# are pet foxes legal in the uk?



## mouserygirl

Lots of people have them on here and sell them, I can't remember seeing if it was in britain or not so is it legal? Also which breed is the friendliest but least smellist at the same time lol


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## feorag

It is legal. There are no licences required to keep foxes.

Elina will no doubt come along and advise you which ones are the least smelly as she has about 4 different kinds. I seem to remember her saying Corsac were probably the least smelly, but she'll tell you herself.

What I can tell you is the British fox (vulpes vulpes) is very likely the smelliest!


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## GECKO MICK

I prefer the gingery/red one there lovely and seem really friendly.But they dont half pong,this is the only reason i dont own one.A few of my friends that are farmers keep a few as pets in there fields.Good luck with your search for a fox.: victory:


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## Elina

Hi! 
In the United Kingdom you do not require any licenses to own or breed foxes.

Foxes are exempt from requiring a Dangerous wild animals license though this does not mean that if provoked they will not defend themselves and thus, being exempt from the license does not mean they do not have the potential to be dangerous.

I keep 4 species of fox; Corsac, Fennec, Arctic and Red (and 2 morphs there of). The least smelly is the corsac followed by the fennec. 

A fennec itself is not very smelly but that they choose to sleep in their excrement makes them less then delightful. They are notoriously hard to litter train so you need to have wood/laminate flooring if you have them inside as they will 'go' everywhere, I mean they don't even stop playing to go, they just go anywhere any time. 

Corsacs are easy to litter train, are not too big and smell no more then a dog.

If you are going to have a fox inside you will need to get it when it is young, I am talking around 8 weeks as they need to be bomb proof to avoid them releasing their violet gland. Their violet gland is basically where the horrid fox smell comes from and they release it when worried much like how a skunk will spray you if worried. 

When a corsac fox releases their violet gland it smells like death, that sweet smell. It clears quickly unlike the smell of either a red or arctic fox which is much stronger, musky and lingers. I have had corsacs for 3 years and combined the 4 of them have only done this twice. 

Something to bare in mind is that all species of fox will urinate on what they want to be theirs. This cannot be curbed by neutering, litter training or even domestication as the domesticated Siberian silver foxes still do this. 

Hope this helps. If you have any further questions do please feel free to ask. 

-Elina


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## feorag

So a huge commitment to take on, especially if you want the fox to spend time in your house, and a lot to think about! :2thumb:


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## mouserygirl

wow thanks! I'm used to ferrets but because of their less than perfect litter trained abilities I keep them outside, when they get scared they let off that awful smell too and I'm used to rescue ones which take a long time to nip/bite as hard as they can, train! Do lots of people breed foxes and courie them? 
I was going to ask about their diet, what percentage of protein do they need as are there are particular vitamins, the ferrets have the highest percentage of protien in thier biscuits I've ever seen and was wondering if this would be more suited than cat food?
If you walk them how much time do they need a day on a lead?
How much do they sleep?
Asuming this is all for the corsac? thanks for this I know I'm a pain!


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## Spiderstock

Out of interest if someone was interested in getting one of our native red foxes, where would you source them?


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## Elina

The best diet to feed a corsac can be found here: The Pet Fox: Fox Food Recipe: Recovery Diet

It has a good amount of raw meat which means that it has a good amount of taurine. (Taurine being the most important thing to be sure your fox has enough of). Unlike the other diet on the same site it does not contain beef as beef is very hard for corsacs to digest. 

Though cat food contains taurine it is designed for a feline digestive system and so it is not ideal for a fox, the same as ferret food is not ideal for them. 

Like dogs and cats on raw/BARF diet they have smaller, firmer less smelly stools then if they have a kibble and they will generally be in better overall health. 

Corsacs generally do not like to be outside. They have a natural fear of birds of any and all sizes. While they are fine when they are kits once they reach maturity instinct kicks in. Unlike most critters corsacs can face forward and yet look directly up, this is so they can look out for predators. Mine instead of going for walks play pretty much all day until they are near enough exhausted.

