I also noticed that there is not much information about keeping a pet fox, so I thought I would start by posting here with some "Pet Fox 101".

Foxes are normally shy, and so is Sidney. He hides a lot, and is good at it. (Wolves and hybrids act much the same way.)
He is scared by noises, such as the door opening and closing, any thing that goes thump, bump or squeak, and will run to hide. He is more interested in scratching type noises.

Like most 'undomesticated' animals, he can be easily stressed by various things. A home with small or noisy children, or noisy parties, or dogs, or plenty of noisy activity is perhaps not the best place for a pet fox. Sidney has shown interest in watching tv.

Some pet foxes will happily play with dogs, but make sure it is a gentle dog who won't think the fox is something that should be grabbed, shaken and killed. Foxes can also play with cats, but some of them would be more likely to instinctively kill a cat, as it also would a rodent or a rabbit or a bird.

Sidney is more likely to come out and explore when things are fairly quiet. Foxes like to sniff and chew, some types are more destructive than others, but Sidney listens when you say a firm "no". Foxes can be disciplined with a tap on the nose or a squirt of water from a bottle.

Never lose your temper with a pet fox, who would likely feel threatened and bite you.

Sidney uses the litter box much of the time, but has also done some 'duties' on the floor. (Use a rag or plastic bag or something to pick these up, and keep the litter box clean to encourage him to use it.) Foxes usually prefer the litter box, so rubbing someone's nose in the 'accident' is not a way to teach them and is likely to make the fox feel threatened.

He can be picked up and cuddled. Sidney likes to be brushed. Be sure to play with the feet and toes alot so that there aren't those problems associated with clipping the toenails.

The former owner and some internet sources said to feed hi-pro dog food, the vet said to start switching him to a higher protein cat food. Kitten chow is about 40% protein.

Sidney is a 4 month old Marble color fox, and he likes to eat frequently. Besides cat and dog food, he likes the necessary fresh fruits and veggies...last night (his first night here) I learned he likes apples, kiwi fruit, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers. Tonight I will try some sweet corn and other veggies. They can also eat some raw eggs and a little raw meat...Junk food and candy is not recommended.

Foxes require the same innoculations as dogs, they can be bathed with flea shampoo (for dogs) and be dewormed with puppy dewormer. Do not use a hair dryer on them, as the noise would stress a fox very much.

They like to climb (like a cat) and also like to take sand baths. They like to play with small toys, and are also likely to find things around the house and take them to their 'cache'. Foxes are curious and, when they come out of hiding, will explore everything, including your drinks and food, etc. Sidney can snatch something from the coffee table and run quicker than you can blink.

Another thing to consider about pet foxes is that some of them are likely to pee alittle when they are scared. They might do this on the floor, or they might do this on you....so you better have a good sense of humor about it. They can be neutered as youngsters to eliminate spraying when they are older. Some sources say that fox urine is a horrid smell, and others say that it's not that bad and can be controlled by the normal pet deoderant products.

Taking a fox from the wild is not a good way of getting a pet fox, since foxes can carry rabies and other bad diseases, not to mention some very nasty parasites which can make humans sick.

Anyone interested in a pet fox should first do the necessary research and find a veterinarian who handles exotics. Check with the local DNR or conservation officer to find out if you need a permit to keep a particular type of fox. Keep a fox RKI on speed dial in case you have those questions where you gotta ask somebody right now.

And remember, keeping a fox is not the same as keeping a dog or cat. Foxes are shy and somewhat nervous. are probably not likely to become your best buddy (but some of them do follow people around the house), and can be some really sneaky animals.

Sorry I don't have any pics uploaded yet........

You can't post pictures until you have 20 anyway... great info! Can't wait for pics

Okay, who's ready for "Pet Fox 202"?

Thought I should introduce Sid to the spaniels. My neutered cocker spaniels are gentle, playful and definitely not the type to maul and kill a fox.
It's also a good day to do some cleaning, so I brought out the pet odor and soil shampoo for the floors.

Foxes such as Sidney become full grown at about 6 months, so Sid is mostly grown already. Foxes in captivity can live about 10 years, they are generally monogamous, breed in the winter, and their babies are born in the spring. Their urine takes on a stronger smell during the mating season (just about when one would keep all the windows closed during the winter).

