and a source of shade; if either of these things is lacking, you will need to come up with a means of providing them.

Now that you’ve got your location picked out, it’s time to build! Be sure to come back next week when I start to discuss the actual construction of the enclosure.

Pet Fox Enclosures: Why You Need An Outdoor Enclosure

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

“Do I really need an outdoor enclosure for a pet fox?” I get this question quite a bit from potential fox owners, and the answer is always the same. Yes, yes you definitely do. Having an outside area for your fox to safely play is as important as feeding them.

Foxes are extremely high-energy, intelligent animals, so they need a lot of physical exercise and mental stimulation. Having an outdoor enclosure helps to work their muscles as they climb and explore, gives them a wide variety of mental stimulation, and perhaps most importantly, gives them exposure to sunshine and outdoor air.

Furthermore, you cannot leave a pet fox unattended in your house. If they are not contained, they need constant supervision. Obviously, you cannot watch your pet 24/7, so you need to have a place you can contain them when you can’t keep an eye on them. A well-built enclosure gives your pet an exciting, engaging place to play and relax when you can’t be there to keep an eye on them. Otherwise, you need to lock them up in a dog crate, or allow them to destroy your house. In that case, neither you nor the fox wins.

Fortunately, a good enclosure isn’t difficult to design or construct. Over the next few weeks, I will be publishing a series of articles on the construction of high-quality enclosures to keep both you and your fox happy.

Pet Fox Behavior: The October Crazies

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This is a warning for those of you with new foxes.

A lot of you brought home a fox this spring, and are by now head-over-heels in love with your affectionate little ball of fur. He or she is clever, inquisitive, lovable, and all the things you had hoped for. Perhaps you still have a bit of a problem with food aggression, or using the litter box, but overall things are moving forward at a good clip and you're feeling confident.

There's good news and bad news. The good news is, yes, you are doing well and your fox is shaping up to be a fine animal. The bad news is, the October Crazies will soon be upon us.

During a kit's first fall (Usually in October, but it can be as early as August or as late as November), they go through a series of temperament changes. These changes are temporary, but very dramatic. The kit becomes aggressive, fearful, hyperactive, destructive, nippy, and prone to frustrated tantrums. It will seem as if you have lost all progress with them, but it's important to remember that this is a temporary phase. You may feel like you've done something horribly wrong in raising your kit, or be worried that there is something terribly wrong with them, or think that you're not cut out to keep a fox. Don't worry, this is a normal part of your kits development, and it only happens the first year.

So what causes the Crazies? In the wild, this is the time that your kit would be driven away by it's parents to fend for itself. Other foxes, meanwhile, have no desire to let these young intruders into their territory, so they attack and drive off the newcomers. The kits have to struggle to establish their own territory and fend for themselves. Their hormones kick into high gear, so at the same time they're fighting to carve out a place in the world, they're dealing with internal chemistry they've never had before. The fear and aggression you see in your pet is a remnant of this--as their surrogate "parent", they are concerned that you are going to attack them and drive them away.

The key to surviving the October Crazies is to stay consistent with your training, be patient, and above all remember that this is only a phase. By the time your kit reaches one year of age (usually considerably earlier. Gizmo was back to normal by mid November), they will have settled back into being a reasonable animal again. The hormonal effects die down as the fox gets more used to them, and they start to realize that you're not going to bite them and chase them away. It'll be hard to believe that the temperamental monster you had in October is the sweet pet you have curled up in your lap in January.

Choosing a Fox: What Species Is Best?

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:37:00 +0000

What species of fox makes the best pet? The answer depends as much on the owner as it does on the fox. As with breeds of dogs, there is no one "best" species of fox, only foxes with differing traits and needs. However, to make things a little more clear, I will offer a comparison on the different species to the best of my knowledge. In the interest of full disclosure, I have only personally owned reds, so I can only pass along what I've heard from the owners of other species.

