Fennec Foxes & Friends

Old Foxy Beach Pictures

2012-01-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

So I know it's been a while since I posted but I was going through old pictures and just wanted to share some of my foxy at the beach. These were taken a few years ago, and figured you guys might like them :)

Random Update

2011-10-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

Random update on my dog Kira, cat Alias, and the kitten Tiger my friends and I rescued from Universal Studios;

All are doing well, Tiger got super fluffy. My friend Mike loves him and spoils him a little too much. He is now so fluffy though that he drives my allergies nuts when I visit (I'm only allergic to normal kitties). My fat Bengal kitty Alias is still doing great and is happy/healthy. And my dog Kira is still doing great. Mystery pet is doing great also and loves the dog and cat.

Here is a cute picture of the two kitties having a kitty playdate;

Kira (the rescue dog who is a American Blue Heeler Mix), is doing really well. She is finally eating regular dog food and not being spoiled and only eating wet dog food. She loves the dog park as well as my other pets. Even Alias the kitty likes to walk on a leash.

Puppy Tweets!

2011-10-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Okay so after the fiasco of getting scammed, I finally got a real pet that I can love.I am not going into details of what type of animal/names/etc. because there are constantly people trying to use my animals against me, so I have to keep it on the down-low. However, I can tell you the cute things my pet does and post the adorable stories on here. It will just be stories about the mystery pet (you can assume what type of pet haha).

What's more, I bought an adorable thing called 'Puppy Tweets' from Thinkgeek.com and I wanted to share it. Based on a pet's movement, it automatically uploads tweets to your Twitter based on what the pet is doing (running, sleeping, jumping, etc.), so keep an eye out on our twitter for adorable and funny status updates. I plan on taking them to the dog park and all, and you all will know when I do!

I hate to be all mysterious like this, but unfortunately there are some not-so-nice-people in the world.

Enjoy the 'Puppy Tweets' item, it seems like it will rock and I will be setting it up tonight later when I get home from classes. And I really want to clarify I love all my animals to pieces and anyone who knows me will tell you that. I hate it when people assume they know what they are talking about because of hearsay. I wish people would be more honest, open, and up front about things.

That's how I am, it's just no one has actually asked me about anything that has happened so far. It's a shame really.

The Corsac Fox Fiasco

2011-08-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

Elina Darling, whose blog is here; http://theflashmans.blogspot.com, contacted me, saying there were a rare species of foxes I had wanted to adopt for sale in a local pet shop, Corsac Foxes, and she asked me if I wanted to adopt them. Our verbal agreement was that she would pick up the male/female Corsac Fox pair for me and drop them off at the airport.

However, the foxes turned out not to be tame, so she told me she had a breeder who also runs a zoo who she would be getting kits from in the spring time. This is the guy she was supposed to get multiple kits from. I said I would love having kits, and I would wait until her contact's foxes had babies. However, there were complications and no babies survived.

So she found a broker who was questionable but he supposedly had two foxes, male and female, available. Well she found out that he fixed the females, because he didn't want anyone else to breed them. But her contact was supposed to have more baby foxes born, so we would switch the fixed female for an intact female so I would have a breeding pair of babies.

So I paid her $3,805 dollars, $3845 once the bank charged fees for the wire transfer, and she picked up the pair of foxes from the broker. However, the female was supposedly killed by the male, and I have never seen any evidence of this. Elina and her husband Andrew C. Griffin (who I sent the money to via bank transfer) both said they would 'gift' me kits for 'my loss' the following year when more were born. [All of this is in the messages I have saved between her and I]. If any of you want the messages her and I exchanged, contact me at fennecfoxes.webs@gmail.com so you know the truth.

However, she started telling me the male fox (Fable) wasn't tame, wouldn't make a good pet, etc. etc. and I should sell him. She also told me I would need someone to sign off on a paper to say he wasn't a protected animal so we could ship him to the US. Well after a month or two's worth of calling airports in the UK, calling airlines, brokers, etc. seeing how I could get these papers, I called the CITES office (the people Elina told me required the papers). However, they told me that I would never need papers since he is not a protected species and they didn't know who told me I would.

When I told Elina that, and that now we could schedule the flight, Elina tried to charge me 200 pounds more for food, she said. That equals $327.27 for food for almost two months. She also said she hadn't taken him to the Vet yet, so asked for more money there. While I already lost $1922 on the 'dead' female, I started to think this was a scam for money, with her asking $327 more, plus about $100 for Vet bills, plus shipping which I would have to pay about $382 (a quote from the airline). So all in all after she asked me for $3845 and failed to produce a female like we agreed on, she asked for a total of $809 more.

I started to feel like she was scamming me for the most money, and now my male baby fox, Fable, is still under her care. This is why I am not getting Corsac Foxes this year. Oh, and she slandered me on a forum called Sybil's Den, straight-up lying to them and bashing my name (I have messages between us in a PDF file proving she is lying). They also blocked me from the forums so I cannot defend myself.

She is also saying my first fox was not a foster. Well she was supposed to be. Her name was Sora. She was supposed to be a foster for a friend. They are a friend who are on all the boards, forums, etc., so for their privacy, I told everyone it was a foster. I tried to leave it at that. Being I was in a dorm at the time, I knew I would not be able to keep her indefinitely. However, my friend told me they would not be able to afford them anymore so I could either have her or do what I want. I paid my friend for her because obviously I was attached, even though in the back of my mind I knew a dorm was no place for a fox. I kept telling myself I would just hide her until I got an apt., but someone found out and I was forced to be homeless or find her a new home. I still talk to the people who have Sora, and she is happy.

If you have any questions about the previous foxes I have had, or the lies she is spreading around about me, email me at fennecfoxes.webs@gmail.com. I have nothing to hide, unlike her.

If she treats animals like this, and she is a doctor, I wonder how she handles the humans under her care?

A Rescued Kitten!

