We were very saddened last week to learn that a patient of ours had died as a result of being attacked by a fox and we wanted to raise awareness of the increasing number of attacks by foxes on cats and share some practical advice to reduce the risk to other cats who enjoy spending time outside.
We were very saddened last week to learn that a patient of ours had died as a result of being attacked by a fox and we wanted to raise awareness of the increasing number of attacks by foxes on cats and share some practical advice to reduce the risk to other cats who enjoy spending time outside.
Compared to cat fight injuries and road traffic accidents, fox attacks are something we see uncommonly and the risks to pets (and humans) are very low but sadly devastating to the unfortunate owners and cats involved.
Foxes used to be shy animals who would avoid contact with humans or other animals and most cat owners will have witnessed a fox being chased out of the garden by their cat. Worryingly for cats and their owners foxes are becoming bolder and will sometimes see cats as prey and not just kittens or weak elderly cats but also large adult cats as was our feline friend last week.
Please keep your cats indoors at times when foxes are most likely to be active, dawn, dusk and night time but please also be aware that foxes are occasionally attacking cats during the day and we are therefore advising pet owners not to leave out any food sources for foxes and to discourage foxes from coming into your garden by using barriers such as fences or dense prickly hedging.
