Thinking about welcoming an exotic pet into your home? While dogs and cats are traditional favorites, the allure of a wilder companion has led many to consider foxes as pets. Foxes, with their captivating beauty and intelligent nature, can be intriguing animals to keep. However, before you leap into fox ownership, it’s crucial to understand the realities of caring for these unique creatures. This guide explores various fox breeds that are sometimes kept as pets, delving into their characteristics, care requirements, and the important considerations for anyone contemplating a fox as a pet.
Fennec Fox: The Popular Choice
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Fennec foxes, scientifically known as Vulpes zerda, are arguably the most popular fox breed kept as pets. Their appeal stems from their small size, relatively long lifespan, and generally sweet disposition. Bred in captivity across the United States, fennec foxes are more readily available than some other species, though they still come with a significant price tag.
Species Overview:
- Length: 12 to 16 inches
- Weight: 2 to 4 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Distinctive for their exceptionally large, bat-like ears, fennec foxes have cream or fawn-colored, long, thick fur and hairy feet adapted for desert environments.
While their size might seem ideal for apartment living, fennec foxes are energetic and vocal animals. They possess a wide range of vocalizations, from whimpers and growls to shrieks, wails, whines, barks, squeaks, and howls. Prospective owners should be prepared for a lively and communicative pet. It’s also important to note that fennec foxes can be nippy, especially in households with small children or other smaller pets, requiring careful socialization and supervision. Their delicate nature as the world’s smallest fox breed means they need protection from rougher housemates.
Red Fox: Sweet but Scent-Marking
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The iconic red fox, Vulpes vulpes, is another species sometimes kept as a pet, though less common than the fennec fox. Owners often describe their red foxes as affectionate and sweet, even comparing their temperament to house cats. However, it’s crucial to remember that red foxes are not domesticated animals and come with certain challenges.
Species Overview:
- Length: 36 to 42 inches
- Weight: 8 to 15 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Red foxes are characterized by their long snouts, large pointy ears, and striking red fur across their face, back, sides, and tail. They have a grayish-white throat, chin, and belly, with black feet and black-tipped ears, and a fluffy white-tipped tail.
One of the primary drawbacks of red foxes is their pungent urine. They are known to have the smelliest urine among fox breeds. While spaying or neutering may slightly reduce the odor, it doesn’t eliminate it entirely. Red foxes also have a natural instinct to dig, requiring ample space to indulge this behavior, more so than other fox breeds. For those particularly drawn to red foxes, it’s worth noting the existence of domesticated varieties like the silver fox, bred in Russia.
Silver Fox (Domesticated): A Unique Breed
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Often referred to as the tame Siberian fox, tame Arctic fox, or domesticated fox, the silver fox is a truly unique case in the pet fox world. Classified as Vulpes vulpes, like the red fox, it’s essentially a color variation of the red fox but with significant behavioral differences due to a long-term selective breeding program in Russia.
Species Overview:
- Length: 36 to 42 inches
- Weight: 8 to 15 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Silver foxes share the long snouts and pointy ears of red foxes but boast a coat ranging from black to bluish-gray to silver, often with a white-tipped tail. Silver hairs can be scattered throughout their fur, giving them a distinctive silver appearance.
The Russian domestication program has resulted in silver foxes exhibiting dog-like traits, such as tail-wagging when happy, barking, increased vocalization, and even floppy ears. Notably, they also have significantly reduced urine odor compared to their wilder red fox cousins. However, acquiring a truly domesticated silver fox is challenging and expensive, as they are primarily available from Russia and can cost upwards of $10,000. Care requirements for silver foxes are similar to other fox breeds, but their more docile temperament might make them slightly easier to manage. For those seeking a less demanding pet fox, fennec or gray foxes are often suggested as alternatives.
Arctic Fox: Cold-Adapted and Scent-Marking
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Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) bear a resemblance to red foxes but are generally smaller and less frequently kept as pets. Adapted to survive in frigid Arctic environments, they are highly sensitive to heat and can overheat more easily than other fox species, necessitating careful temperature management in warmer climates.
Species Overview:
- Length: 28 inches
- Weight: 6 to 10 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Arctic foxes display seasonal coat changes, with a dark gray to brown to bluish-brown coat in the summer transitioning to a thick white or creamy white coat in winter. They have a long, bushy tail, short nose, small curled-back ears, and short, stubby legs.
Similar to red foxes, arctic foxes are known for their strong urine odor and scent-marking behavior, making them less suitable for indoor living. They also have a penchant for digging and may turn their litter box into a play area rather than a designated bathroom. While arctic foxes can have pleasant personalities, their specific needs related to temperature and scent-marking should be carefully considered.
Gray Fox: Calm and Friendly, but Still a Fox
Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were once the most prevalent fox species in the United States. While red foxes have since become more dominant due to human activity and habitat changes, gray foxes are often described as the calmest and friendliest fox species.