2011-05-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

My friends and I were able to save a kitten from being Euthanized. We were in Universal Studios when we saw 4 stray kittens whose mother was nowhere to be found. When we then found out

someone called Pest Control, we tried to save the kittens, especially since one of the employees told us Pest Control usually Euthanizes excess animals.

Well, we didn't want that to happen, so we were able to rescue one - even though not all of them, at least we rescued one - and we stuck him inside a candy box we had bought so we could sneak him out of the park. They told us they would not let us take them out of the park since it was a liability, even if we were going to take them to a no-kill shelter.

So we hid him in our candy box and decided to adopt him. The poor little guy had worms, fleas, and needed a preventative for roundworms. He also had incredibly dirty ears and fur :(

But now he is all cleaned up and happy! I hope he will like the baby foxes when they get here!

We named him Tiger.

Bengal Cat Vs. Fennec Fox

2011-02-07T14:40:00.001-08:00

Okay so one time, back when I had Eevee, my kitty cat was being very cat-like and decided to nap in the middle of the floor. Well anything on the floor was fair game to Eevee. She owned all the items that made their way to her level.

So Alias the kitty was peacefully sleeping in his favorite position, spread-legged with his tum

my in the air. Well, he was too peaceful for Eevee. She decided she would walk over to him, inspect that he was really sleeping, then pounce on his fat tummy.

Well, Alias decided if he ignored her, Eevee might get bored with her little brain being as ADHD as it usually is. So he jumped up unto the couch and fell back asleep.

Guess who decided to jump up and onto his belly again? Eevee just couldn't resist. So the cat decided maybe if he leaves the room he can sleep. He goes into my bedroom and lays there, slowly falling asleep. He is slightly snoring when in trots Eevee. She pounces so hard on his tummy he decides to pin her down and go back to sleep.

Eevee looks up at me like, "Aw, I failed daddy."

Sad News

2010-12-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

I have really sad news. I have finally decided to write about it.

Eevee passed away a few months ago. I went to get her fixed, but she never woke up from the anesthesia. I miss her terribly. I can't sue the Vet either because the sneaky bastard put in the contract I signed that they were not liable.

I am considering getting another baby (or a pair of them) in the spring.

R.I.P. Eevee

All About Alias!

2010-12-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

I decided to introduce you all to my kitty, Alias.

His name is Alias because all my friends called him something different. One person liked 'Dante,' another liked 'Kitty,' and I wanted to name him 'Cairo.' Long story short, he didn't know his name so we started calling him Alias. And He uses the toilet and honestly, he misses less than I do. In the year and a half I have had him, he only has had one accident. I didn't teach him to flush though, because he used to like to watch the water swirl. I was afraid he would sit there and flush, flush, flush, haha.

He has the coolest personality. He is one of the only breeds of cat that I am not allergic to. I am honestly not too much of a cat person, but he follows me everywhere and cries if I am home but leave him by himself in another room. He sits on the seat of a car with the window open and looks at all the cars/pedestrians. I saw a segment on Pet Star about a cat that could be trained to do tricks, so I taught him to sit, and my personal favorite is when I say "up." He will get on his hind legs and beg for a treat.

And I believe he is an F4? or Maybe an F5? I wasn't really paying attention when I adopted him, and his paperwork is here somewhere . . . Well, I just wanted a companion kitty. And he was a great companion for Eevee before she passed away. He is so calm and loves all other animals. He travels well being able to use the potty and loves my mom's Great Dane. The only time I have an issue is if I walk him on a leash, or bring him to the pet store and a dog starts growling at him.

I took the picture of him in the cart today on the way to go to the pet store to get fitted for a harness, and he was totally calm except for when this mini poodle started growling at him. He cried for me, then sat on my shoulder until the mean dog left. He is such a big baby. After the vicious poodle left (and I swear all small dogs have that Napoleon complex), he sat calmly on the floor on his leash while I fitted him for a harness.

I never thought I would have a pet cat, but now I can't imagine my life without him.

French Fry Mayhem

2010-09-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, one time I left my french fries on the table from Mcdonald's (hey it's been like 6 months since I ate there). And Eevee jumped up while I wasn't looking and carefully stole a french fry, not knowing what it was. She gave herself away by the AMAZINGLY loud shriek she gave.
It can be roughly translated as; Oh my gosh I didn't realize this is the best food in the history of ever! Humans must be Gods!

I have never heard her scream that loud out of excitement. She immediately tried to steal another one, and she was so lighting fast, she grabbed the bottom of the container. I grabbed the top so they didn't spill, and we were in a ridiculous tug-of-war. Well, long story short, the container ripped and they literally went flying everywhere like a movie.

Well, my cat heard the commotion, so he ran with his little fat belly over and grabbed as many fries as he could as Eevee stuffed her mouth, screaming all the while with her mouth loaded with my fries, and I waited till she thought I wasn't looking and grabbed her back out of her cage. I put her in the bathroom while I cleaned up and bribed my cat out from under the bed with treats.

After cleaning up the greasy mess, Eevee learned all food I have is delicious treats sent from God, so she had immediately investigated my next few meals for weeks.

Trapped Swift Fox Gets Ice Cream

2010-08-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

This story was too funny not to share, and I don't claim to own the rights to this clip it belongs to MSNBC. It was so adorable though and I just had to share. This is the Swift Fox, who was once so threatened in America and extinct in Canada that they began breeding programs for it.

These guys are often mistaken for baby Coyotes and shot or harvested for their fur. Although how can you think this cute little face is a coyote? Look at that smile - definitely a face anyone could love!

How to Speak Fennec Fox

2010-07-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

Eevee has gotten so much bigger since I first brought her home! I have barely had any time to be on the internet let alone write some blogs, so sorry for not keeping this updated.
Today I decided to attempt at translating some of the noises they make (Notice how everything has an exclamation mark, this is because the Fennecs always get their point across with emphasis).

The Squeal:
Daddy, I love you! I haven't seen you in ages! Or, Daddy, I love it when you scratch my ears and tail! Or, Thank you thank you thank you for letting me out of the cage! Good morning daddy!