Sidney has been becoming used to the house, he has two large rooms to wander in at the moment (house renovations in progress). While exploring my desk, he found the plate of leftovers which he ate, and then...peed on top of the desk. Foxes mark where they find their food.
Sidney also likes mushroom, broccoli, and corn on the cob.

A minute later, he was sniffing under the front porch door where there are some kittens waiting til next week to go to new homes. Foxes make the funniest sort of barking sound. While brushing him, he makes a noise which I am not sure if he is growling or purring.

But I hadn't seen any "happy to see you" behaviors since he got here. This morning, I put up the cage next to the dog pen outside, made sure he would have sun and shade and a hideyhole, and let Sid into the cage. I wanted him and the dogs to have a good first meeting, where no one could possibly get hurt.
I could tell he was so happy to meet the dogs! His mouth opened (a happy smile) and he started wagging his tail. The dogs seemed very glad that they are getting a new playmate!

this is really cool, i never knew you could keep a fox as a pet! you'll have to post pictures once you can.

I'm ready for Fox 303

okay, a quick "Fox Pet 303".
Sid enjoyed a good day outside in the cage. I cleaned the potty areas with the floor shampoo, and put some newspapers down around the litter box, where he seems to most of his 'jobs'.

One correction: while cleaning, I found his broccoli.

Internet sources say that adult foxes can be fairly smelly....if anyone else has ever had an intact male ferret, that might be a clue. However, the source also says that neutering and descenting a fox doesn't do much to eliminate the odor.

One theory is that fox crosses (the variety of colors bred for at fox farms) are possibly more shy than regular red or gray foxes, because they have learned that survival depends upon not being seen. Believe it or not, I am pretty sure I saw a calico fox running loose many years ago. At the time I did not know that such an animal existed.

And now for the very best news, Sid was glad to come back into the house and decided that it was okay to run around, jump up on the sofa with me for tummy rubs and petting, and play like a puppy. Fortunately, he's very gentle with his teeth.

Now a word about handling a pet fox. Sid wears a small doggy harness, not a collar. I'm sure that anyone with sense would know enough to not pick up a fox by the ears or the tail. Either pick him up around the middle or just scoop his body up into the arms.
He rides in the arms more like a puppy (not a cat), head and feet up on the shoulder area, and is pretty good at hugging me around the neck. He hasn't done any struggling or trying to get away.

His fur is very fine at this time, more like a long haired cat, and he's been shedding considerably.
I wouldn't advise a pet fox for anyone with pet allergies.

"Pet Fox 404" will come after I talk with zoo experts and an exotic pets' veterinarian.

Does Indiana require a permit to possess wildlife (I know some states do)? Even though your fox is captive born, or is there an exemption for captive bred foxes (I'm pretty sure they are exempted from some federal laws)? How tough was it to get a permit? Did they come inspect your facility or was it merely a mail in application?

Bob

Okay, then………on to “Pet Fox 404.“

Well, first of all, Indiana has laws about the requirements for keeping endangered or dangerous animals. To expand on this, one would need a Class II permit to keep a Red fox or a Gray fox (or a coyote). A Class III permit would be needed to keep a wolf. Indiana also has laws pertaining to the confinement of these Class III animals, especially wolves and their hybrids.

Sidney is an arctic marble fox (not the same thing as a white Arctic fox), and if anyone looks it up in Google images, could find some picture similar to what Sid looks like. At this time he is mostly white, with sort of chocolate markings around his eyes and on his forehead. He is a pretty fox! His eyes are about the same color as the markings, and he is developing the stripe on his back.

I called the DNR this past week, just to be sure that I would not require a permit to keep the fox. The guy did ask if the fox was gray, red or silver. I thought silvers were a product of fox farms, but apparently wild red foxes can produce silver, also.

So I am waiting to hear back from the DNR, but am pretty confident that we are okay without a possession permit. To answer the other question, permits must be mailed in with a signature of a licensed veterinarian, and a $10 fee. To see the PDF of the permit information, just Google Indiana Class I, II, or III animal permit. I have known a few people who keep exotic animals, even know a guy who has a cougar. Such animals are required to have yearly veterinarian exams, the permits must be renewed each year, and the owners are subject to inspections to ensure the wellbeing of the animals. According to the webpage, conservation officers must do an inspection and ensure that the animal was obtained legally before issuing a permit. There are other permits required if the animal is used commercial purposes, such as display or breeding, and there is even a special purpose permit for animals used in education. (Perhaps I should check to see if Sidney needs one of those, since I am posting all this stuff, huh?)

