Luzien wrote:косатка wrote:I absolutely adore foxes! I'd love to own a gray fox one day, or a corsac. They aren't as smelly as reds and arctics and usually spread their scent by rubbing things like a cat, rather than spraying. I'd still love a red, especially an arctic marble! Unfortunately, foxes are not legal were I live. Not really in a position to own one right now anyway, but it still sucks.
Half an acre seems excessive, especially for a fennec. I usually see something around 20x20ft. suggested for one red, but that's if they get plenty of interaction and time out of the enclosure (while in a harness, of course). At my zoo though I saw two reds in an enclosure that looked smaller. Anyway, fennecs are primarily insectivores, so they don't need a whole lot of meat. Though if you were to feed primarily meaty foods, I have heard that rabbit meat is the best choice. And yeah, fennecs need more of their own kind... So make that $4k. Fennecs aren't really my cup of tea though.
But yes! Foxes are a lot of work. The enclosure will need to be topped, and chicken wire should be used as flooring so they don't dig out (but that'll mean you'll need to provide a digging box to satisfy their digging desires). Also, fox kits are small enough to slip through chain link, and fennecs and even grays stay small enough to slip through. So that's important to know.
Also, I want to point out that foxes can remain tame throughout their life. They still have instincts of course, and will go through hormonal changes and what not as they grow, but they don't have to be a hands-off and visual-only animal. I know a few people who own foxes and claim they can be sweet and fun to interact with.
that is not to much^^
you need this ,to better approximate the animals' natural environments, to keep them from going grazy and getting aggressive the older they get. this animals live in this enclosures most of the time, and only get visits by there owner or friends of them now and then...so you should attempt to replicate their natural habitats or behavioral patterns, for the benefit of both the animals and visitors...trees, brushes, a hill, some small and large stones ...so you can say that providing more space as the absulute min. that some say this or that animal should atleast have :!: and behavioural enrichments is needed to Keep them healthy, happy and long living..... it should allow the animals to express some of their natural behaviours, such as roaming and foraging, runnig, jumping, digging...
found this on one page :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 muchmuch more 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.
that is only or US
-Like other animals, foxes can contract sarcoptic mange (treatable in humans) and toxoplasmosis (a threat to pregnant women or people with weak immune systems). Foxes can carry rabies and the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, both of which can be fatal to humans. The RSPCA does not condone keeping foxes as pets “because foxes are wild animals, their needs are very specific and require specialist care”. Very few people have the amount of land, the facilities and the time that foxes require.
-As Bowler says: “99 per cent of people keeping foxes as pets would have a nightmare with it. They need you and you’ve committed to them. If you go away you can let someone look after your dogs, but not your foxes.”
and you can get a visit out of the blue once a year, animal and Pplant Health Inspection Services, or such, who can control if you are violating any of the animal welfare act
- Well I wasn't looking into making a caresheet or anything, I was just giving a few basic points to consider when getting a fox, and I am not a fox owner so I am not qualified to be spouting too much information. But yes. I agree. It is important to provide foxes with natural enrichment. I was just thinking half an acre is excessive as I have never seen a fox enclosure that large (not in person, anyway). The best way to get info on caring for foxes is by talking to fox owners, which I have done, and getting experience working with them. Either way, no matter what you'll always have different people of all backgrounds giving their own "ideal" for caring for an animal. After all, there isn't only one specific way to care for any animal.
I typically avoid looking into what the ASPCA, RSPCA, HSUS, etc have to say as such powers are usually corrupt. I'd much rather talk to those that have experience with the animals.