The Squawk (usually a short lower-pitched noise):
Either, Daddy kitty nommed on me too hard! Or Daddy, I want to get out of my cage NOW!

The Quiet Purr:
This is so nice of you to rub my back and scratch my ears, Daddy. I am getting sleepy. This is comfy, right here . . . Yawn . . .

The Scream:
OH MY GOSH I HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY - I'M GONNA RUN - IMMA RUN FASTER, AND FASTER! OH MY GOSH DADDY THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! I AM SO SO SO SO EXCITED!

The Bark:
[Sounds just like a dog] Give me attention please Daddy! You are not paying attention to me!

There are new noises everyday. I will always keep an eye out for more. Keep an eye out for the next post, I will be explaining the complicated relationship between Alias the Bengal cat and Eevee the Fennec Fox.

Introducing Eevee, the New Baby Fennec Fox!

2010-06-04T15:05:00.001-07:00

Okay you guys, I melted when I saw her in her super tiny carrier. She was squeaking as if to say,"Let me out of here!" As soon as we got in the car, I held her for the first time, and looking at her little face, I fell in love. I know that's cheesy, but it's the only way I can describe it. She was my perfect little angel.

Now that she is settled in, two days later, she is super spunky and really sweet. I have met about 8 Fennecs in my lifetime before, and she is the quietest and sweetest of all. She loves to sleep in your lap and loves every other animal so far, and she just likes to play. I haven't seen any signs of aggression from her and she loves to explore. She still hasn't figured out how to climb up the ladders to the 3rd and 4th floor yet. My cat, Alias, is so jealous of her though.

But as the time goes by she gets more and more comfortable, and she can already jump on my bed a day later, the little daredevil. She is not afraid of anything and extremely affectionate.

She loves everyone, but I knew she would love me forever when I saw her this morning. I woke up to a teeny squeak, and as soon as she saw me, she wagged her tail and rolled on her back for a belly rub. She was so perfect as I let her out she squeaked with happiness and rolled over for me. It was then I knew Eevee was meant for me.

NEW FENNEC BABY!

2010-05-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this all happened so fast!

I was contacted by a breeder Sunday night about advertising for him on my website. I guess he had a couple of people back out of adopting the Fennec babies he had available. So I told him I was still looking for a fox and asked when they would be ready to ship out. He told me they had just turned 6 weeks old on May 30, and I told him I would love to adopt one. There are three babies, 2 females and 1 male. They were born to Echo and Radar, which came from Sheri Hanna in California. She took over Lynn Hall's business, and he was the first person to bring Fennec Foxes into the United States over 40 years ago! I feel like these babies are part of a championship bloodline, having been the first domesticated Fennecs in the United States.

Well, now he is scheduling a Vet exam so he can get the health certificate, and scheduling her to fly in Wednesday! I am so excited, I am still in a daze about it all and cannot get over how fast everything happened. All that is left now until Wednesday is to get a new copy of my Driver's License (my wallet was stolen a week ago) so I can pick up the little female at the airport.

He told me she was the calmest out of the litter of the 2 females and one male. I hope she stays that way. She is less than 1 pound now, and is so adorable. This is a video of them at 4 weeks old, and keep an eye out for my next post, which will have updated pictures of her! And I am still not sure what to name her - Lillith, Chloe, or Eevee so let me know what you guys think . . . You can comment below!

How to Catch A Fox In Africa

2010-05-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Whoever said water was scarce in the desert didn't know these bozos. This is ridiculous!

Swift Fox Today Show FAIL

2010-05-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, this woman is supposed to be the representative of Seaworld and Busch Gardens. Watch what happens to the poor animal. She is so fired! This is the article;

'During a segment on endangered animals on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM ET on NBC), a Swift Fox makes a break for it and narrowly avoids leaping on anchor Matt Lauer.

As Julie Scardina, the Animal Ambassador for Seaworld and Busch Gardens, attempts to pass the animal off to a handler, it tries to jump to the floor and misses Lauer by inches.

"I thought he was coming for my throat," Lauer said. But, don't worry, Lauer fans. The anchor doesn't seem to have been in any real danger; it appears the animal was simply trying to escape.'

Btw, are there actually any Matt Lauer fans? lol.

Article can be seen here; http://insidetv.aol.com/2010/04/07/endangered-fox-leaps-at-matt-lauer-on-today-video/

How to Toilet Train a Pet

2010-05-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I keep getting asked how I possibly trained a cat to go to the bathroom on the toilet. Well this method can be used to toilet train any animal that goes in a litter box. My dream is to train the fox how to use the toilet, but I am not getting my hopes up, since just using the litter box is an accomplishment. And remember, you should only change steps EVERY OTHER day, or if your pet has trouble, every few days. Here is a day by day guide of how to train an animal;

*Disclaimer* I am not claiming this will work with every animal, this is just what worked for me. And if you have multiple cats or small dogs, etc, it will be extremely hard since they will mimic bad behaviors. Also if you are near me, I will train them myself, for a small fee.

DAY 1

-Move the litter box or potty pad right next to the toilet and give plenty of praise and a treat when they go on it. If the litter box or potty pad was far away from the toilet you might want to split this step up and move it a little closer and closer each day to the toilet. Chances are, they will like this new "game" of getting a treat for something they have been trained to do, and will want to continue these behaviors.

DAY 3

-Add a phone book under the litter box or potty pad, so it is elevated a litter higher than the ground.

DAY 4

-Add another phone book. Keep adding phone books every day until it is level with the toilet. Keep giving lots of praise and treats for good potty behaviors.

DAY 6

-Remove the litter box or potty pad. Now there are many kits for this step, but I was cheap and used a giant piece of cardboard from a pizza box. Draw 4 circles so you have 4 layers on the carboard inside your toilet seat ring. Place the huge square (or you can cut it to fit the shape of your bowl) under the round toilet seat. Add litter (preferably flushable) to the hole on top of the cardboard.

