Foxes

[teresa]

Last night taking the dogs for a walk, there was a young fox running across the road and back again like a game watched for a while then he disapeared up a foot path.
I live in a village on the edge of a town I knew there was urban foxes around but havent seen one in the two years of being here. Wonderfull sight but to all that have cats please dont leave them out at night a fox will have them have been warning my neighbroughs.
Teresa

[teresa]

[Margaret]

Hi Teresa.Have you actual evidence of a fox attacking a cat? From what i have heard,more than once,it would be extremely rare and out of character for a fox to do this.In fact it is believed that foxes are more likely to be frightened of a cat because a tom cat defending it's territory can be quite vicious!

In any case,the census of opinion now is that cats should not be allowed to roam after dusk and early in the morning because that is when they will decimate the birds and the small mammals.

Simon King and Bill Oddie were the people who said the above,by the way!!

Cheers.Will reply to your message shortly.Are you O.K. now?

[Ragged Robin]

     We live in SE London and urban foxes are a permanent fixture in our garden. The current visitor is a locally reared male who is very handsome specimen indeed. Littl'un and I watched him eat either a pigeon or squirrel (something grey!) one evening in a neighbours garden during the summer. Doesn't seem to bother our cats and they don't bother him, often see them pass on the garden path, both parties ignoring the other.
 The only time we've had problems was when an elderly, very poorly vixen, frequented the area ; fox diarrhoea is most unpleasant.

      Love the early summer when the cubs use the garden as a playground, the adults are often seen playing too, we have learnt not to leave toys outside, they're rather partial to skipping ropes!They have even been known to visit the bin in the kitchen!.

 By the way, our cats are far too elderly to worry wildlife and have access to outside all the time, they even bring their friends home for a snack.

 On the other hand my mother-in-laws cat has suffered a fox attack, she lives a bit further out, and it's becoming a problem in her area.

[teresa]

The fox is a beautiful animal and with its winter coat on looks beautiful. To see a vixen playing with her cubs is a rare site to see we have to remember these are wild animals teaching the young to kill and this is normal. A fox will hunt for mice rabbits birds sitting on nests like phesents. But they are moving in to towns hence urban foxes going through rubbish bins scaverging. But a cat can be easy pickings for a fox who is hungrey perhaps a young one or a old one which cannot run. They only kill when hungrey so one learns to respect wildlife after all these are wild beautiful animals.
A dog fox when urinated stinks  ???but what a vixen with the runs is like :o I dread to think.
Teresa

[Hyacinth]

When they play, it's not just childrens' toys they nick - I lost one of a pair of gardening shoes I left outside the shed - a neighbour found it a couple of years later in his compost. Pity that I'd thrown the first one away by that time...

About 4-5 years ago we had a lovely young dog-fox visit the garden - then, over a time, his coat started to become staring...and then he got bald patches..then it got worse and worse...he'd got mange. The RSPCA refused to help and we finally found a Fox Rescue place which came out with a trap. The fox, of course, was much too canny to go inside, but my neighbour's silly cats were regularly to be found sitting inside it, scoffing the food & making themselves at home. So the Fox people took the trap away & gave us a bottle of some homeopathic liquid - 4 drops on a jam sandwich, twice a day...imagine, if you will, my neighbour scurrying up the garden in the pouring rain with a jam sandwich, neatly cut into triangles, with the crusts cut off, on a pretty china plate..

The fox, I should think, died. Did you know, tho, that urban foxes only live 2-3 years, so we were told? - Lishka

[eileen]

Hello again,

Just to let you  know that Carol has made it!! Just been chatting to her.
I wish more people knew about this site. It's so much nicer to be able to 'talk' like this rather than at the Beeb where you feel that you have to be careful about everything you say. I'll still be posting there too but I think I'll be making this my 'home'.
I'll be in touch later but (for once) I'm off to bed early.

Bye for now Eileen.

[Margaret]

Gosh,Eileen,if 12.23 am is early what on earth is normal,or heaven forbid,late?!! how the heck do you stay awake that long? I suppose you are a night owl,as they say.My husband is one of those.Up to me getting the net,I was a lark,and in bed by 10pm. But now I burn the candle at both ends(hubby goes to work quite early.)

I take after my mum who wakes up at 5am every morning(I'm not THAT bad) but if we get company and they stay late I am quite likely to nod off in front of them.By the time it gets past midnight I'm too tired to be embarassed!!

What do you others out there do to drop hints late at night?

[eileen]

Me again,

Actually I don't normally see my bed before 2.30, 3.00am. Partly because I am a night owl and parly because of Ian's snoring! I go to bed early in the morning, he's up at six therefore not too many hours of suffering. He's had various things from the doctors but he still snores. I've told him a pillow over his face could work wonders (only joking - I think).

I'm still stumbling around this site a bit but I'll get into the swing of things soon. It's nice to 'see' so many faces from the other side.

Bye for now, Eileen.

[Margaret]

Eileen,I have exactly the same problem.Bob snores,unless he is sleeping on his side.I have always used Muffles(ear plugs) you can only get them from Boots.They are the proper wax type,the synthetic ones are no use.They work as well  as anything I have tried.Block out every noise going!!

