Unusual Pets: The Red Fox

The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is native to North America, Eurasia and northern Africa and it was introduced into Australia in the mid 1800's. At one time foxes were confined to the the wilds, however, the expansion of cities and towns into former wilderness areas has seen the fox become more bold in recent years. It is now possible to observe them wandering the streets like stray dogs.

This small canid is most commonly an orange-red colour, with black lower legs, black ear tips and top of the tail and white underbelly and tip of the tail. However, some morphs are black or black with a white tip on the tail and some are predominately red, ranging in shades from orange-red to dark red. They range in weight from 3.6 to 7.6 Kg (7.9 - 17 pounds) depending on where they live, with the largest ones found in Canada and Alaska. Some in these locales can weigh up to 14 Kg (31 pounds). Head and body length ranges from 46 to 90 cm (18 – 35 inches) with a tail of 30 to 55 cm (12 – 22 inches). Males tend to be about 15 percent heavier than females. Foxes generally live 3 to 5 years in the wild and 12 to 15 years in captivity. Foxes are extremely fast and can reach speeds up to 72 Km per hour (45 mph). This speed aids in catching prey and evading predators.

A few years ago, a female Red Fox with a black face, ears, back and legs showed up in Creighton, Saskatchewan, where I live. It was an offspring of a dark red male fox and a black female fox that used to hang around the mine site in nearby Flin Flon, Manitoba. This little fox was very friendly and an elderly neighbour used to feed it table scraps by hand. Even though foxes are usually crepuscular and even nocturnal, this fox, which Mom and Dad called “Pretty Lady,” patrolled our town all hours of the day and night. Mom and Dad found out that she liked wieners, so they always had a big bag of bulk wieners in the fridge. This fox would frequently jump up onto our front deck and “knock” on the front door with a paw. Mom or Dad would then peel the cellophane wrapper off a couple of wieners, cut them into pieces on a paper plate and put the paper plate on the front deck. She would eat her fill and then take any leftover pieces across the street and bury them on the edge of a vacant lot. If she didn't show up by the time we had finished supper, Dad would take a plate of wiener pieces and put it on the front deck and then whistle for the fox (similar to whistling for a dog). If she was within hearing distance, she would come running down the street and jump up onto the deck for her “supper.”

One night she was a little slow showing up and when she got to our house, she began to cry like a baby. Mom and Dad went to see what the problem was and discovered that a neighbour's cat was eating the wiener pieces. Dad chased the cat away and the fox jumped up onto the deck beside him and began eating.

I guess the Natural Resources officer felt that the fox was getting too tame, because when spring arrived, he caught her in a live trap and took her 300 Kilometres out into the northern forest.

Last fall an older Red Fox showed up on our back deck one day. She had a big scar on her face starting near her left nostril and curving up over her nose and ending at the top of the right eye socket which was empty and badly scarred. Mom and Dad began feeding her and she became a nearly daily visitor. She wasn't quite as tame as “Pretty Lady,” but she was bold enough to climb through our gate and come onto the deck for food. She also liked wieners, but she would eat any meat or fish scraps we had on hand. She kept coming until March, when she went back into the forest. We all hope she comes back in the fall.

If captured at a young age, Red Foxes will make good domestic pets, however, in many areas, it is against the law to own a wild animal as a pet, so before considering getting a fox as a pet, check with your local authorities so that you don't find yourself in court.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Raccoons

Raccoons are sometimes called masked bandits because of the black fur near their eyes, which resembles a bandit’s mask. Their fur is usually white, black, grey and brown. They can be found in major parts of North America and Europe. Their native habitats are deciduous and mixed forests. Ever adaptable, they have also learned to live very well in big cities. When mom and dad lived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, they were awakened one night by a noise in the back yard. Quietly looking out the upstairs bedroom window, they discovered a mother Raccoon showing her three kits how to open a garbage can and sort through the garbage for tasty tidbits.