DAY 7

-Cut the smallest ring (which should make a tiny hole about half the size of your palm) out of the cardboard and put litter around the rest of the cardboard in a circle. Some pets will be unfazed, others will freak out. Let your pet adjust to this for a few days, I waited two. keep giving plenty of praise when they go on the cardboard.

DAY 9

-Cut the next ring of cardboard out, and sprinkle new litter around the smaller cardboard ring. Give plenty of praise when the pet performs their skills on the toilet. Remember, if your pet decides to go on the floor or has an accident, you can always go back a step.

Note: My friends cat wanted to hide his poo in the bathtub and only would urinate on the toilet. Since most cats are afraid of water, I would fill up your tub when you cannot watch your cat. This stopped my friend's cat's behavior immediately.

DAY 11

-Remove the third ring. You should only have one ring left. Your animal will have to balance on the outer part of the cardboard, or the toilet seat to go. And keep in mind, this will be a little stinky for the two weeks it takes to accomplish toilet training. If they can go on the potty well, give them treats, if they are having problems, go back a step or two.

Day 12

-Cut out the final ring, but leave the unseen cardboard ring under the toilet seat. Leave this here for smell, familiarity, etc. Your pet should be able to balance on the seat now, and when they go, give them double the treats for balancing and performing their tasks correctly. Leave the ring on the toilet for about another 5 days so they get used to the smell, etc, then they should be able to go without it all by themselves like this;

A Krusty, Spoiled Brat

2010-05-15T21:23:00.001-07:00

When I had my second fox, Ellie, I got her at 5 weeks, so I still had to bottle feed her. I took off the first two weeks I had her off work and brought her everywhere with me. She was my child, and she loved me so much. She was so sweet as she got older too but there was one problem.

I started to spoil her very badly. When she didn't get her way, she would pout like a 2 year old. One time, I didn't give her any of the people food I was cooking in the kitchen (as I usually did, but this meal was unhealthy even for humans), so she decided to put herself in a corner and started being krusty. I walked over to her, saying, "It's not that bad, I will give you Cheerios later." But she gave a little squeak as if to say I don't WANT Cheerios! I want your crappy people food! I tried to pet her and show her a new toy instead, but she squeaked and turned her back to me in the corner. I said, "Fine! Stay in the corner and pout" and she looked at me and gave me an evil look.

So later that night, once she had cooled down, and started running circles around the coffee table again, I decided to see if she was still being krusty. Sure enough, I went to pick her up, and though she knew she could do nothing about it, she refused to look me in the eye or make her purring noise while I pet her. As soon as I put her down, she decided to run back into her corner.

Well, I decided since she was already pouting, a bath couldn't hurt, right?

Wrong.

After her giving me truly evil stares while bathing her fluffy little self in the sink, as soon as I dried her off, she bolted into her cage. She decided she was going to be krusty for two more hours. I tried numerous times, even offering Cherios as a peace offering, but everytime she saw me, she would go to a corner of her cage, refusing to give me the courtesy to even look at me.

After 2 hours, she decided to finally come snooze with me for a couple minutes before running again as if to say, I am sorry I was such a brat. I just wanted Cheerios and thought pouting would work!

I scratched behind her enormous ears, and all was well.

A Foxy Interview

2010-05-15T21:19:00.001-07:00

Someone who was just starting out asked these questions and I think these are a great start for you guys out there looking for a fox!

1. Do you think a fox would work with the fur-kids i currently have?

Foxes get along with almost any animal out there, except the bigger foxes might see the ferret as prey, for that I would recommend one of the two smaller foxes, a Swift or a Fennec.

1a. If so what kind of fox?

If you want a fox that was once described as a ferret on crack, the hyper Fennec might be for you. However, they do calm down and can be SUPER sweet! As always, it's good to find someone locally and meet whatever type of fox you want in person, but if that's not possible, read all about them. I personally would choose a Swift Fox, even though they are rare for the following reasons;

-They are one of 4 foxes that don't smell (Corsacs, which aren't available in the US, Gray foxes, Fennecs, and Swifts)

-They do not climb like the gray fox

-They aren't as tiny and fragile as the Fennec

-From what pet owners have reported, they seem to have the friendliest personalities, Fennecs are nice when they feel like it or for food.

-The few people I spoke to about Swift foxes had no problem litter training them - most foxes are impossible, you have to keep this in mind.

-They only get to be 5-7 pounds.

2. What kind of fox do you have?

I have fostered 2 Fennecs before and am adopting a baby fennec this May or June

2a. What are some pro's and cons?

I have an EXTENSIVE list on my Blog on my website, and interviews with fox breeders and owners, but here is my short personal list

Pros -

-They have such addicting personalities

-The tail wagging

-If you train them right, like my old Fennec, she NEVER bit out of being scared or angry, and she was 95% potty trained, but being an exotic, she had that 5% where if she was mad at you, she would purposely poop on one of your belongings

Cons -

-Almost all foxes are destructive when bored, it isn't too bad for Fennecs, because they were so tiny.

-Some have high pitched squeals, but I find this adorable.

-Most foxes refuse to be potty-trained

3. Did you adopt or buy from a breeder?

In the US, it's probably safest to buy from a breeder.

I also have questions you should ask a breeder and a breeder list on my website;

fennecfoxes.webs.com/breederquestionsfaq.htm

4. What do you feed your fox?

I personally fed my foxes Nutro Cat food as a base diet, then added fruits, veggies, and raw chicken and beef on a cycle. Cheerios were their favorite treats.

5. Good fox experiences? Bad ones?

Check out my blog;

http://fennecfoxes.webs.com/apps/blog/

6. Pictures?

hundreds of photos and a few videos on here;

http://fennecfoxes.webs.com/apps/photos/

7. Anything else you think might be good to know?

Just realize they are a lifetime commitment even if they aren't exactly how you thought them to be. Foxes make extremely amazing pets if you train them right. My foxes were SO much like toddlers, it was astounding. They say foxes are smarter than cats or dogs, and they are right.