[eileen]

Thanks Margaret - guess which shop I'm going to tomorrow.   ::) ;D

[Margaret]

It wouldn't be............ Boots, by any chance ? just a wild guess.!! By the way,take no notice of the "use only once " instructions.Cost you a fortune! Mine last about a week,and you do get 10 in a pack.

I can see you read my other post about your profile.Is that really how you see yourself,then?!!!!

I bet everyone is now scratching their heads, thinking er,what has this got to do with foxes? Sorry Teresa,we rather took over your post!!

[Carol]

Hello there,  Sorry you have trouble sleeping with snoring!   My hubby also called Ian snores when he is overweight so I make him go on yet another diet to get his weight down a few lbs and the snoring stops.  
I am an owl, my early night is 12.25 it is usually 12.40.  My hubby a bad sleeper, can come to bed about 2 a.m. but then the lazy ... doesn't always get up and dressed until 10 a.m.  I am stomping at the bit wanting to hoover but I have to girl thingy foot about until he comes through for brekfast.  
This topic is about Foxes isn't it.  I haven't seen many, maybe one or two.  I live in the heart of the country but yet no foxes - just dead ones on the road.  I get vexed when I see dead badgers and there seems to be a lot killed especially towards the end of this summer.  I think they were deperate for food and because of the dry summer worms etc. were not readily available so they were searching elsewhere and meeting a car head on.  Poor things.
I am still a bit lost on this site girls, yes we are girls.  I had to log on again Margaret and got it wrong again.  

Hasn't it been an awful day.  We were down in Berwick on Tweed and the rain was driving into the windown which I like to keep open.  Maybe tomorrow will be sunny and I will get a walk in the country.  

[Margaret]

Carol,did you see my post over on the shed that Eileen started,all about how to save having to log on every time.Or does it not work for you?

[teresa]

Hi Carol T
Yes its a pity most people see foxes dead on the road side along with badgers even deers.
I was reading a articual the other night and this chap said foxes were no bigger than cats I had to chuckle he must have only seen cubs.
Try this tip dont log out just X out and keep one email reply in your  internet inbox then just click on it to come back in. Tick the box notify of replies all the time you post so you will keep getting email returns to you.
Have load of fun on this site and welcome nearly for got that one sorry.
Teresa

[eileen]

Hi Carol,

Margaret told me about some ear-plugs you could get at Boots. They cut out noisy snoring so whilst we were out today I got some. I'll try them out tonight. Keep your fingers crossed.

We went to East Fortune market today and then to Ikea, boy was it packed!

Sad to say we saw a dead fox on the road on our way home - I hate seeing roadkills - it upsets me. I always want to jump out of the car to make sure the poor animal is not still alive but 'my' Ian won't let me do it on the dual carriageway. He says I can do it on the motorway if I like though - now I wonder what he means by that!?!? Cheers Eileen. :-/
  

[Margaret]

Hi Eileen.Are you having an early night tonight,keen to try out your new purchase.?

If we can't find you on the boards by lunchtime we'll know they've worked. ;D ;D ;D

[Carol]

Maggie
I have decided to give up.  I have trouble logging on.  I have trouble finding the messages and it has taken me hours to get this far to reply.  I think I must be too senile to use this board.  the  Bird Board is getting to me too.  I have LBP but after tonight with all this mucking around with the boards I am frazzled.  
I GIVE UP.  allotments4all.  too difficult sorry moderators.

[Carol]

Eileen
Gosh at this late hour I have got on to read your mail and reply, I hope.....
I bet you saw the dead fox on the by-pass at Edin.  I have seen numerous dead foxes there.
I haven't been to East Fortune market but tried to get into the Air Museum there early summer, but it was too wet when we got there.  
I saw an Otter today.  Well long sighted hubby did, I just saw the top of its head and then the wave and ripples of the deep water.  
Hope you are sleeping OK now.  I hope to have a longer sleep tonight.  Always up early on a sunday for the Kirk. Have to be there for 9.15   yes a Sunday Morning.  Talk soon.

[eileen]

Don't give up on this site Carol! It's so much better than the Beeb in lots of ways. You can speak far more freely for a start.

Lucky you  - seeing an otter. I've only seen one once in the Almond and that was a couple of years ago now. I've seen plenty in Skye but it's a bit far to travel!

You were right about the dead fox that is exactly where we saw it. Not a pretty sight.

I asked Margaret (Reed) to give you a helping hand  with these boards and she was going to leave you a message on either NM or WIYG - did you see it?

Bye for now, Eileen. :)

[eileen]

Me again.

When you call up this site if you press the 'home' button and then scroll down to where it says general you'll find the shed under that. Then press on the heading Theshed then you can press on 'new topic' at the top right hand side of page and you should be in to leave your posts.
I've put  the home page for this site into my favourites and find that it makes things much easier.
I'm certainly no expert over here yet and am still feeling my way around but it really is worth it in the end Carol. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. By the way Margaret's message to you is in NM's at the Beeb. :)