Raccoons have five long fingers on each limb, which help them in easily opening latches, boxes and jars. They can even open trash cans and turn knobs on doors. Their prints have a close resemblance to a human baby’s handprints. In the wild, Raccoon tracks are found mostly in mud near water, where they usually wander when searching for food. Their body weight can vary from six to thirty-five pounds and the length of their body can vary from twenty-four to thirty-six inches. Their bushy tail measures up to ten inches in length and has an alternate coloring of white and black. The black circle around their eyes makes them look mischievous and gives them the image of a thief. That is substantiated by the fact that they are often sighted in urban areas stealing human garbage or eating some pet animal’s food.

Raccoons are omnivorous and apart from eating nuts, berries, corn, mice and human garbage, they also eat fish, shellfish, salamanders, eggs, birds, frogs, insects and amphibians. They have a habit of appearing to wash their food before consuming it, but these same actions are seen when they do not have any water. The actions are believed to be a way of feeling the food, although no one has yet determined why the motions look like washing something. However, if water is available, they will soak their food in it, especially those who live in captivity. Pet Raccoons can also be fed cat food, as they enjoy it very much. A female Raccoon gives birth to two to five offspring at a time. Raccoons mate in January or February, followed by giving birth in April or May. They don’t hibernate in winter, but do become much less active.

Besides rabies, Raccoons can also be the carriers of parvovirus, canine distemper and roundworm. Nearly thirty-eight percent of cases of rabies, in the United States, are the result of Raccoon bites. However, only one human death has been recorded in the United States from rabies contracted from a rabid Raccoon. If any Raccoon is spotted in your neighbourhood during the day, contact the local health department or the SPCA immediately as you definitely do not want to take the chance that it is rabid. Raccoons seldom show signs of rabies, but their body fluids will have the virus if they are infected.

It is illegal to keep Raccoons as pets in the majority of states in the United States because they could be a carrier of rabies which could risk human life. In states where they are permitted, a special exotic pet permit should be obtained before getting a Raccoon as a pet. Orphan Raccoons which are rescued from the wild have a higher risk of being rabies carriers, and because they are wild animals they will be very difficult to tame. If you get a Raccoon as a pet, it should be vaccinated. Raccoons can be bought from special breeders who will make sure that the animal has its first vaccination and that it has been tamed.

Raccoons have a natural tendency to bite so be careful when handling them. When dad was a teenager, his father cut down a tree for firewood. They discovered a baby Racoon in a nest in a hole in the tree. The baby Raccoon was small enough to sit on the palm of dad’s hand, but full of snarling, biting fury. Dad wore heavy leather gloves to feed the little fellow. He kept him about two weeks, but instead of getting more friendly, the baby Racoon became more vicious. It was decided that the baby Raccoon should be taken out to the forest behind dad’s home and released. When the little fellow was let out of the box he had been kept in he stalked away snarling. Every few feet it would stop, turn around and glare at dad and snarl ferociously. Finally after the baby Raccoon had gone about 50 feet, it climbed a tree, snarling all the way until it disappeared in the heavy boughs. This experience made dad realize that wild Raccoons, even baby ones, would make very poor pets. They also may contaminate the food of other animals you have by urinating on it. Raccoons are nocturnal by nature, so they require a lot of time and hard work. With training, they can be made to sleep at night and stay awake during the day.

Raccoons held in captivity face health problems like obesity because they do not get enough exercise and they have a ready source of food. Because Raccoons are omnivorous, they should be fed a diet consisting of vegetables, raw eggs, raw meat and fruit. If you decide that you want a Raccoon as a pet, it is a lifelong commitment because captive Raccoons cannot be released into the wild. Once they have become domestic pets, they cannot survive in the wild. Dad was able to release the Raccoon he found into the wild because it had never been domesticated.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Bobcats

Bobcats are small wild cats found in North America. They range from southern Canada throughout the United States and into Mexico. With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face and black-tufted ears, the Bobcat resembles other species in the mid-sized Lynx genus. It is smaller than the Canadian Lynx, with whom it shares parts of its range, but about twice as large as a domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, from which it derives its name. A Bobcat's weight ranges from twenty-four to thirty-five pounds.