Ellie would pout in the corner if she was mad, she would poop in your laundry most likely if you punished her for a bad behavior, but she also had so many good qualities. She got SO excited to see you after a break of being by herself. She would squeal with delight and wag her tail. I think for me the best part of a fox was how excited they got to see you. Ellie would wag her tail, squeal, run in circles around me, and bring me her favorite toys. She would roll on her back for a belly rub. And she loved to play rough and nibble. Some people thought her rough play was mean, but it was not. If she was angry her ears would go back and she would make an angry noise.

But I would recommend taking off of work for at least two weeks when you first adopt your fox to spend almost 24 hours with them. That's what I did with my old Fennec, and I even had a carrying backpack. And the more stuff (meeting new people, baths, nail trimmings, etc.) you expose them to as babies, the more accepting they will be of these things as adults.

Scared or Mischievous?

2010-05-15T21:01:00.001-07:00

So today my cat reminded me of a very funny thing he does and my old fox used to do. Whenever I play hide and go seek with my cat (well, it's more a game of seek, the cat hides in a room and I search for him, but when I find him he runs to another hiding spot), his tail gets SUPER puffy, like the picture below.

When I used to play with Ellie, her little foxy tail, which was already so puffy, would fluff up even more. My vet told me cat's tails, he wasn't sure about the fox, puff up when they are scared. But my cat is totally calm, just a little mischievous when we play hide n' seek. So what do you guys think? Were the cat and the fox really just scared or mischievous?

Oh, the Bath Time

2010-05-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

None of my animals ever really liked baths, due to whatever circumstances. Some foxes like baths, some don't, depending on their personality type. Some LOVE it, and some HATE it.

The first fox I fostered, Sora, never liked baths because I made the mistake to not give her baths until she was older. She saw the baths and was like, ZOMG! That clear wet stuff comes in bigger shapes than my water?! When I placed her gently in there, coddling her the whole time, she looked up like, Excuse me? You might say it's fine but, clearly, I don't like it! She would flail and whimper and get her point across that she was not happy with me, especially the look on her face. I could tell most of the time what she was thinking by her eyes. During bath time her eyes would say, If only I wasn't a three pound midget, we'd see who holds who in the water. But eventually she got a little used to it and tolerated it with a pitiful look in her eyes. Sora had the best personality of the two foxes, she loved to held and petted and given attention to, and she never nipped, but she refused to be potty trained. I tried everything in my power to potty train her but she just felt like going wherever she wanted to go.

My second fox, Ellie, was used to baths from the start, but she didn't like them, and no wonder why - there are no big lakes in the Sahara Desert. She always tolerated me, since she knew she would have to endure it no matter what. Ellie had an okay personality, but if you pissed her off she would pout and whine and actually put herself in a corner. And this is exactly what she would do if given a bath along with nail trimmings. And though she was almost 100% potty trained, if you punished her for doing something bad, or if you made her mad she would purposely poop on something that belonged to whoever made her angry. She was a vengeful one.

And my cat Alias, who has dealt with Ellie with patience, used to LOVE water, he would play in the sink, the bath, and ice cubes. He would play with his mini tennis balls and swim back and forth through the water. Until the one day. I was taking a bath myself (which is really rare since I never have the time to relax) and I actually had bought some bubble bath instead of being cheap and using shampoo, and I lowered myself into the mound of bubbles. Well, Alias jumped up onto the side of the tub, wondering where I had gone, when he fell in! He had gotten soap and bubbles all in his mouth and eyes, and ever since then, he associated the bad memory with the taste of bubble bath. He must have been thinking, You tricked me! That good smelling stuff tastes bad and stings! Our newest bath day was lovely, however, this time the cat just sat there as I held him down and rinsed. The only problem was he was letting out a deep, raspy meow that sounded like I was beating him. My next door neighbors were out walking and came over at one point to ask if everything was okay.

I simply said, "Oh, it's the bath time."

So now I sit back and hope my new Swift Fox will love, or at least be used to, water. I am so sick of animals cringing every time it's bath day. And I hope no one will call animal control for the next bath.

The 'Near Death' Experience

2010-05-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

My 8 month old Snow Bengal cat, Alias, used to LOVE all other animals. He would play with dogs, chasing them and playing tag. He even got along with the second 'foster' fox Ellie. Even though she would bite his tail and chase him even when he was work out, he still liked her. And I figured when I adopted him that hey, foxes are able to be trained to use leashes so why not train him too?

And so we went for walks, which at first they were more like drag-alongs, but now he walks perfectly fine on a leash. In fact, when he feels like going out for a stroll he will calmly wait by the front door. Sometimes he meows incessantly if you ignore him.

But one day, he thought one of his little nine lives was up.

We were walking calmly on the sidewalk as usual, when this little Rat Terrier shows up. Have you ever met one of those animals that are so vicious, hates other animals, bites and scratches it's own owner, yet the owner still thinks they are God's gift to the world? Well, that's exactly how this ugly Rat Terrier's mommy felt. The excuse for a dog started growling and going crazy at the site of my cat, but the woman had one of those retractable leashes (which should have been pulled snug like my cat's was) and the dog ran towards us in a flash. He bit my cat really hard right on the thigh, because my cat didn't run away, at first thinking he wanted to play. The dog wouldn't let go so I shoved him sharply away from my cat the woman screamed "Stop it! Stop it!" When I realized she was NOT talking to the dog, I grabbed that little 5 pound mutt and had to hold him away from my cat, who clawed his way up to my shoulder.

Now I was pissed. I am not a very angry person in general, but people such as this woman could start my temper going in less than five seconds. And now I have scratch marks to prove it because I hadn't trimmed his nails yet this week. After calmly grinding my teeth and telling her she should have kept her dog on a tighter leash, while she was screaming at ME to control MY cat, I ended up walking away as she yelled, "I could sue you!"

At this point I calmly said, "Go ahead."

So now, naturally, my cat is terrified of dogs, and this stupid woman undid my 2 months of socializing my cat.