Reds tend to have more laid-back and doglike personalities than the other species do (given how hyper Gizmo is, I hate to think what the -not- laid-back species are like.) The main downside to reds is their size (large compared to the other species; I know of a domestic red that's 25 lbs and not fat) and that they are one of the stinkier species.

Next up are Arctic foxes. I have heard more reports of aggressive behavior about young arctics than any other species; if I get an e-mail in my inbox saying "help! My fox kit is biting and I don't know how to make her stop", 9/10 times it's an arctic kit. I don't know if this is a specific stage that arctic kits go through, or if the aggression persists into adulthood. If anyone has more information on the temperaments of adult arctics, please let me know. However, if you are considering bringing home an arctic, it is worth noting that arctics are more temperature-sensitive than other species, so you'll need to make special arrangements for them in the summer to be sure they don't overheat. Arctics are also relatively strong smelling, from what I've heard.

As for fennecs, they tend to be a bit easier for new fox owners to handle because they are so small. 3 lbs of fennec is a lot less intimidating than 17 lbs of red fox. However, I have also heard that they are the most temperamental species, and have the biggest personality change as they get older. (They are also incredibly noisy. Not sure I could deal with this every morning.)

The remaining three species you can find in the pet trade are grey foxes, swift foxes, and corsac foxes. From what I've heard, all three are relatively well-suited to be pets. They're not as big or smelly as reds are, and aren't as high-strung as fennecs. I'll admit that I haven't personally kept any of these species, but I have heard nothing but good things about them. The breeder who I purchased Gizmo from has said that greys are her personal favorite.

More important than species, though, is that you get a bottle-raised kit. They need to be pulled from the mother before three weeks of age and bottle-fed by humans to imprint them on humans. Otherwise they will never be quite as tame or as friendly. For your first pet fox, it is very important that you get one from a breeder who bottle feeds.

Announcement: New Pet Fox Forum!

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:08:00 +0000

I am officially opening a forum for those who either have pet foxes, or are interested in getting one in the future! Feel free to join and ask questions, chat about foxes, or just hang out! I will be paying it a visit daily, so this will be one of the better ways to contact me.

I hope to see you there!
Click here to visit the forums!

Choosing A Fox: Male or Female?

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:11:00 +0000

A very common question I get asked by prospective owners is whether it is better to buy a tod (male fox) or a vixen (female fox). Before I continue, I just want to make a note that this is all second-hand information. I have never owned a vixen, so I cannot speak from personal experience on the matter.

Here is the gender debate in a nutshell: It is commonly said of foxes (particularly the smaller species) that tods make better pets than vixens and are more sociable. Another reason cited is that tods are much easier to potty-train than vixens are. However, tods are more likely to turn aggressive as they mature, have a stronger smell to them, and are more likely to hump things than vixens are.

Another common theory is that it's best to get a fox that is the opposite gender from the owner, so a man should buy a vixen, and a woman should buy a tod. This theory is based on the social structure of foxes in the wild. Foxes most commonly live in pairs (one tod, one vixen), or skulks (one tod, several related vixens). When you bring a fox into your home, your family becomes it's surrogate skulk. So a tod will view a man as an intruding tod, and a vixen will view a woman as competition in the pecking order.

This concept may have some merit to it, as Gizmo tends to be much friendlier towards women than men, but that could also be explained by the fact that my mother and I spend much more time playing with him than anyone else, so he's more used to women.

While there are a lot of opinions on this matter, remember that gender only plays a small role in your fox's personality, and other factors (such as overall health) should be much more important in making your decision about which fox is best for you. Pick a healthy, social, friendly kit first, and check out it's plumbing later.

Ban on exotic-animal sales to expire

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:15:00 +0000

A statewide ban on buying or selling exotic animals issued by Gov. Ted Strickland will be allowed to expire by his successor.
Gov. John Kasich's administration confirmed yesterday that he will not renew the 90-day order signed Jan.6 by Strickland just before he left office.

Ban on exotic-animal sales to expire | Columbus Dispatch Politics

Just a heads up, guys! We won this round! Thank you to everyone who worked hard to protect the rights of exotic animal owners, and a BIG thank you to Gov. Kasich for listening to us.