My corsacs go to bed when I do so normally around 12am and wake up around 5-6 when I do. They have a midday nap for about 2 hours and randomly nap throughout the day when they are warn out. 

Not many people breed them but a friend of mine does, he is who I got Valla from and my partner hand reared 2 litters for him this year. Many brokers also have them for sale in the spring. There is not a huge demand for them as not many people know about them. 

Spiderstock if you wanted a vulpes vulpes, an actual red one there are people who breed them. 

-Elina


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## Spiderstock

Elina said:


> Spiderstock if you wanted a vulpes vulpes, an actual red one there are people who breed them.
> 
> -Elina


I've never seen them up for sale! How much do they usually fetch? Do they make good pets?


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## tryme

Pet foxes?


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## feorag

tryme said:


> Pet foxes?


And???


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## Elina

Spiderstock said:


> I've never seen them up for sale! How much do they usually fetch? Do they make good pets?


Normally between £350-£550 for _vulpes vulpes_. 

I think foxes make great pets. . . For the right people. I mean you have to accept that once one enters your home that your home is no longer your own, it is shared, everything in said home is shared. 
Mine follow me everywhere like a little mob lol. They get into everything (even the bath with me despite the door being closed) lol. They will take and break any/everything if they have the chance. They will drive you mad to no end but there is something special about a wild animal CHOOSING you as their best friend. When they scream with delight the second you walk through the door after work as they have missed you all day. When you are sat at your desk sorting out work stuff and are SO unbelievably stressed and have not taken your suit off yet despite being home for 2 hours and they jump up on your lap, look you in the eyes, lick you on the nose and curl up on your lap that is just so magical because unlike a dog they do not feel duty bound to love you, they choose to. . . I would not change it for the world! 
-
Elina


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## Spiderstock

How do they differ from keeping dogs? Can they be house trained? Lead trained? Are they likely to revert back to wild ways and attempt to eat other animals? I've always had an odd taste in animals, and I must admit keepin a fox is more appealing than keeping a dog.


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## slugsiss32

Vulpes Vulpes stink!! I volunteer with them, i'm also assuming feorag gets them in time to time too so she will probably agree with me! Probably best to be kept outside if you're going too lol! Our 'orphan shed' is the most disgusting smell of fox during orphan season!

Also something to think about...although I know red and silver are the same species, you may get a lot of rubbish from neighbours or people who know you keep a red fox, they're supposed to be wild. Much like I get rubbish for having a Raven! Not that I do agree with keeping foxes but I suppose there is no reason why people shouldn't, no different to keeping skunks or raccoons...

I've heard foxes as pets are much shyer than dogs, and you have to remember they aren't dogs and aren't as domesticated as dogs so will always have their wild side even if they're tame.


)


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## feorag

At one time we had over 10 permanent foxes living at our sanctuary, so I'm well acquainted with how much they smell - that was why I said vulpes vulpes is the smelliest, cos they are! 

We have a disabled youngster in our barn - they go in the barn once they don't need intensive care, until they are ready to go into the release pens, but obviously she won't be released so she's still in the barn. Within a week of her going in there, the whole barn stunk and it still does!!!


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## stevenrudge

Are you talking about British Fox's?because l thought that it was ilegal to keep any British wildlife captive?


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## feorag

Yes, we are. We are a wildlife sanctuary up here in Northumberland and we have a lot of wildlife that cannot be released because they wouldn't survive in the wild, for one reason or another.


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## Spiderstock

That's a shame. I live in rented property so dont think it'll please the landlord to much that I've made his beloved property smell! Maybe one day if I buy a place with a decent garden! 

But someone said they have a raven?!? How does that work out?


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## Elina

Spiderstock said:


> How do they differ from keeping dogs? Can they be house trained? Lead trained? Are they likely to revert back to wild ways and attempt to eat other animals? I've always had an odd taste in animals, and I must admit keepin a fox is more appealing than keeping a dog.