Today, I was walking my cat as normal, and everything went fine except for the usual car starting, and then two tiny puppies ran out from the neighbors front porch. The puppies were adorable and harmless and didn't even notice the cat, but my cat almost did an air 360 as he tried to pull in the opposite direction. I just picked him up, feeling his pounding heart, and surprised he didn't have a heart attack, brought him back to our doorstep. I had even been taking him to visit my neighbor's dog almost every other day!

He is just sitting happily on my pillow, glad he survived his second 'near death' experience.

Has Anyone Seen A Fox?

2010-05-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Back when I kinda fostered my first fox, I would take her to the beach very often. I figured hey, Fennecs live in the desert so she should love the sand! Well, the first visit was kind of rough. There was almost (I would venture out to say 'sandstorm' but it wasn't quite as bad as the ones on National Geographic) a storm. It was extremely windy and sand would hit you so hard it stung your skin. So I only stayed there for about half an hour and Sora stayed hidden inside her little impact-resistant carier.

The next visit went a lot better. There was no wind, barely any people, so I didn't get swamped with the usual questions - Is that a fox? Are those legal? Will it attack me? Can I get a picture with it? Where did you get it? etc. So I let the little one out on her leash, and she looked around like 'whoa, where the heck am I?' and she immediately starts digging. Finally! A place she will be free to dig at without getting in trouble! So I laid down with her leash around my wrist, feeling a little tug here and there as I enjoyed the sun. Well, I took an unplanned nap, resulting in two unfortunate events. One, I got burned on my entire front side. Two, I still had the leash on my wrist, but no tugging, and Sora was gone! I was freaking out, looking left and right, but no she was not anywhere. I asked my friend, "Have you seen Sora?!" I called and called for her, whistling like I did when she would get a treat, standing up with the retractable leash still on my wrist.

My friend Lindsay helped me look when, finally, I felt like an idiot. Fast asleep, Sora had dug a hole under her little green carrier and was sound asleep. I guess now that she felt safe in there, she decided to nap. Who had made a fool out of who?

Excerpt From 'There's A Fox In The House'

2010-05-15T19:55:00.000-07:00

...so of course I decided to get a second fox in April 1997.

A fennec is a three-pound desert dweller native to the Middle East, sharp-toothed and short-tempered, with enormous ears and dark, soulful eyes. Fennecs don't walk anywhere; they dash, lightning-fast, tail high. Like any fox, they can be imprinted and trained, but not tamed.

So I know where she is and what she's doing, Julian wears a bell, handmade for her by a falconer friend I've known for years, who's the gentlest, quietest, most inoffensive guy imaginable. Julian took an instant and inexplicable dislike to him, and when I shut her in her box she screeched dire warnings for the duration of his visit. The only man she fully accepts is my father, who feeds her greasy fast food on the sly.

She bosses Asha unmercifully, snarling and snapping if he comes too close when she's eating or playing with a toy, or sometimes for no discernible reason at all. She climbs him like a mountain to stand on his head, and uses him to jump on and off my recliner. She, too, steals his chewies, and he endures it with that legendary Golden Retriever patience.

At other times she'll snuggle up against him, her coat and his so alike it's hard to tell who's who. She'll bring him a dog biscuit from the jar on the counter, lay it in front of his nose and watch him eat it, then sprint off for another. The record so far is twelve in a row. When he hears her fishing in the ceramic jar Asha thumps his tail, blithely forgetting how she sinks needle teeth in his ears and digs tufts out of his silken coat.

Her dinner each night is a well-balanced buffet, set out of canine reach on the kitchen table: a mouse or rabbit or squirrel meat, diced mixed vegetables, honey toast, miniature carrots, assorted sugar-coated cereals, fruit of the day, the occasional leftover from my dinner, and a dish of vanilla liquid diet supplement. She checks it all carefully, then, like any four-year-old, she runs off to eat the dead leaves stuck to the firewood.

The trick to living peacefully with a fox is a policy of complete capitulation. To keep her from pulling down my curtains in her effort to walk on the narrow windowsills, I installed wide carpeted shelves. When she developed the habit of creeping about in the cupboard, knocking over dishes, I crammed all my dishes onto the top two shelves and lined the bottom shelf with soft flannel. Insatiably curious, she comes running when I call, because there's always something fun or yummy or interesting. She somehow makes me feel honored when she accepts treats and toys.

When she wants to be petted-and she's remarkably affectionate-she regally presents herself, confident from experience that I'll drop whatever I'm doing. If I take too long to finish reading a paragraph, she slides in front of the book. At night she fox-naps on me, leaping off without warning, then jumping back up just as suddenly. The cooler the house, the longer she lingers; never ask a chilly Fennec if she loves you for yourself alone. She's a tiny little tyrant in a woolly, sand-colored coat, and I can't imagine life without her.

Fennec Fox Interview

2010-05-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Interview with Denis Bressler, Donna Fritz, Julie Reid, and Gabrielle Collins

Positives of fennecs as pets?

DB: I personally think they make one of the neatest exotics pets out there. They are simple to take of, and very small. I never met anyone who didn't think they weren't adorable and cute with those great big ears. Their food expense is relatively low, and even the smallest apartments have plenty of space for them. Fennecs are endearing, addictive, have cute little voices and very social little creatures.

DF: Julian is gorgeous, intelligent and graciously allows herself to be adored.

JR: One of the easiest to care for and most social of all exotics.

GC: Generally they are sweet and affectionate. They are very engaging, and pretty small, so they are easy to care for. They are also easy to feed and house.

Negatives of fennecs as pets?

DB: Their size is also their worst negative. They are so small and quick they can get under your feet-causing you to step on them, or jump from something high. Both of these have caused fatal injuries in fennecs. You have to be careful with young children so they don't drop them, accidentally causing them harm. Some foxes use your house as their bathroom, rather than a litter box. They startle easily and you have to be careful how you take them outdoors. They have been known to get out of harnesses, and take off.