Pet Fox Enclosures: Do Invisible Fences Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:28:00 +0000

I've been asked about invisible fencing a few times by prospective fox-owners, and I wanted to go ahead and make a post explaining my views on them.

Many people seem to think that the jolt of an invisible fence is really quite painful--I've even heard an individual say it's like Nazi torture. This isn't even close to being true. Actually, the shock isn't painful at all. My dog uses an invisible fence, and before I put the collar on her, I put it on myself and walked up to the fence on all fours just to see how painful the shock was. It didn't hurt at all--it more startles you than anything else.

The purpose of the shock isn't to cause pain. It's to get the dogs attention. An aversive "redirect", if you will.

Also, a tone sounds when the dog gets near the fence--it's only if the dog continues to approach too closely that they get the minor jolt. With the proper training, the dog quickly learns to stop going when they hear the tone. Most dogs, once trained, rarely (if ever) get shocked.

Invisible fences aren't cruel or painful--so long as they are used properly and you give your dog the correct training instead of just throwing the collar on them and dumping them in the yard.

For foxes, however, the situation is a little different. Invisible fences are not, and should not be used as, an effective confinement system for a fox.

With dogs, we have thousands of years of experience with training them as a whole, and pretty much have it down to a science which techniques will work most of the time. With any decent invisible fence system, they will include a video showing you step-by-step how to train the dog to respond to it appropriately.

Foxes, on the other hand, are "wired" quite differently than dogs. They don't respond to stimuli and training in the same ways (in fact, I've found that using the techniques I trained my cats with for Gizmo is often more effective than the techniques I used to train my dog.)

One problem I can see is the response to the shock. A dog gets the mild shock, and thinks "Huh? Whazzat? I didn't like that." due to heavy domestication. A fox gets a mild shock and thinks "OH MY GOD SOMETHING JUST HAPPENED AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!" Although tame, they've still got quite a bit of wildness left in them, and they instinctively are more likely to respond to something novel with fear. I could very easily see a fox responding to the mild zap with panic and running as far and as hard as they can to get away from the "bad thing". Training them to respond to the fence and the tone would be exceedingly difficult.

Not to mention the fact that very clever dogs can figure out ways past the system, and I think that just about any given fox is as smart as a very clever dog. For example, a friend's doberman figured out that if he laid down where he could hear the tone, but not feel the shock, that the collar's battery would wear out and he could escape without being zapped.

I'm not suggesting he reasoned this out. I'm certain it was an accidental discovery. Still, once he had figured out that if he laid there long enough, the "Don't Go Any Farther" tone would stop, and he could escape, it was very difficult to break him of it. And if foxes are masters of anything, it's trial and error, so there's no doubt in my mind that a fox could learn this trick very quickly.

In summary: Save the invisible fencing for your dog; use actual, physical fencing (buried deep to prevent digging and have some means of preventing scaling the top) for your fox.

Fight for Ohio Animal Owners' Rights (Part II)

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:46:00 +0000

Relaying along more information on how to help! This fight isn't over yet; we all need to work together to protect our pets and our businesses.

First of all, thanks to everyone who's called/emailed/sent letters regarding Emergency Rule 1501:31-19-05 currently in place in Ohio; also, thanks to everyone who's contacted us to be added to the List of Opposition. The encouraging news is, we are making some progress. On Tuesday of this week, the Governor's office instructed the ODNR *not* to file the permanent rule which the ODNR was planning to file with JCARR that day. Before anybody gets too excited about that -- it doesn't mean we've won. It does, however, mean the Governor is listening to our concerns, which is what we asked him to do.

The next order of business is for everyone to get on the ODNR website and enter your comments on this rule (refer to my earlier emails if you need suggestions on what to say). Again, be polite but firm. If the rule directly affects you or your business, explain that; if you don't live in Ohio but do business in Ohio, explain that. If it affects you as a non-commercial owner, explain that. The website address is:

http://ohiodnr.com/tabid/23166/Default.aspx

When you go to the website, you will see ODNR's "official position" at this time.