Owners of Bobcats compare their pet to a tabby cat, but a Bobcat's requirements are much more demanding than those of a domestic cat. Bobcats require special care and extra attention. Similar to Servels, Bobcats also have the habit of spraying their urine to mark their territory. Bobcats are very hyper and they have an aggressive nature. Bobcats need to be brought up in an outdoor enclosure where they have plenty of space to play, similar to life in the wild. If they don’t get adequate space and exercise outside, they will run around the house destroying things. Some owners are very content with their pets and others find them very time consuming and troublesome, so it is recommended that potential owners do their homework before making up their mind about having a Bobcat for a pet.

Because a Bobcat is a wild animal it is illegal to have them as a pet in a lot of locations. Before considering a Bobcat as a pet make sure that you check with local wildlife authorities and get all the necessary permits, licences and other paperwork showing you have the right to keep this animal as a pet.

Their diet shouldn’t be like any other domestic pet. Since they are exotic pets and come from the wild, they have different nutritional requirements than domestic cats. A meal for a Bobcat would consist of a whole chicken, which should be presented intact, feathers and all. They can also be given fresh killed squirrels and rabbits. They can eat raw beef, but they fair better on small wild animals and birds. They do not eat as much during the summer, but make up for it during the winter. They also require special medicine and vaccine doses. A normal dose of sedative given to other domestic pets can kill a Bobcat. They should be left with their claws and teeth so they remain healthy and able to protect themselves and eat their meals. If an owner decides to remove the claws of his pet Bobcat, then only the front claws should be removed.

Other than their playtime, they can be kept in a two-cage home which overall is fourteen feet tall and twenty-four feet wide. The two twelve by fourteen cages should be connected by a six-foot wide by six foot high walkway. The cages in which they are kept should have ramps, platforms and toys to keep them occupied. Some Bobcats are really affectionate and like to lick the face of their owner, but be ready for their tongue, which feels like sandpaper. Well trained Bobcats even sleep with their owners, but the owners that allow this need to get used to their loud purring. Bobcats get up early, around five o’clock in the morning and start playing, which means that they will start playing in the bed itself. They play really hard, putting all their energy into it, so be prepared for a damaged bed or bedding if you allow them to sleep with you.

Bobcats enjoy water and they especially like it when it rains. If there are puddles nearby, there is a good chance of the entire house getting messed up. Keep the toilet seat down and do not leave an unattended container of water around or it will be splashed all over the place. While they roam around in the house, it is a really bad idea to do the dishes or mop the floor.

Bobcats are good with people that they are familiar with. However they get very anxious when guests drop in. At such times, it is better if they are kept in their cage. When strangers are near, Bobcats become motionless. They hide and remain scared until the stranger leaves their territory. When the guests leave the Bobcat(s) will come out and sniff all around until they are sure that everything is all right and no “danger” remains.

Owners of Bobcats cannot go on long vacations or even go away for a weekend and leave the animals alone at home. If a babysitter is appointed, care must be taken that it is someone the pet(s) are familiar with. It should never be a stranger because the Bobcat(s) could be permanently traumatized by the experience. When owners start to realize that they have gotten more responsibility than they asked for, they start thinking of giving up the pet by either releasing it in the wild, which is extremely dangerous, or giving it to someone else. In the latter situation, Bobcats find it extremely difficult to trust and bond with the new owner. When you are dealing with a wild animal like a Bobcat, there are many responsibilities associated with it that never come into play when you are dealing with a domestic pet. And, as stated above, many jurisdictions have laws preventing you from keeping a wild animal as a pet. One of the most important reasons for this is that if you give up the wild pet, it will most likely have to be destroyed because it cannot be returned to the wild and going to a new owner very seldom works.

Until next time,

Teia