DF: Unreliable litter box use; prefers sink, countertops, bookshelf, chair I'm on... etc. Does not get along with any animal I have except my Golden Retriever. Will bite me if I do something she doesn't like, such as pick her up or interrupt a nap.

JR: Challenge to litter train. VERY fast. A grown fennec can fit thru a chain link fence hole so one must plan enclosures, house or otherwise, accordingly. A fennec does not normally come when called. They can become disoriented fast when somewhere unknown and if you don't have them on a firm lead, they can run away and you'll never catch them. On the other hand I've had several escapes from my breeders and for the most part, they have never strayed too far from home. I've recovered all escapees but two. A thunderstorm helped with one who I never found.

GC: Not well litter trained. Actually he's 100% in his cage, but only about 10% out of it. Also, they DIG DIG DIG! Forget houseplants, woodwork and carpeting. Some are also very skittish around strangers.

Anecdotes/stories about your pet fennec?

DB: Candy was under my coffee table, and Spice (my coati) walked by. Candy bit her tail. So Spice tried to get under the coffee table to get her back, but couldn't fit. Every time Spice stuck her head under, Candy would bite her on the nose.

DF: She has a strange relationship with the Golden Retriever; she bites him, but also brings him biscuits. Caches food items in the sheets while I sleep.

GC: I got Loki at 9 weeks old. He was very friendly for a while, then suddenly became shy and skittish. Once he was neutered (at 7 months) he became much more sweet and playful again. However, he still hates my husband.

Do they have scent glands or an offensive smell?

DB: Fennecs are very clean and I find they have no offensive body odor.

DF: When very scared or very angry, Julian emits a sharp musky odor from the scent gland at the base of her tail.

JR: I've heard of one instance where a male marked with a scent gland. Otherwise no offensive odor at all.

GC: I've never noticed one, except when he pees outside of the litter box. It's strong sometimes, other times it's not.

What is their average life span?

DB: Fennec Foxes are the smallest of the wild canids, they live 11-14 years. °They are 10-16 inches long and weigh 2-3 lbs. The female being the smaller one. Their ears are 5-6 inches in height.

Do they enjoy interaction?

DB: Yes, they love their humans and other non human companions. They will give you a kiss, roll over for a belly rub, lay on the floor with their tail wagging, or bark for your attention. They get tickled and exited when you come home, and love to play fetch.

DF: Demands affection by sliding across what I'm doing, or throwing herself on her back or side in front of me wherever I am, even as I'm walking.

JR: Attention Craving Gremlins!!

GC: Do they ever! Loki will play with anyone or anything (except husband!) He especially loves my sons (ages 12 & 10). He will be alternately a ball of energy and race around playing tag, and then lay on your lap to have his ears rubbed.

What is their general personality, disposition, and attitude?

DB: Fennecs are friendly, lovable, feisty, and very social. They have great dispositions and are a blast to watch. When they kill their food (Don't care if it was never alive to begin with.), they pounce on it, run around and scream before they eat it. They are not quick to anger, and they carry themselves proudly as if to say "Look at me, I'm as cute as they come and just as perfect as perfect can be."

DF: Curious, playful, affectionate, lightning-fast, great sense of humor.

JR: Playful, excited, hi-energy, friendly, a general riot.

GC: Sweet and affectionate, but also stubborn and selfish. They want what they want. What you want is beside the point. Also, he sleeps much of the time, like a cat - sleeping most of the day and night with occasional outbursts of manic activity.

Are they sweet and petable, or mischievous and playful?

DB: Fennecs are as sweet as any puppy out there. They come over, let you hold and pet them, and off they go. They repeat this every hour or so. They love to steal things from you, such as keys, paperwork, knickknacks, and other things. They run up and nip your toes or nose, tip your soda can/cup, take ornaments off your tree, and steal your food. Fennecs love to play with all kinds of toys (Watch out for toys that might strangle them.), chase you/other pets/their tails, and run faster anything I have ever seen, thru your house.

DF: All of the above, depends on her mood. But always highly aggressive toward prey items (i.e., rodents, rabbits, birds, etc.)

JR: Mostly mischievous and playful but will come up for a 10 second to several minute pet or snuggle. Rule of thumb with any exotic...What you put in is what you get out. In other words, how you treat them will have a lot to do with how they are.

GC: Both. Mostly sweet, and very playful. Less tolerance for quiet petting than rough housing. He prefers to wrestle and run most times - at least when he's awake.

How destructive are they for an average household?

DB: I don't consider them very destructive. They do dig, and can cause damage to your carpets, doors and window sills. If you have an outdoor pen, it'll need a bottom or they can dig out. They can dig up to 20 feet in one night.

DF: Not very, unless you count pee stains.

JR: Somewhat like a puppy can be. If they are bored they will get into trouble.

GC: Not terribly destructive - no chewing habits. Still, they dig a lot, and this can kill plants, scratch doors, pull up carpeting or wear down couch cushions.

Do they climb or tear up furniture?

DB: They don't tear up your furniture, but will bury their food in the cushions. Fennecs are quite capable of jumping up high or climbing. Actually I can't figure out how something so small can jump so high. Fennecs will climb wire cages to get at prey species.

DF: Climb, YES! Tear up, no not at all.

JR: Not really that I've head of

GC: No climbing but a lot of jumping and knocking things over. Also, as stated before, the digging can destroy things.

Are there any problems associated with their claws?

DB: Their nails need to be trimmed like a dogs. They are very sharp and can scratch you good, especially when they are spooked.

DF: Need to be clipped occasionally.

JR: No

GC: Occasional trimming prevents scratches.

How messy are their droppings?

DB: They are firm and solid like a dogs.

DF: Doglike

JR: Depends on what you feed them. Generally stool is stiff and reasonably well formed. Veggies in Veggies out.

GC: About like a small dog. The bad part is the urine - it can smell bad sometimes.

Can they be litter box trained?

DB: Yes, but not all of them are. My little girl is 100% (I got her at 4wks), but my male is 0% (I got him at 3 mths-4 months), unless you count the whole house for him.

