Mary Allen
It’s been a real sensation on the internet for a while: a tame fox pet that plays like a puppy, cuddles with his human, and even goes for walks on a leash.
Typically, these extraordinary pets hail from Russia, where they have been bred for about 50 years as part of a domestication research program. Foxes are now also available there, whose fur, like that of their distant cousins, the domestic dogs, has an unusual coloration not found in nature.
Wild foxes may only be kept in exceptional cases in Germany, and anyone who wants to keep a domesticated fox as a pet must also comply with strict regulations.
Can You Keep a Fox as a Pet?
Strict regulations apply in this country to the keeping of wild animals such as foxes. If you find a fox that has been hit by a roadside accident or an abandoned cub, you can’t just take them home and nurture them there.
Since, like other wild animals, they are also subject to hunting law, this actually well-intentioned help can result in high fines. However, special permits are possible if it can be proven that both the necessary expertise and a sufficiently large enclosure for the fox are available.
Even if you want to keep a tame fox as a pet in Germany, numerous formalities are necessary. Even before the import from Russia, the responsible official veterinarian must issue a holding permit. In order to receive this, you must also prove that you have an enclosure that is large enough and suitable for keeping a fox in a species-appropriate manner.
In addition, a wildlife doctor must be available at your place of residence. The fox is only allowed as a pet and can be imported into Germany if the relevant documents are presented to customs.
What Should a Fox Enclosure Look Like?
When building the enclosure, legal guidelines must also be observed in terms of size and equipment.
A pair of foxes must have an area of at least 30 m², and 3 m² must be added for each additional fox. Since even tame foxes are ultimately still wild animals, it must be ensured that they cannot escape from the enclosure.
It must therefore be secured all around with a stable wire fence that is at least 2.5 m high. To prevent the foxes from jumping or climbing over it, the top edge of the fence should slope inwards.
Also, since foxes are excellent diggers, the fence needs a solid concrete foundation that reaches a meter or more into the ground. As a pet fox also needs several comfortable sleeping boxes to protect it from the cold and rain.
How Should a Fox Be Fed?
The foxes in particular, which are bred in different colors, look like small dogs at first glance, but their nutritional needs differ significantly from these.
In the wild, foxes mainly eat small rodents, but also ground-nesting birds or their eggs, as well as insects, worms, and fruit. That is why conventional dog food is indigestible for them.
Instead, a pet fox can be fed chicks and mice frozen from special trades or home-cooked fowl. Cat food mixed with vegetables is also suitable for foxes.
However, since foxes do not tolerate all plant-based foods, you should definitely discuss feeding them with the responsible wildlife doctor in advance.
How Does a Fox Behave?
If you want to keep a fox, you should be aware that their behavior is fundamentally different from that of a dog or cat.
While foxes don’t become aggressive toward humans, even the tame specimens bred in Russia aren’t human-centric. They are just not shy and can be trained to a certain extent. But they don’t want to cuddle with their owner on their own.
However, they make up for the lack of attachment with their liveliness and joy of playing. Toys such as balls, chewing bones, cuddly toys, rustling tunnels, and even sticks are readily accepted by them.
They are extremely agile when playing, and the wild animal can still be recognized by their typical leaps, which they would use to catch prey in the wild. This is also made clear by their territorial behavior.
If you occasionally let your fox into your home, it may mark the walls or furniture with urine.
What Can a Tame Fox Learn?
A fox needs a lot of variety and exercise to be happy. This can be used to teach him various practical things.
It is particularly useful to get the fox used to a harness at an early stage. This makes it possible to walk with him on a leash so that he not only has the exercise he needs but also gets new sensory impressions again and again.
If you keep a particularly docile fox, it can also learn to sit down on hand signals or carry out other commands, just as dogs do. Additionally, some foxes can be trained to use a litter box indoors.
However, this is much more time-consuming than with a cat and is not always successful. The more you deal with your fox, the more trusting he will become and the more he can learn.