URBAN ANIMAL: Tips to sharing space with fox

Dear UrbanAnimal,

Can you tell me if a fox would hurt a cat? I live in downtown Toronto, but neighbours have seen a fox on the street lately. We have a lot of outdoor and feral cats in the area and I don't want them hurt.

Sheryl

Hello Sheryl,

Wildlife previously unseen in the city is now being reported much more frequently as people see fox, coyote, deer, opossum, hawks and others living among us. Our extensive ravine system has become a highway for wildlife searching for food and elbow room as housing developments take over their habitats.

The fox your neighbours have seen is probably just one of a few dozen currently residing within your community. Fox in the wild build dens, often in an embankment alongside a river or stream, where they remain quite invisible to humans. In the city, they can lead similarly imperceptible lives as they quietly make their homes in sheds, garages and under porches and decks.

They're most active at dusk and dawn, but they can also be seen sunning themselves on a lazy afternoon.

Adult fox have stunningly beautiful red/orange fur with black on their legs, tail and ear tips. They grow to a length of three-and-a-half feet (1.06 metres), plus an additional 13 to 16 inches of luxuriously bushy tail. They range in weight from eight to 15 pounds (3.62 to 6.8 kilograms) while some well-fed individuals manage to top the scale at 30 pounds (13.6 kg).

Fox breed once a year, are monogamous and stay together for life. Gestation period is 50 to 54 days and the babies (kits), typically a litter of five, are born in the spring.

Both mom and dad rear the kits and the family unit remains together until the fall when the young leave the den to hunt and live on their own.

Urban environments, while full of danger such as vehicular traffic and humans, are mostly absent of coyotes and owls, which are natural predators of fox. With less threat from other wildlife, and with the abundance of food sources, a citified fox can live up to 12 years. Fox living in the wild survive only three to four years.

People are often worried about rabies in wildlife and, at one time, fox were indeed considered one of the foremost carriers of the disease.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has almost eradicated rabies from this area, however, which might explain the surge in fox population over the past few decades.

Fox are omnivores, which mean they eat a combination of meat, vegetables, fruit and grain, but their main diet consists of meat. They hunt small rodents, insects, frogs, and snakes. A fox will also raid squirrel and bird nests, but since a fox can't climb a tree, nests located on higher elevations aren't accessible. An unsupervised litter of kittens or other baby animals on the ground, however, is definitely fair game.

If you know of a litter of any type of animal in your neighbourhood who are unprotected due to a mother who is ill, injured, or missing, contact your local humane society or municipal animal services for instructions. Fox, raccoons, dogs, hawks, and other animals are predators of unprotected young.

Cats and fox are similar in size and while both could certainly inflict injury, a cat has the distinct advantage of claws and the ability to climb a tree or scale a fence. Since fox and other wildlife are inherently fearful of physical injury (a single festering wound could cost them their lives), they're most likely to steer clear of other animals who match them in size and tenacity.

Unless the fox or its kits are threatened, there is no reason for it to launch an unprovoked attack on a cat or dog. They normally don't approach humans either, but of course, as their natural fear of us lessens, they're more likely to get closer than some people would wish.

As is the case with all wildlife, respect fox from a distance. Allow them to roam among us without placing them in danger or causing them to pose a danger to domestic pets. Don't leave food outside for wildlife, keep garbage containers secured and keep pet food indoors.

Email jacque-newman@rogers.com with a question, comment or suggestion.