DF: Hahahahahahaha!

JR: VERY challenging.

GC: I've heard that many (not all) owners of females have better luck with litter boxes than with males. Loki keeps his cage fairly clean, but outside of the cage, anything goes.

Can they be trained?

DB: Yes, they come when their called, if your not trying to put them in their cage. They do dog tricks, understand no, and can walk on a leash (Be careful with this so they don't get away.), will listen most of the time.

DF: She will do things for immediate personal gratification, such as go in her cage for a cricket.

JR: Never say never.

GC: Somewhat. They like routines, so that can work for you. They are also very food oriented, so will do many things for treats. They also don't have a large attention span, so it's not like a dog.

How are they with other pets, larger and smaller?

DB: Fennecs are good with certain pets, like cats, some dogs, some ferrets, some genets, and some coatis. You have to supervise their play so the fennec doesn't get hurt. They can't handle rough play or they will be hurt. Now they do play rough their self sometimes, but they can't really hurt these animals. I just correct my fennecs when they get sassy so the others don't get mad at them. I don't allow my fennecs to play with rodents or birds, this is their prey in the wild. They will go after the even if they are bottle feed babies, it's only natural.

DF: Gets along with my 12-yr-old Golden Retriever because he tolerates anything.

JR: A kitten can make a wonderful best friend. Generally yes. But take into consideration what they might eat in the wild and plan accordingly.

GC: Loki loves the cat and chases (or is chased by) her. He also loves to watch our small rodents, though I'd never let him interact with them - they are his natural prey animals. Birds also would not be good as companions for a fennec. From all I have heard, fennecs like almost all animals their size or larger, even if that animal doesn't like them.

What size cage do they need?

DB: You can use a kennel, triple deck cage, a room, or a carrier (for when your gone) if they have free reign. They need numerous toys, a den, they like hammocks (watch height), and have a fondness for blankets.

DF: I keep her confined in a giant-size dog crate with a shelf I added when I'm not here. Evenings, nights, weekends--her "cage" is my house.

JR: I feel like the large three story ferret cage works well. It all really depends on how much time they will be in it.

GC: Loki stays in a cat/ferret cage at night and when we are gone. It has shelves, ramps, and places for him to hide in and sleep (he especially loves the hammock). Otherwise, he has free roam of the house. He tends to stick to certain areas - living room, dining room, kids' bedrooms, and occasionally the kitchen to mess with the cat's food and look for dropped food.

What do you feed them?

DB: They should be fed Dry Wild Canid feed, with fruits, vegetables, crickets, meal worms, and eggs. They can also be fed live rodents, but this will cause their urine and stool to become strong smelling.

DF: Raw rabbit/squirrel/mice, pulverized with the bones and cut into fennec-bite-sized pieces, fruits & veggies, dry cereal, Ensure, people food, etc.; she also has dry dog food available, which she buries in my sofa but doesn't seem to actually eat, and occasionally I'll offer some canned cat food which she usually snubs. NO CHOCOLATE.

JR: I feed my breeding fennecs a premium brand puppy food and mixed veggies. A pet will eat what you give it and anything it can steal.

GC: Combination of dry puppy kibble, chunky canned cat food, and frozen (thawed) veggies. Occasional fresh fruit and cereal for treats. He loves sweets like candy, pop, marshmallows, etc and will steal them if at all possible. Of course, these are not terribly good for a fennec, so this should be pretty rare for those kind of treats. (We don't give him candy or pop, but he's pretty resourceful).

What vaccinations/vet care do they require?

DB: This should be discussed with an experience exotic vet. Normally recommended is dog distemper, parvo, and rabies. All need to be killed vaccines or they can kill your fox. Mine was dewormed with strongid-p. They should have yearly checkups, shots and stool samples. They can be spayed or neutered.

DF: I have my vet give her dog shots: Recombitec 4-way and Imrab Rabies.

JR: A lot of vets recommend distemper. This is something you should discuss in detail with your vet and arrive at your own conclusions. My rule of thumb is if they will not be exposed to it, don't vaccinate for it.

GC: Basically like that of a small dog. Loki gets Parvocene, Galaxy D (distemper), and Imrab3 (rabies). He also takes Heartguard to prevent heart worm. They need a series of 3 each of the parvo and distemper as babies, then once a year as a booster. Rabies is yearly and the heart worm preventative I give him every month, though it's probably only necessary in months that mosquitoes are out.

At what age would it be best to get one?

DB: A bottle fed weaned baby would be best for the first time exotic owner. Babies sold on the bottles to inexperienced bottle feeders can die. This due to their strong their strong sucking and the formula ending up in their lungs.

DF: I got mine at 11 months and she is wonderful--now. The first few weeks I needed leather gloves to handle her.

JR: With most exotic the earlier the better but I have had fennecs successfully bond as late as 5 months.

GC: 5 to 8 weeks would be ideal, though before 8 weeks it involves some bottle feeding. Still, it helps them bond with you if they are younger.

Other Consideration for owners of fennecs?

DB: Remember Fennec Foxes are exotic pets, and will have some wild instincts. Also please don't keep these cute little creatures locked up all the time. It's not fair to them and you would be missing out on so much. Warning, if your fennec bites someone, rabies shot or not, in most states they will take your pet and kill it.

DF: Her motto is, if something she does bothers me, that's my problem, not hers.

JR: Kids, regulations.

GC: They are not dogs or cats - though they have qualities of each. They are still wild animals and will act on instinct. Punishment doesn't work very well as a deterrent. You simply have to be patient and accept them if they are not exactly what you thought they'd be.

What kind of person should own these animals?

DB: I think most people who love animals would do fine with a fennec fox.

DF: PATIENT, TOLERANT, high pain threshold

JR: Again, this is one of the best pets in the exotic industry. My only comment here is "if you cannot abide poop in inappropriate places, this isn't your pet.

GC: Patient, not loud, vigilant, energetic, lightning quick reflexes would help (I don't have those).