Species Overview:
- Length: 31 to 45 inches
- Weight: 8 to 14 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Gray foxes have a distinctive peppery gray coat on top, transitioning to reddish-brown on their sides, chest, and the back of their head. Their legs and feet are reddish-colored, and they possess a long, bushy tail with a black stripe on top, pointed ears, a pointed muzzle, and long, hooked claws.
Unlike many fox species that are wary of strangers, gray foxes tend to be amiable and affectionate with most people. However, like all foxes, they are not truly housebroken. While their urine is less pungent than some other species, they can still be destructive indoors, digging at carpets, scent-marking territory, and chewing on inappropriate items.
Bat-Eared Fox: Insectivorous and Uncommon
Bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis) are small and relatively rare in the pet trade. Native to the African plains, they are primarily insectivorous in the wild, with termites and dung beetles constituting a significant portion of their diet.
Species Overview:
- Length: 18 to 26 inches
- Weight: 6 to 12 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: The most striking feature of bat-eared foxes is their unusually large ears. They have a yellowish-gray coat with a black face and legs, and black-tipped ears and tail.
As pets, bat-eared foxes can be fed a diet of meat and vegetables. While some owners have kept them indoors, like other fox species, they require secure, escape-proof enclosures due to their digging and scent-marking tendencies.
Swift Fox: Gentle and Less Energetic
Swift foxes (Vulpes velox) originate from the grasslands of North America and are another smaller fox species that is not commonly found as pets. They are known for their gentle temperament and are generally less noisy and energetic than fennec foxes.
Species Overview:
- Length: 31 inches
- Weight: 4 to 7 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Swift foxes have a dark, grayish-tan coat that extends to a yellowish-tan color on their sides and legs. Their throat, chest, and belly are pale yellow to white, and they have a black-tipped tail, black patches on their muzzle, and large ears.
Some reports suggest that swift foxes are easier to litter train compared to other fox breeds. They are omnivores, with a wild diet consisting of grasses, fruits, small mammals, carrion, and insects. In captivity, their lifespan can extend to around 14 years, significantly longer than their wild lifespan of about 6 years.
Kit Fox: Inquisitive and Bond-Forming
Kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) are closely related to swift foxes, sharing a similar size and native range in southwestern North America. Naturally inquisitive and less fearful of humans, kit foxes can develop strong bonds with their owners.
Species Overview:
- Length: 12 to 20 inches
- Weight: 3 to 6 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Kit foxes are characterized by their large ears, a grayish-orange topcoat with a white underbelly, and a black-tipped tail.
As omnivores, their pet diet should include high-quality, protein-rich dog food supplemented with cooked or raw meats, vegetables, and fruits. To stimulate their foraging instincts, treats like hidden crickets or mealworms can be offered. Kit foxes are relatively quiet, vocalizing mainly with low barks or growls. They are considered one of the easier fox species to litter or potty pad train. Being natural climbers, providing a cat tree or cat condo is recommended, along with a sandbox for their digging instincts.
Pale Fox (Pallid Fox): Low Odor and Friendly
Pale foxes (Vulpes pallida) are native to the Sahara Desert and are another rare find in the exotic pet trade. Often requiring importation, they can be quite expensive.
Species Overview:
- Length: 15 to 17 inches
- Weight: 4 to 6 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Pale foxes have a pale, sandy-colored coat with a whitish underbelly. They are long-bodied with relatively short legs, a narrow muzzle, long, rounded ears, and a bushy, black-tipped tail.
Pale foxes are noted for being a low-odor species, easier to train than fennec foxes, and possessing a friendly disposition. However, they can be vocal, making loud, high-pitched screeches similar to fennec foxes.
Corsac Fox: Hardy and Potty-Trainable
Corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac) originate from northern Asia and are more commonly kept as pets in the UK than in the US. They share similarities with swift foxes in terms of behavior, care, and appearance.
Species Overview:
- Height: 19 to 24 inches
- Weight: 6 pounds
- Physical Characteristics: Corsac foxes have a thick, soft gray coat with silvery tones and a whitish underside, and a black-tipped tail.
Corsac foxes are considered easier to potty train than most fox species. However, they still exhibit scent-marking behavior, and their urine is pungent. Regular bathing is necessary to manage coat odor. Providing a climbing structure is recommended for Corsac foxes kept indoors. Owners should also be prepared for a significant coat shedding once a year in the spring.
Conclusion:
Owning a fox as a pet is a significant commitment that goes beyond the typical responsibilities of dog or cat ownership. Each fox breed has unique characteristics and needs that must be carefully considered. From the popular fennec fox to the rare pale fox, understanding the temperament, care requirements, and potential challenges associated with each species is crucial for making an informed decision. Prospective fox owners should conduct thorough research, ensure they can provide appropriate housing and enrichment, and be prepared for the unique demands of these fascinating, wild-at-heart companions.