We cannot afford to let up; we must keep the pressure on. If you haven't called or emailed the Governor's office yet, please do so immediately. The person to contact in the Governor's Office of Constituent Affairs is:

Michael DuChesne (pronounced Doo-Shay)
Phone: (614) 644-0829
email: michael.duchesne@governor.ohio.gov

An Update!

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:36:00 +0000

Tickles make for great snapshots.

Hello everyone! I just wanted to post a quick update apologizing for the hiatus, and letting you all know that Gizmo is still alive and well and ornery as ever.

I have been swamped with both school and work, so even though I have some more stories and advice to share, I haven't gotten a chance to get it all written out into coherent posts yet. Don't worry, though, they're coming.

We also purchased two new puppies at the beginning of December. Gizmo is of the firm opinion that we got them just to make him sad.

I hope you all are having a great year so far, and good luck with those New Year's Resolutions!

Playing Or Teasing? Know The Difference

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Someone I know was recently laughing about how they play "tug-o-war" with their new sugar glider and carrots. I got to witness one such "game." The glider was chattering angrily as it pulled on the carrot, and was very visibly agitated. To the animal, it wasn't a game.

The owner meant well, and no physical harm was done to the glider, but I suspect he has no idea how much damage he was doing to the animal's trust of him. Some people just don't have a firm grasp on the difference between playing with an animal and teasing an animal.

Being teased is not good for any animal, but is especially bad for more exotic pets like foxes or sugar gliders. These animals don't have the inborn trust of humans that many cats and dogs have; they must learn to trust us, and teasing them works against that.

The difference between teasing and play can vary from animal to animal; one cat might enjoy chasing a laser pointer, while another simply gets paranoid and agitated by it. (I have two of each sort of cat, actually.) So while a game of "chase the red dot" is fantastic exercise for the cat that enjoys it, it is not an appropriate game for the cat that is upset by it.

There is one very easy rule of thumb to determine whether an activity is play or torment:

If the animal isn't having fun, it's not a game.

Does the animal seek out the interaction? A good example of this is when I play with Gizmo's squeaky balls. I grab one of his toys, and he makes a lot of noise and dramatic attempts to get it away from me. I throw it for him, and as he's dashing after it, I get a hold of another one of his toys, and the cycle starts all over again. I don't play "keep-away" with any of his toys for more than a minute or so, and at the end of the game he still gets all of them.

It would be very easy to assume that I'm teasing him with his toys, but Gizmo will frequently initiate this game by walking up and handing me a ball, and then trying to get it back. If in the middle of the game, I quit snatching new toys to play keep-away with, he will start piling his toys up next to me. The fox clearly enjoys "winning" toys back that I stole from him, and it's good exercise for us both.

At the other end of the spectrum with him is tug-o-war. Gizmo gets VERY upset during games of tug-o-war, they generally end with him taking the rope, running to a corner of his pen, shrieking to warn everyone away and peeing on it to make it CLEAR that that is his rope and we're not to touch it. Lots of animals really enjoy a game of tug-o-war, but Gizmo is not one of them.

All in all, you have to know your animal. Watch what makes them happy, and what makes them upset. And if something makes them upset in play, don't do it again or you risk destroying the trust you had to work so hard to build up.

Fox Body Language: Watch The Whiskers

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Whiskers bristled forward can be a sign of interest.

A huge part of keeping foxes as pets, is being able to read and understand their vocalizations and body language. It's important not only that you be able to communicate with your pet, but that you are able to read the signals it's sending you about it's health and mental state.

Having a good knowledge of canine body language is generally a great help in understanding foxes. While not all fox signals are the same as dog signals, there is enough of a similarity to allow you to learn quickly if you're used to dogs.

One very important signal, however, that I have not seen discussed much in regards to foxes is the position of the whiskers.