A Class III permit must be obtained before acquiring a class III animal. A Class III permit also requires proof that all of the neighbors have been notified.
That covers the possession of a fox.

Now, onto the fun stuff. I haven’t been able to contact an exotics vet yet, one is on vacation, the other there only three days per week. The local zoo doesn’t have any foxes, and a local wildlife sanctuary doesn’t have any either. There are some more sources of information that I will try to contact this week.

But …I have learned a few other things. The guy at the zoo told me that foxes do indeed smell musky or skunky….stronger than a ferret but not as bad as a skunk. He reinforced the information that foxes are skittish. The lady at the wildlife sanctuary added that foxes are ‘foragers’ and love to eat scraps, thus anyone with a pet fox would have to take care to keep garbage out of their reach. I mentioned Sidney finding the plate of leftovers on the desk, then marking the area. Last night, he found an open package of soda crackers, and he munched on a few of those.

Now, here’s something to look forward to. I was also told that during the mating season (here is December to February), foxes increase the frequency of marking their territory (and remember that their urine takes on a stronger smell at that time) and that male foxes will start ‘shrieking’. I suppose this is a one of a kind sound….

I definitely will ask the vet about the wisdom of neutering the fox. I want to make sure that what ever decision I make is in Sidney’s best interest.
Foxes come out mainly during the late night/early morning hours, which explains why there is more cleanups to do in the morning. The newspapers around the litter box are a big help at eliminating messes.

Sidney likes to play during the day, in fact today I brought in one of the spaniels for a flea bath, and he’s in here with the fox. Just like any normal puppy, Sid is anxious to play….but the spaniel seems very unimpressed. This is actually a good sign, since dogs who are all over each other on first meeting often do not get along later.

By now, we are all getting into the ‘more than basic’ aspects of keeping a pet fox. A lot of it would give sensible people reason to not want one….
Foxes are shy and skittish, not very sociable
Foxes smell
Foxes mark their territory
Some foxes require permits, which require inspections and veterinary signatures
It might be difficult or impossible to find adequate vet care in some areas
…and a few others…
Some foxes don’t stay friendly at all when they are adults (some of them do)
Foxes are ornery, expect to find things in the strangest of places
Foxes are messy….they do potty in places besides only the litter box

Now a few good words about them so far……
Foxes are soft and cuddly and playful
Foxes are also very good at finding things that you have been looking for during the past several months.

I have old furniture (an essential when one has animals in the house). Sidney found a favorite hiding place inside of the sofa….there is a hole in the lining that he crawls up into. Remember foxes are good at hiding and it took me a while to find him there.

So far, Sidney has produced my son’s missing MP3 player, a pocket knife and a Chapstick from inside of the sofa. I called my son to let him know about his little gadget, and I know he will be happy to get it back.

Very interesting indeed! Please keep posting this is quite fascinating! I would not have known the personalities they have!

Cant wait for pics. I have been considering a skunk, fox, and even a coatimundi next time I am in the market for a new critter

"Pet Fox 505"

Let's talk about "cooties"!!!

One of the spaniels was in the house yesterday, apparently his flea bath didn't work too well (probably some ancient flea shampoo.) I noticed a very few fleas in the house before Sid came, and they quickly moved onto him. The spaniel probably brought in a fresh batch, also.

Animals can easily get tapeworms from fleas. The majority of de-wormers bought in a store are not designated for killing typical tapeworms, and thus I use Safeguard for my dogs. More on that later....

Fox tapeworm is usually spread by the wild fox eating rodents, and is not a nice thing to have around! Fox tapeworms can be transferred to humans by contact with feces (including domestic animal feces) and can cause liver failure in humans. (And this is one reason why taking in an actual wild fox is not a good idea.) Be sure to have plenty of plastic baggies and lots of soap and water available!!!