They differ allot from keeping a dog because quite obviously they are not dogs. 
They cannot be just let in the garden to go to the toilet as they generally will not come back. They instead need to be litter trained and/or taken in the garden on a lead to go. 
They wont do tricks to impress you, they need to see their is something to gain such as a treat. 
They can get into EVERYTHING and when I say EVERYTHING I mean it. People say some dogs are hard work to keep out of places but those people would think their dog was just so easy next to a fox. 
They are allot more destructive then a dog. 
They generally will *NOT* get along with other pets. Mine are totally, utterly terrified of my Bengal cat and will not go near him yet adore my dogs but the thing is I am very, very lucky that my dogs tolerate my foxes. 
You cannot just take them to a 'normal' vets. They become aloof at around 6 months of age unless neutered. 
When you take a fox for a walk they will not ever behave on the lead and they will try to take you under hedges and all sorts. 
You cannot show them off to your friends as new people worry them, new places worry them and no matter how much you socialise them as kits they will not trust new people. (My arctic Sapphire does but she is strange for a fox.)

Like I said they are not dogs so asking how they are different to keeping a dog is like asking how keeping a dormouse is different from keeping a dog.

The only other animals they will try to eat will be rodents, birds and such but they will do that from day one. I suppose the best way to describe this is like a dog with a high prey drive. . . x10. 

Vulpes vulpes and Vulpes Lagopus (arctic) do much better inside then outside for many reasons. We kept Sapphire our female arctic inside until around 6 months of age to bond and be sure that when we moved her out she would stay bonded to us and we are doing the same thing with Callie, Ranger and Secret our "red" foxes. 
-Elina


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## Disgruntled

I have three pet foxes, all vulpes vulpes but all different! They live in my half acre garden but all started off in my house. I have no sense of smell so I can't tell you anything about that.
I adore them, I would have got them years ago if I'd only known I could. They were my favourite animal as a child and I was utterly fox mad, not much better now!
Mine have a 6 x 12 shed with bunks and a 20 x 25 enclosure, plus a paddock with eight foot fencing that they go in during the day as it has a grass floor.
You can't expect them to stay tame, you have to work at it, I have Pooka, a silver fox, he is the the oldest who is pretty steady now at a little over a year old, Ember, is a red cub who was utterly mental when we got her, I got bitten quite a lot! She took a while to come round but now is the most loving and sweet of the bunch. She is very highly strung though and easily upset.
Squeaker is the newest cub, a sort of red - he started off quite tame but has gone a bit feral - we are working on this.
I would say only get them if you really do love foxes, you might end up with one you can't get near and as Elina says they aren't a showing off type of pet, mine are not at all keen on strangers. Pook can cope but Ember goes into a complete blind panic.
Ember and Squeaker








All three








Squeaker








The paddock


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## feorag

Excellent enclosure! :2thumb:

We were brought a young fox cub many years ago which had apparently 'jumped into someone's landrover when they were in the woods", I say apparently because it's rather unbelievable - that, coupled with the landrover owner's desperation to exact a promise from us not to euthanase her :crazy:

She jumped out of the landrover, ran across to my boss wagging her tail and rolled onto her back on her feet for a tummy rub. It was obvious she'd been handreared, but she never 'wilded up' so we couldn't release her. It's not our practice to 'play' with our animals - nobody has time really, so they're basically fed and left, but donut always ran to whoever was going in her pen, chittering away for attention. Literally anyone could go into her pen until the day she died and she welcomed them as a friend, even total strangers. I took my granddaughter in to meet her not long after I started at the sanctuary and took these photographs. In fact my boss runs children's parties and if they booked a 'wild' party the party child was taken into the enclosure to meet her.

















However, she was the exception rather than the rule. The only other fox we have in captivity that comes to us is Sam and he came in as a young cub severely injured in a car accident. He's very calm and will come to say hello and get a treat, but he doesn't run at you chittering like Donut did.

The rest of ours, all the handreared, or intensively nursed injured cubs all wilded up in no time at all.


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## mouserygirl

wow this is all so amazing, another question, when you work or aren't around where do they stay? do they have a room or a crate or something?