By watching what your pet fox does with his whiskers in different contexts, you can use them (along with the rest of his body language) to very accurately read his mood and intentions. For example, Gizmo often bristles his whiskers forward when he is very interested in an object, or ready to pounce. If I'm drumming my fingers on the table, and Gizmo freezes, stares at my hand, and raises his whiskers, I know I have about two seconds to stop that or he's going to pounce my hand.

On the other hand, if Gizmo is defending a new toy, he will also raise his whiskers along with other defensive signals (gekkering, pinning it beneath his forepaws, hip-slams, etc.) The important thing isn't just the way the whiskers are being held, but the context.

As a very rough, general rule, raised or bristling whiskers are a sign of a more excited or agitated mental state, while whiskers laid smooth against the muzzle indicate a calmer more relaxed fox. Watch your pet fox's whiskers, and learn to read them like you read the ears and tail! Every little body language cue you pay attention to and master will help you in understanding your fox.

I've had a bit of a schedule change, so The Pet Fox will be updated on Tuesday and Thursday for now (and, of course, Photo Of The Week each Saturday). Come back next Tuesday, when I'll be discussing the difference between playing and teasing.

Pet Fox Stories: Pancake Goblins

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:13:00 +0000

This morning, in addition to his regular food, I gave Gizmo two small pancakes. Pancakes are by FAR his favorite food; he's the only canine I've ever met who will ignore bacon to eat pancakes. Well, he scooped up the pancakes out of the bowl, squealed in excitement, then ran and stashed them inside his play tunnel. He also put a tennis ball on top of them to "bury" them so I wouldn't see them.

He then wolfed down his breakfast burger, picked up the empty dish, and carried it to me, making his best little sobbing noises. Pancake Goblins had stolen his pancakes out of the dish, so I should totally give him two MORE pancakes to make up for it.

I entered the pen, and pointed out his "hidden" pancakes. He responded by gekkering at me, scooped up the pancakes, "hid" them again (in the corner behind his litterbox this time), and then once again brought me the empty bowl and looked his most pathetic.

Photo of the Week: 8/28/2010

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:41:00 +0000

silver fox kit, originally uploaded by matt knoth.

This photo of the week is a picture taken by Matt Knoth of a young silver fox on the road. I just love the contrast of textures in it!

Fox Food Recipe: Recovery Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:30:00 +0000

There are many excellent home made diets out there for dogs and cats, but they suffer from one main problem when it comes to feeding your pet fox--they were designed for dogs and cats. I was unable to find any home made diets specifically made to meet a pet fox's needs, so I did a great deal of research and created my own.
This diet was carefully formulated for Gizmo, based on recommendations from Nutrient Requirements of Mink and Foxes: Second Revised Edition. Food nutritional values were taken from USDA National Nutrient Database. This diet has been a staple for Gizmo for the past two years, and he is in perfect health and at his ideal weight.

This diet is intended for foxes who have packed on a few pounds and need to slim down, or for animals that are unable to maintain a high level of activity (i.e. injured, not allowed to be taken on walks, etc.) It is as nutritionally complete, and offers roughly the same amount of “bulk”, as the Maintenance Diet, so the fox doesn’t think he’s not getting enough. Portions given are for a medium-to-large male fox (12-to-15 lbs). Smaller foxes will need to have their portions adjusted accordingly, and intact females will have different dietary needs depending on the time of year.

So, without further ado...

Recovery Diet for Red Foxes

1 lb ground turkey, raw
2 lbs ground chicken, raw
2 cups rolled oats, cooked
3 chopped hardboiled eggs
3 powdered eggshells
150g boneless pink salmon, cooked.
450g green beans, cooked. (If you use canned, choose "no salt added")
200g minced clams, cooked.
1 tsp Wheat Germ Oil
1 tsp Anise Seed (Optional, but Gizmo loves it)

Mix it all together evenly. Makes 16 portions. As this diet contains raw meat, it should be kept frozen, and thawed out only as needed.

A large male fox will generally eat 2 portions a day (Sometimes 3 if he’s been very active that day or it’s cold, or only 1 if he’s been laying around and it’s hot out). Only offer 1 portion at a time, or they have a tendency to eat half then hide the rest for later.