So keeping a pet fox around the house for the purpose of eliminating rodents is also not a good idea. If one uses rodent poisons, they must be placed in strategic areas where the fox cannot find it and eat it. Since I don't expect the fox or dogs to climb into the attic or between the walls, those are pretty good places. I wouldn't place poison inside of a kitchen cabinet or a closet, simply because it would be too easy to forget and leave a door open...
Mice traps would probably not cause significant damage to a curious fox, but baited traps would be too much temptation, and traps would probably not stay set for very long. Rat traps are another story, those things are big and a fox sticking his nose into one would probably not be a pretty picture and could involve a necessary quick trip to a vet who might or might not be there.

Prevention is the best option. Once fleas are in, they are not easy to get rid of. Fortunately, I have a gallon bottle of flea spray for the furniture, and some flea bombs for the house....which are not to be used while any animals are in the vicinity. If you use such products, be sure to read the directions because different brands of the same type of products have different instructions and requirements.

Now, onto flea elimination. I called the vet's office who told me it is okay to use Frontline Plus for dogs...with the same age and weight ranges as for a dog. I wouldn't buy any brand which is not sold by a veterinarian because there have been too many reports of "over the counter" brands causing reactions, sickness and even death of pets.
There are other ways of eliminating fleas, if there are some who prefer to not use, or cannot tolerate, chemicals.
One way of immediately killing fleas is to boil a scored lemon in a quart of water for 10 minutes, and then cool the juice. (If life hands you lemons, use them to kill fleas!)
Use a sponge dipped in the 'lemonade'to wash the animal. (I haven't tried this one.)
Fleas also don't like the smell of sage or peppermint. Feeding small amounts of garlic to the animal will also deter fleas. There are a zillion other remedies which I will leave for others to look up.

I earlier mentioned using Safeguard on my dogs. It is one of the few dewormers on the market that kills multiple types of worms, including tapeworms. I haven't verified it yet for Sidney, the fox. (Now, here is a nice piece of information which some vets and the makers of Safeguard might not like if I share it here, but here it is.)
As a former breeder of German Shepherds, I know that buying Safeguard for dogs is an expensive thing. While searching online, and after okaying it with the vet, I started buying and using Safeguard Goat dewormer for my dogs. It requires a different dosage, so read closely. The Safeguard Goat Suspension 10% dewormer can be bought in small and large bottles at farm supply stores, veterinary supply stores, and online. If you are using it on dogs, pay absolutely no attention to the dosages listed on the bottle. The dosage for dogs is 1 CC to 4-5 lbs of dog, administered orally. Dogs don't seem to mind the taste, but cats hate any sort of meds. I have also used this successfully on cats at the same dosage.....DO NOT USE on pregnant or nursing dogs or cats.
And another thing I have learned is that it works okay with one dosage...the second and third dosages are required only to kill the whipworms.

More about cooties in a later "Pet Fox course".

On to the other stuff......

Finally verified with the DNR that Sidney (a marble fox) does not require a permit in the state of Indiana. I got hold of the DNR guy, and he said that since marble foxes are not listed in the Class I, II, or III requirements for a permit, and since marble foxes are not indigenous to the state (they originated in Norway), no permit is required.
Yay!!!

However, another problem has arisen and that was through my conversations with the vet's office. They don't treat 'wildlife' unless the owner has a license or permit to keep it. I relayed this information to the DNR guy, who asked for the phone number of the vet....and he agreed to call and even email the vet's office to let them know that Sidney does not require a permit. I will have to follow up on this later, because Sid will need his rabies innoculation pretty soon. The exotics vet here won't be back from vacation until the end of the month.

And on to the 'fun' stuff....when a fox is good, he is very very good, but when a fox is bad, he poops directly on the tv remote. I am guessing he was 'voicing' his displeasure that the spaniel went back outside for the night.
I suppose the change of diet also makes it a little worse, since the previous owners did not bless me with the brand of dog food that Sidney had been eating, and also since he's switching over to cat food, anyway. His stools are sometimes firm and sometimes not.
And while I'm at it, I might mention something worth taking note of.......... When Sidney arrived, he had this voracious appetite. A bowl of dog/cat food mix would disappear very quickly and he was eating almost every snack that I gave him. At first I thought this was normal (I didn't know whether or not foxes were normally that way), but his appetite has slacked off a little. *Whew*

Then I remembered...when I went to see him the first time, there was no food in his cage. When I went to pick him up the next day, there was no food in his cage. The poor little guy was just very hungry when he got here.......
I've seen this type of thing before, in animal rescue. When someone advertises an animal for sale, there are times when the animal has already stopped being cared for.....but not always!
I am hoping that Sidney is being better cared for here.