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## Elina

My partner is a stay at home dad so he is with the foxes all day.

If we are both out the corsacs have a double bedroom which has been totally fox proofed, the fennecs have a doubled bedroom which again has been fox proofed bar Akiko who goes in her ferret nation. The vulpes vulpes kits go in their crates if we are not out for long but in the cat's run if we will be gone for a while. (Without the cat might I add, it's more the inside foxes run.) And the arctics live outside so they are in their enclosure.

-Elina


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## em_40

Elina said:


> Vulpes vulpes and Vulpes Lagopus (arctic) do much better inside then outside for many reasons. We kept Sapphire our female arctic inside until around 6 months of age to bond and be sure that when we moved her out she would stay bonded to us and we are doing the same thing with Callie, Ranger and Secret our "red" foxes.


You meant do better outside than inside right?

Interesting posts, and beautiful foxes... I love foxes but obviously can't keep them in rented accommodation. :devil:


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## Elina

em_40 said:


> You meant do better outside than inside right?
> 
> Interesting posts, and beautiful foxes... I love foxes but obviously can't keep them in rented accommodation. :devil:



Yes. That will teach me for posting when my mind is elsewhere :blush:.

-Elina


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## mscongeniality

I had toyed with the idea of getting a fox in the past, assuming that my vet can handle that. I was actually wondering about insurance. My dog is uninsured (and uninsurable now) and has cost, and is going to cost my partner and me very large sums of money. She has cancer. I couldn't afford insurance when I first got her, then when I could she was a bit older and it seemed so expensive for my healthy, bouncy, little mutt who had never had more than an ear infection before. I really regret not taking it out.

Do you have pet insurance for your foxes? If you do, who insures them and if you don't mind me asking, how much does it cost? If pet insurance is not available for foxes, that would actually rule them out as a pet for me, considering my recent experiences.


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## Elina

No one will actually insure foxes. Mine were insured until the company decided they would no longer accept them so they were just with them until their year ran out. 

I wish they still had insurance. Akiko (fennec) fractured her leg the other day and it's going to be around £1,500 to fix (she has her op tomorrow). 

-Elina


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## feorag

:gasp: Oh my word - how did she do that??


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## George_Millett

Whilst it isn't going to be much use this time. Have you tried this company as it appears to be the company that most of the DWA keepers use for there public liability and I note they have an exotic mammal insurance advertised.

Same as Feroag I hope little Akiko recovers properly and is soon back to running your house again.


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## mouserygirl

o no! I hope your foxy gets better, are they very accident prone? I would imagene them to be quite robust


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## tryme

feorag said:


> And???


 scary


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## feorag

tryme said:


> scary


Nah!!!


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## RescueCat

The closest I've come to "owning" a fox was a young male who used to come into my house during the summer when we'd leave the back door open! He'd sit on our back sofa and we'd have to pretty much push him out the door!


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## Elina

mouserygirl said:


> o no! I hope your foxy gets better, are they very accident prone? I would imagene them to be quite robust


'Fennecs' and 'robust' don't go in a sentence together normally :lol2:. They are THE most delicate little foxes. 

Here you can see what happened to Akiko:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/exotic-mammals/413195-my-beautiful-foxies-57.html

-Elina


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## mouserygirl

o dear thats very scarey costs... however lying on your sofa they look too cute not to have one day  I think I'll get one instead of a dog


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## tryme

I thought they were timid


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## George_Millett

tryme said:


> I thought they were timid


Most of the time they are. Elina was fortunate enough to get hers at a young enough age and was willing to put enough work in so that her pack is used to the goings on in her household. Even then in the case of the older Fennecs do to the time Elina spent away from them whilst they were looking after their Kits they have reverted back to a more wild timid animal.

If you get an older fox where the previous owner has not put the work in you are probably going to get an animal that is just for looking at not interacting with.


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## Ryoni

*Fox*

Hi, interested in getting a fox, does anyone have any contacts or information on who to talk to? 

Thanks.