If the fox seems to be intentionally eating “around” the oats, blenderize the salmon or green beans until liquid and add to the oatmeal before cooking. This will flavor the oatmeal and make it much more appealing.

Fox Food Recipe: Maintenance Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:30:00 +0000

There are many excellent home made diets out there for dogs and cats, but they suffer from one main problem when it comes to feeding your pet fox--they were designed for dogs and cats. I was unable to find any home made diets specifically made to meet a pet fox's needs, so I did a great deal of research and created my own.
This diet was carefully formulated for Gizmo, based on recommendations from Nutrient Requirements of Mink and Foxes: Second Revised Edition. Food nutritional values were taken from USDA National Nutrient Database. This diet has been a staple for Gizmo for the past two years, and he is in perfect health and at his ideal weight.

This is intended as a maintenance diet for an active, adult red fox. Portions given are for a medium-to-large male fox (12-to-15 lbs). Smaller foxes will need to have their portions adjusted accordingly, and intact females will have different dietary needs depending on the time of year.

So, without further ado...

Maintenance Diet for Red Foxes (AKA “Gizmo Burgers”)
Intended for healthy, active animals.

3 lbs 80-20 Ground Chuck, raw
2 cups rolled oats, cooked
3 chopped hardboiled eggs
3 powdered eggshells
150g boneless pink salmon, cooked.
450g green beans, cooked. (If you use canned, choose "no salt added")
1 tsp whole ground flaxseed
3 tbsp Brewer’s Yeast
1 tsp Wheat Germ Oil
1 tsp Anise Seed (Optional, but Gizmo loves it)

Mix it all together evenly. Makes 16 portions. As this diet contains raw meat, it should be kept frozen, and thawed out only as needed.

A large male fox will generally eat 2 portions a day (Sometimes 3 if he’s been very active that day or it’s cold, or only 1 if he’s been laying around and it’s hot out). Only offer 1 portion at a time, or they have a tendency to eat half then hide the rest for later.

If the fox seems to be intentionally eating “around” the oats, blenderize the salmon or green beans until liquid and add to the oatmeal before cooking. This will flavor the oatmeal and make it much more appealing.

Photo of the Week: 8/21/2010

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:58:00 +0000

, originally uploaded by Minette Layne.

Today's photo of the week is a beautiful shot by Minette Layne! I just love the light and shadow on it.

If you'd like to submit an image for our Photo of the Week, just send it to me at admin@thepetfox.net. Please include all source information, so I can give proper credit.

Don't forget, on Monday and Wednesday I'll be revealing the recipe for Gizmo's food!

Feeding Meat: Raw or Cooked?

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:30:00 +0000

As I've mentioned in an earlier article, meat is an important part of a fox's diet. However, a common question is whether to feed cooked meat, or raw meat.

Personally, I'm an advocate of raw meat as a staple in any captive fox's diet. This more closely approximates their diet in the wild. Depending on how the meat is offered, it can also be a great source of entertainment and enrichment for your fox. For example, Wolf Park in Indiana often gives their foxes an entire leg of venison. Stripping the meat from the bone is great for keeping a fox's teeth clean and in top condition, and they can practice their natural behaviors such as food caching. Obviously, this won't be practical for most pet fox owners, but it's still something worth considering.

Along with it being a much more natural food source, raw meat is actually much healthier for your fox than cooked meat is. Cooking meat breaks down many of the natural enzymes in it. While the process of cooking makes meat easier for humans to digest, it can have the exact opposite effect on canines.

A worry I often hear stated is that a fox will be at a serious risk of becoming ill from eating raw meat. So long as you use good, meant-for-human-consumption meat, and follow basic sanitary standards, this is not a concern. Foxes are designed to eat raw meat. A million years of evolution has given them the necessary teeth and digestive system to handle raw meat. Now, if a fox has been living on dog kibble, and you abruptly switch it to a raw meat diet, they will likely have some digestive upset. This is quite normal for ANY rapid food change, both for animals and humans.