Sidney enjoyed the first playtime with one of the cocker spaniels yesterday. His first reaction was of happy submission. "Please play with me while I roll over onto my back on the floor." An hour later he was happily humping the spaniel...who didn't care one way or the other. Today, the other CS will come in to play. One introduction at a time!
Now a note about "the smell." When I walked into Sidney's two rooms this morning, I could smell it. More like mild skunk, and not like musky ferret. Time to clean! First of all was to clean the tv remote and then other areas of foxy poo. The smell was still there. Empty the trash where I had been depositing the plastic bags, rags, paper towels, etc....ah, much better. Next is to wash and disenfect the litter box. Several layers of newspaper is best.
Now to explain my house.......which is in the midst of necessary reparations. I inherited my house, complete with leaky roofs, mold in the ceiling and walls, leaky plumbing, and areas of the tile ceiling where the mice chewed holes. That's not all of it, but gives everyone a good idea of what it's like here. My parents installed the carpeting 30 some years ago and it had never seen a carpet shampooer or steam cleaner. After a couple of years of dogs and pups running in and out of the house (and an episode of 23 rescued pups) it was time for the carpet to go...voila and the carpet is gone, leaving hardwood floors with dark and light spots (depending what was peed or spilled on the carpets.)
Hardwood floors can handle only so much potty accidents and cleanings, so I am considering the ceramic or porcelain tile flooring for the living/dining rooms...The kitchen is nicely and newly redone.
I definitely would not recommend a pet fox for carpeted floors!!
Carpets are hard to clean, retain nasty smells and there is stuff that makes it's way through carpeting and padding that can never be gotten out without removing the entire carpet and pad.

And finally, time for a quick commercial Easy-Off BAM is not only good for cleaning grime, lime and soap scum, but is an excellent de-greaser and paint stripper.

Some vets won't vaccinate exotics unless the vaccine is specifically licensed for that species.

If they were to vaccinate an exotic (say a fox for example) with a vaccine licensed only for dogs, they could be liable should someone say they contracted that disease from the animal. Likewise the owner could later come back and say that "you told me it was okay for my animal" if the animal later contracted the disease.

Ferret owners had this problem for years with rabies vaccines, no one had tested their vaccines to see if they worked (safely and effictively) on mustelids. Skunk owners have to deal with that issue too, especially since wild skunks are considered at high risk for rabies transmission.

Is there a vaccine regimen designed for foxes? I would image that with all of the farming done with them that several vaccines are on the market. Are they available to your vet?