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## Disgruntled

This is quite an old post, reds only breed once a year, so kits are available in spring. They crop up on the classifieds on this site, there are a few adults on there now. Elina is the the fox guru however. :no1:


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## mivh

Hi guys, sorry for randomly just jump into the conversation.. ! 

I am looking to buy a red fox or arctic fox kit as a pet, I live in Edinburgh UK but am having a difficult time finding any breeders/sellers. 

Was hoping to get some help from here and think this would be the right thread to join in on  Would be really, really happy for some help. 

Best wishes, 
Miss My Hagglund, Edi


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## goosey

Fox cubs are usually available in the spring advertisements will be around once litters are born. I believe Marsh exotics breed artics and silver foxes (v.vulpes) (they have a facebook page)Fashman foxes have artics but only breed fennecs at the moment to the best of my knowledge. If your after a red try rehoming a red fox who is imprinted and cant be released back into the wild - if you contact the national fox welfare society and the fox project they may be able to help advise on this. Most of the breeders and rescues i know of are based down south however so you may need to travel. I had to go to Kent for my silver fox. Also please (if you havent already) research owning a fox thoroughly before taking the plunge they are cute but hard work they smell and steal your things and can be very destructive they certainly arent for everyone and every fox is different some are loving and enjoy human interaction some are moody and aloof.


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## 59sound

What a fantastic thread! I used to work as a security guard and when I started as on nights I inhereted the Red Fox who the previous guard had trained to come into the office and sit on the table whilst he ate some Ham. I kept it up for a while but the other guys weren't interested so eventually he gave up (or died I suppose) brilliant animals though and I always enjoy seeing them.


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## goosey

They are fantastic creatures its such a shame they get so much stick from a lot of people. Pet wise they aren't for everyone however sure they are cute but such a handful your home time and life will never be the same again but if your willing and able to devote time and resources to them they are very rewarding. All the research in the world however can never prepare you for your first cub i asked every question and read every article for years before taking the plunge but nothing can truly get you prepared for owning a fox. hands on experience with foxes if possible to prepare you for the smell (their urine not the foxes themselves) would always be beneficial where possible for new fox owners.


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## Brownaldinho

*Foxes*

Do any of you know anyone currently selling either a Fennec Fox or Corsac fox in the UK?
Thanks


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## goosey

Brownaldinho said:


> Do any of you know anyone currently selling either a Fennec Fox or Corsac fox in the UK?
> Thanks


I dont think there are any corsac breeders in the UK flashman foxes breed fennecs however ***128522;


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## Brownaldinho

*Fox*

Thanks Goosey,
I have tried to contact Elina with email and such but I don't know if it's working 
Hopefully she'll post on this thread!


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## goosey

Ive heard marsh exotics in kent are now breeding fennec foxes they have a fb page thats where my silver is from. If you drop the breeder Roz a message im sure she will help ***128522;


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## ShikariFox

Hello, I should be moving in with my boyfriend in about 5 months for work, I was wondering if anybody knows of any red fox breeders in south Yorkshire?

Any assistance will be gratefully appreciated.

Thank you.


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## goosey

There is a breeder in Nottinghamshire I think they are the closest. I dont have their details but if your on facebook look up a page Evie and Vex adventures of my pet fox Tara who runs the page lives in yorkshire and got her foxes from that breeder im sure she will pass on their contact information. ?


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## ShikariFox

goosey said:


> There is a breeder in Nottinghamshire I think they are the closest. I dont have their details but if your on facebook look up a page Evie and Vex adventures of my pet fox Tara who runs the page lives in yorkshire and got her foxes from that breeder im sure she will pass on their contact information. ?


 I myself am not on Facebook, but I think he is, so I've asked him to find that page and see where we go from there.

Thank you for your assistance. 

Is this her?

Rotherham mum keeps two FOXES as family pets and treats them just like her dogs  | Daily Mail Online


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## goosey

Yes thats Tara


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## Basin79

Considering there are fox cubs for sale in the classifieds I'd say it was legal.


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