So long as you buy raw meat that is of high quality (i.e. intended for human consumption), and follow smart sanitary practices (thawing out what you need daily and keeping the rest frozen, etc.), raw meat is an excellent addition to any pet fox's diet.

Stay tuned: Coming up on Monday and Wednesday, I'm going to finally be sharing some recipes for Gizmo's food!

What NOT To Feed A Fox

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:59:00 +0000

Photo by Raul Lieberwirth

As a general rule of thumb, any food that will hurt your dog or cat will hurt your pet fox. Please note that this list is not an exhaustive list of everything that could be harmful to your fox. Also note that one bite of something on this list probably won't kill your fox. Still, these are foods that are best kept out of your pet's reach.

Avocados:
Leaves, fruit, seeds, and bark contain the toxin Persin, and can cause difficulty breathing, as well as fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen, and heart. (Bird-owners beware, avocados are also toxic to those with feathers).

There's been some debate over how harmful Avocado really is, and it's actually used in a few brands of commercial dog food (Notably AvoDerm). However, store-bought foods containing avocado generally use the non-toxic parts of the plant. I would advise you to use extreme caution before adding avocado to any home-made diet.

Caffeine:
The lethal dose of caffeine is 150mg per kg of body weight. Just keep coffee grinds, tea bags, mountain dew, etc. out of your pet's reach, and you'll be fine.

In general, foxes are hyper enough without caffeine, anyway.
Chocolate:
This is a pretty well-known one. Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine, which is poisonous to many animals. As a general rule of thumb, the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. Chocolate can cause seizures, coma, and death. The official lethal dose of chocolate for dogs is 240 to 500 mg per kg of body-weight, but a death from a dose as low as 114 mg/kg of body weight has been recorded.

Grapes And Rasins:
These are known to cause vomiting, kidney damage, and hypercalcemia in dogs and foxes, although the exact reason why is unknown.

Green Eggplant, Peppers, and Tomatoes:
Green eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes contain toxins known as glycoalkaloids. The leaves or stem of these plants should also be avoided at all costs. As the veggie ripens and turns red (or purple, in the case of eggplant), most of the glycoalkaloids leave it, making it safe for animal consumption.

However, trace amounts of glycoalkaloids will remain in the tomato/pepper/eggplant even after it is ripe, and they will not be destroyed by the cooking process. Because of this, it is best to feed tomatoes only occasionally to prevent a build-up of toxins in your pet's system over time.

Green Potatoes:
I've separated this out from the other "green" veggies, as I have additional info on it that may not apply to tomatoes, eggplants, etc.

Green potatoes contain glycoalkaloids, solanine, and chaconine, all of which are toxic. When exposed to light, the skin, eyes, and tubers of a potato can develop elevated levels of these toxic substances as a by-product of photosynthesis. Although the greatest concentration is on the surface, the "flesh" of a tuber exposed to sunlight can also develop toxic quantities of these chemicals.

The leaves, stem, and berries of the tomato plant are also toxic. (In particular the berries, which often contain 10-20 times more glycoalkaloids than the tubers.)

Care should be taken to store potatoes in light-proof sacks. Glycoalkaloids, solanine, and chaconine are not destroyed by the cooking process, so any potatoes that develop sprouts or a greenish tint should be discarded immediately.

Macadamia Nuts and Walnuts:
Poisonings from these are few and far between; signs include weakness, vomiting, and tremors.

Onions, Garlic, and Chives:
These plants are all members of the onion family, along with leeks and challots. Onions, garlic, and chives are all in the plant genus Allium, and can be potentially toxic. According to the National Animal Poison Control Center, "Allium species contain sulfur compounds known as disulfides, which if ingested in large quantities can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could even result in damage to red blood cells".

The key word here is probably "large quantities", as many resources will advise the addition of a small bit of garlic to a pet's food to ward off fleas. Still, due to the risks, it is best to avoid garlic, or to use it very, very sparingly.

