• Devi@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    You can have pet foxes. They’re not great pets, they’re loud, they smell bad, they will probably pee on everything, but if captive bred theyre quite tame and there’s a particular line that came from a domestication experiment who are especially tame.

    • V H@lemmy.stad.socialOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      To the “they smell bad” bit, I’ll add two things:

      1. I have pictures (maybe I’ll post some, despite the ick factor) where this fox laid down to sleep right next to a pillow it had shit all over. And we’re not talking pebbles, we’re talking the runs and it was a nightmare to clean. It was tempting to burn the thing… I also have to clean massive piles of fox poop off the decking on a regular basis.

      2. There is this: Dog poo forms a significant part of foxes’ diet

      Of course, one captive-bred will likely be better, but I absolutely agree with you they won’t make great pets.

      They are cute, but frankly, that is just about sufficient to let me tolerate them sleeping in the gazebo and thoroughly washing stuff afterward, but not nearly sufficient to make me consider one as a pet.

        • V H@lemmy.stad.socialOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          Yeah, foxes are best enjoyed from a distance, in my opinion. I’m perfectly happy with having them visit, but they can stay outside.

            • V H@lemmy.stad.socialOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              edit-2
              1 year ago

              Rabies isn’t much of a problem in the UK thankfully. But in general, yeah, Rabies is horrifying and it’s good advice.

              EDIT: For anyone anywhere where it’s a risk: Be careful and make damn sure to seek advice if bitten, even if not obviously penetrating the skin and even if the animal is not obviously rabid (Reminder: Rabies is near 100% fatal with treatment if you don’t get vaccinated soon enough after exposure). Do not fuck with Rabies.

      • Devi@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Domestic ones will not lay on their own shit… it sounds like that fox was pretty sick anyway? They also don’t eat dog poo.

        The smell you’re dealing with is just a strong musk. It’s not pleasant, but it’s not faeces.

        • V H@lemmy.stad.socialOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Pet dogs also eat poo on occasion, also without any underlying problem, so I really don’t think there’s any reason to think that far less domesticated species where it is well established would just stop. I’m sure you can reduce it, especially if it has a nicer food source, but still, an animal with far less history of domestication seems like a recipe for amplification of all the potential issues you don’t want to deal with.

          • Devi@beehaw.org
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            Pica is an issue that you can work on. No animal should have it.

            • V H@lemmy.stad.socialOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              1 year ago

              Pica is eating things that are not food, but as pointed out in the article I linked, eating dog poo is providing a significant source of nutrition for foxes. In those circumstances, it by definition is not pica.

              • Devi@beehaw.org
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                4
                ·
                1 year ago

                Poo is not food, I’m extremely concerned that you’ve got to adulthood without anyone telling you this. Do not eat poo.

                • kapitol@lemmy.ca
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  No need to make personal attacks. Cecotrophy is a common phenomenon in certain animals. I don’t know specifically about foxes but it wouldn’t be a stretch if it was common behavior for them. Do you have any sources that suggest otherwise?

                  • Devi@beehaw.org
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    1 year ago

                    Herbivores taking more time to digest greenery is really not related to eating the poo of another animal due to nutritional deficiency. It’s a silly comparison.