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: Skunks

Skunks are famous for their ability to produce foul smelling odour to defend themselves and to protect their prey from competitors. These mammals belong to the Mephitidae family. Eleven species of Skunks exist in the world today. These species are divided into four genera: Spilogale or spotted Skunks, Mydaus or stink badgers, Conepatus or hog-nosed Skunks and Mephitis or stripped and hooded Skunks. Skunks are found in North America, South America, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Skunks vary from forty centimetres to seventy centimetres in length and from one pound to ten pounds in weight. They have long front claws which help them to dig easily and have short muscular legs which propel their moderately long body in an waddling stride. Commonly, their fur is white and black in color, but there are Skunks with gray, brown and even cream coloured fur. Striped Skunks are striped from birth. Some Skunks have a thick stripe which runs from their tail to the top of their head, while others may have two thin stripes, broken stripes or white spots. Some skunk’s legs are also striped.

Some countries have laws about keeping Skunks as pets. It is legal to have a Skunk as a pet in Great Britain and Canada, but in some states in the United States it is illegal to have them as pets. So, if you live in the United States check with your state authorities before deciding to get a Skunk as a pet. Usually the mephitis genera are preferred as pets because they are more social than most other genera of Skunks. Before selling a Skunk, breeders usually remove the scent glands. Skunks usually live longer in captivity than they do in the wild. Their lifespan in captivity is from ten to twenty years. In the wild their average lifespan is three years with the occasional one living as long as ten years. Keeping Skunks as pets in not new. They were kept as pets by some of the Pilgrims and other early European settlers in the United States and there are reports that some native North Americans also kept Skunks as pets.

Skunks feed on both plants and animals, so they are called omnivorous animals. In addition to plants, they eat insects, earthworms, lizards, frogs, rodents, salamanders, snakes, moles, birds and eggs. When they cannot find meat, they feed on wild fruit and seeds. Some Skunks even feed on garbage in urban areas and this is where they frequently meet and spray dogs, much to the dismay of the dog‘s owner.

Skunks are crepuscular animals (active during twilight). Skunks stay aloof when not breeding, but stay in communal dens in the winter. They do not hibernate in the winter, but become inactive and do not eat on a regular basis. They live in burrows dug by them, man made pits, or natural pits, depending on what they can find in the area where they live. In winter, a huddle, with one male and up to twelve females, will live in a den. They frequently use the same den every year in the winter.

Skunks have superb hearing and smelling capabilities, but their vision is poor. They can not see clearly more than three meters. This is a factor in the numerous Skunks killed in road accidents. According to one study, nearly 50 percent of Skunks die due to road traffic, which is probably why few wild Skunks live longer than three years.

Skunks can carry rabies and it is reported that nearly thirty one percent of them are infected with it. However, there have not been many reported cases of humans catching rabies from a Skunk. The stink they can unleash if threatened is enough to ensure that most humans don‘t get close enough to them to be bitten. However, if you decide to keep a Skunk as a pet, they should be vaccinated to avoid any mishaps.

In the event that you do get bitten by a Skunk, clean the wound thoroughly with an antibacterial solution and water. If the wound is bleeding put a light gauze pad over the bite area and apply an ice pack to slow the bleeding. Seek medical help immediately and call the police or animal control and advise them that there is a possible rabid Skunk in the area. When you arrive at the doctor’s office or emergency department of the local hospital, insist that you be given a tetanus shot. Also request that a test be performed to see whether they can tell if you were exposed to rabies or not. If the Skunk is captured or killed, request that it be tested for rabies.

My mom had a Skunk for a pet when she was a teenager. It was a friendly animal, but even after having its scent glands removed, it still had that lingering musky smell. It’s hard to get friendly with an animal that has that kind of odour. Fortunately for mom, her sense of smell is very limited, so she didn’t notice it, but when dad met “Suzy” he wasn’t all that favourably impressed. A few weeks after mom and dad started dating, mom found a new home for “Suzy” so dad didn’t have to worry about her odour any more. He doesn’t know if all pet Skunks have an odour, because that is the only one he has been around. It could have been that the person who removed the scent glands didn’t do that good of a job.

If you do get a Skunk as a pet, you have to be careful with it because Skunks tend to over eat and if you over feed them they will become obese in a short period of time. This obesity will lead to medical problems, so make sure that you only feed the prescribed amount of food, or you will be faced with large veterinarian bills.

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