Pits & Seeds from Apples, Cherries, and Peaches:
These contain trace amounts of cyanide.

Xylitol:
Found in chewing gum, baked goods, and toothpastes; has been known to cause liver failure in dogs.

*****

Also, for those of you who feed your pets store-bought dog food, watch your labels for the following ingredients:

Beet Pulp:
Dried sugar beet residue; little or no nutritional value. Not harmful in and of itself, but a sign that the company making your pets food is cutting corners.

BHA and BHT: (butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hyroxytoluene.)
Can cause cancer, as well as damage to the liver and kidneys. These preservatives also appear in some human foods--but remember, we only eat a type of food once in a while. Your dog or fox eats his dog food every day. If this is in his food, he's eating these harmful chemicals every day.

Dehydrated Food-Waste:
This is basically dried garbage; AAFCO defines it as "any and all animal and vegetable produce" picked up from basic food processing sources or institutions. i.e. garbage from hospitals, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. The produce has to be picked up sufficiently frequently so that no decomposition is evident, but still, yuck.

Ethoxyquin:
A preservative that has been found to be highly toxic to animals. (It was originally designed as a pesticide!). It has been associated with immune deficiency syndrome, leukemia, blindness, and cancer of the skin, stomach, spleen, and liver.

Due to protests by pet-owners, it's use is not as widespread in pet foods as it once was, but the FDA/CVM still allows it as an acceptable preservative in pet food.

Ground Almond and Peanut Shells:
Used as a cheap source of fiber, but not much nutritional value. Not harmful in and of itself, but a sign that the company making your pets food is cutting corners.

Hydrolyzed Poultry Feather or Hydrolyzed Hair:
AAFCO allows this to be counted as a protein source in pet foods. However, hydrolyzed feathers and hair are completely indigestible. If your pet's food contains this ingredient, they may not be getting enough protein.

Meat Meal:
Defined by AAFCO as "the rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices."

Rendering plants are a topic in and of themselves, but here's what you need to know: they take in the leftovers from slaughter-houses. They take in meat that's deemed unfit for human consumption. They take in restaurant and grocery store garbage. They also take in dead zoo-animals, road kill that's too big to be buried by the side of the road, diseased livestock, the works. Some (but not all) rendering companies will also take in euthanized companion animals from shelters and veterinary clinics.

They grind it all up, mix it in together, and heat the hell out of it in big vats to separate out the fat. Once all the fat and grease has been removed, they dry the remaining product and sell it as "Meat Meal".

Menadione Dimethylprimidinol Bisulfate:
Used as a cheap source of Vitamin K in inferior foods. Can cause cytotoxicity in the liver, allergic reactions, and irritation of the skin and mucous membranes.

Poultry By-Product Meal:
AAFCO: "consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices."

Same basic problem as meat meal.

Powdered Cellulose:
Adds bulk, but very little else. No real nutritional value.

Soybean Meal:
Adds bulk, but very little else. No real nutritional value.

A final note: Watch out for ingredient-splitting in store-bought pet foods. This is where a company will "split" a grain into two categories so that they can list a meat as the primary ingredient, i.e.:

Instead of the ingredients list reading:
Corn, wheat, chicken, rye, salmon meal...

It will read:
Chicken, corn flour, wheat germ meal, rye, corn gluten meal, wheat flour, salmon meal, wheat middlings and shorts, corn bran...

That way, it looks like Chicken is the main ingredient, even though it's not. Sneaky, sneaky pet-food companies. If your pet food has got several different permutations of corn, wheat, or other grains, they may be using "splitting" to disguise the fact that meat is not the primary ingredient.

*****
Hope this was helpful, and if anyone knows of any other foods to avoid, please let me know!

Photo of the Week: 8/14/2010

noreply@blogger.com (Ragtatter) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:08:00 +0000

Red fox pup ( wild ), originally uploaded by Eric Bégin.

This week's Photo Of The Week was taken in Melocheville, Quebec by Eric Bégin. Too cute.

On Monday, I'll be discussing foods that are harmful for pet foxes.