Bob

And now for a very quick “Pet Fox 606”.
To answer the question, foxes are, in effect, “dogs”. They are not ferrets or skunks or raccoons. Exotic pet vets treat them the same way as dogs, but in my understanding, must have a special license to treat exotic pets. I.E. the same dewormers, the same puppy inoculations, the same flea preventatives, etc. Rabies is designated by the ‘strain’, such as by the CANINE STRAIN which would include dogs, foxes, coyotes, wolves, etc.
But particularly, this is one question I will have to direct right to the veterinarians, and one of those vets is supposed to be available tomorrow. However, to downplay any concerns, there has been the usage of typical, live virus vaccines used for the elimination of the rabies virus in wild fox populations, so it would probably be safe to assume at this time that the same vaccine used for dogs would be effective in foxes. As for the legality……….listen, if I could get away with inoculating my own dogs without paying a vet, I would do so. But the law is that the vet must administer any rabies vaccine. If, by some chance, I could not get a local vet to do so, I would immediately start searching for an alternative vet (it’s only a once a year or once per three year thing) and if that didn’t work, I would start searching for black market rabies vaccines. It’s that important that dogs and foxes have the inoculations one way or another. It might not be on state records, but it sure would be for my peace of mind. I don’t mean to sound as if I would happily break the law to provide myself with meds for my pets, but those pets are our buffer between us and “them”, the totally undomesticated running loose and wild ….wild animals. (If I recall right, I did know of people buying illegal laetrile for their family members--cancer patients--, but I never heard of any prosecutions………)(and for those of anyone reading, you didn’t hear it here.) And hopefully, I won’t have any flames or repercussions from this post! I intend to call the state capital’s Zoo tomorrow to ask for a fox expert, and hopefully, some zoo, somewhere has foxes and information just about them.
But the particular topic is very important and interesting and I will definitely post on this subject after talking directly with the available exotics vet.
Next, let’s replay…..Sidney is an Artic Marble (not an Arctic Fox). He came from a fox farm, not the wild. He does not require a permit from the state of Indiana.
We’ve been discussing food requirements, cleanliness, cooties, etc.
And for 606, here’s a few notes for those who absolutely need to know right now.
Foxes are adaptable, and can be kept in the house…but you gotta learn and be patient and tolerable. Housetraining any domestic pet is not an easy task, so don’t expect a lot of success with an animal who comes out mostly when you are not around, and especially late at night.
I have not known many completely, totally housebroken potty trained dogs or cats. Just as the owners are telling you how well trained their baby is, it does a poopy on the floor right in front of you. Or they are advertised as house trained and the first thing it does when entering your house is pee on the floor. In fact I have known of only one dog who was purported to totally refuse to potty indoors, and he didn’t do too well when put into a kennel for a few days. He couldn’t eat or drink-- because if he did, he would have to potty in the kennel and he wouldn’t do it….for fear of a severe beating. That’s not the way to raise a fox or any other animal.
And who could ever forget the TV commercial of “Toby” scooting his anal glands on the carpet????
Let’s review the need for lots of newspapers, easy to clean flooring, kitty litter, soap and water and deodorizers. Just have them. You might want to also consider plastic sheets and those puppy house training pads that are supposed to smell just right to encourage puppy to potty there (haven’t tried them with the fox.)
Pet mice can be pretty stinky, their urine smells a lot. It all depends upon whether a person can not stand the smell or can tolerate it…no matter how often one cleans the cage. Pet rodents routinely pee and poo on people, but we don’t usually think of it as such a big deal.
Pet birds are very messy, they don’t think twice before poop/peeing on anything under them. If anyone knows of a potty trained bird, please enlighten me with proof.
Pet dogs can be pretty stinky, too. Either it’s been a little too long since the last bath, or FluffyPoo comes in out of the rain (imagine wet dog smell). Regardless of tv ads, I have never yet seen a cat litter so wonderful that the cat cannot find it’s own litter box.
So there are cleaners and deodorizers and such to make the pet experience more pleasurable. I just happen to have on hand a nifty item bought from a festival….one of those electric powered oil fragrance dispensers that you pour in a dropper of oil and fill with water and let it heat……..mmmmm Patchouli should be able to overpower some strong smells. I haven’t had to use it yet. I might have to look for it since I know it is here somewhere.
Now, before anyone goes out to buy (or rescue or otherwise obtain a fox) my daughter’s boyfriend is very excited about the new addition to the family. Someone he used to know kept a “trained” fox in the basement. I say, if the fox was so well trained, why was he in the basement? Probably because the city where he lived did not allow any type of exotic pets.?.?
I would be very quick to call authorities to investigate such a thing.
So, I’ve put the Frontline de-flea on the fox. He hasn’t yet gone into fits or dropped dead, he’s just running around and wanting to play with the spaniel.
Oh, yeah, he finds “spots” on the hardwood floor where he likes to scratch and dig. Thank goodness he isn’t chewing up any expensive carpet. But it’s probably time to clip his toenails.

"Pet Fox 707"

This is a quickie, but so important I decided it needed to be posted ASAP.

For us smokers..........Sidney's first night here included his finding the ash tray, grabbing an old cig butt and running zip to his 'den'. I never found the cig butt.

Tonight, I knew I had lit a cigarette but then thought it must have been my imagination......until I found it safely expired but not before putting a serious burn on the sofa cushion. Thank goodness for old furniture.


At best, Sid is trying to tell me don't let cigs or ashtrays laying around. At worst, Sid says it's time to quit smoking.....at least inside of the house.

and just a post to add on to the number before I can start posting these many pics...........Sid is fine, and likes those bags of frozen veggies.