April 2021
Each night I walk the boys before bed. We have alot of urban foxes in the area and see them frequently. I started taking note of a particularly small one about a month ago and each night I went out I was looking up and down the road for him. Some nights he was there in the shadows and sometimes he wasn't. He is only the size of a large cat and sometimes it was hard to make out which it was. You get to know their movements and on nights that I knew he was there, sitting close to a wheelie bin for safety, I started going back out with a sausage to feed to him. Something told me he was struggling and it's such a great feeling to at least give him one good meal a day. I realised he saw me walking the dogs and although it wasn't every night, it was a trigger for him.
Nights he wasn't there were disappointing and I would hope he was OK. The nights he was there I crouched in the road and threw a bit of sausage in his general direction. He was cautious but eventually took it and would carry it away to eat it out of sight. Then he came back for more. Before long I knew it was my fox as he started following me down the road, at a safe distance. So I would pop the boys back inside and go back out to play hide and seek behind parked cars. Sometimes he was on the pavement and sometimes he was on the road. I kept crouching and throwing sausage and he came closer.
Encounters like that are a blessing. you feel honoured to be trusted by them. Closer and closer he was coming and I could see him alot better.
It was a sorry sight. One of his main identifying features was that the top half of his tail was almost bald... Then I noticed his eyes were almost closed and he almost acted blind as I threw bits of sausage. He was relying on smell and sound.
A bad case of Mange. I didn't want him living like that. So we quickly researched what we could do.
Now that I could feed him, we had a good chance of being able to get medication into him to help.
Rogers wildlife rescue based in Woodingdean was so helpful. I called him to explain I had often taken seagulls to him in the past and that I now had a Fox that needs some help. What struck me was how grateful he sounded that someone would help a Fox. I would be the 39th person currently treating foxes across Brighton and Hove.
I dutifully drove to collect pre prepared medication on a lump of soft meat. Keen to cover any costs to Roger I donated £40 as 4 doses will be needed over the next 4 weeks. One a week.
I was nervous and excited to see if I could get this medication into the fox. What if he didn't come that night.
Wednesday 21st April 2021
I walked the boys.. Popped them in and paced the road looking for him. He wasn't around. Lucie called me inside and we watched from the bedroom window. At 9.30 he walked past the end of the garden path. I shot downstairs and sure enough he was waiting for me and easily comes towards me. I started with bits of sausage and progressed onto the medicated meat.
Initially I placed the tupperware container on the pavement but he couldn't pick it out so threw a bit of sausage, took the container back and split meat into 3. Threw a bit onto the pavement and barely breathed as he ate the first bit in front of me! then the 2nd and 3rd. It was a great moment to know he now has 1 dose in him
The eyes are very slitty caused by the Mange and giving them conjunctivitis. According to Roger the first dose will help the eyes straight away. So I was really happy that could now help.
Very relieved, I went to bed knowing we had started to treat him and help him. The progress even from the previous night was amazing with him now eating only a metre away from me.
So I feel really confident in being able to complete this 4 week programme and shall feed him every night in between to keep him coming to me.
The next night I went out presuming he would be waiting. But he wasn't. So I waited for him but he didn't come. After tip toeing and calling up and down the road for an hour I gave up and reluctantly left 2 chopped up sausages for him in a dish on the path. I fell asleep and woke thinking I could hear the dish moving but I couldn't.
By the morning the sausage as gone and I hoped it was him who took it.
The same happened tonight 22nd April and although I saw a Fox as I took the boys out for their last wee, I don't think it was him as he trotted away, too far away for me to see if it was him. Tired as he keeps making me stay up way beyond my 9pm bedtime, I just left the sausage out for him.
I have concerns, silly thoughts, what if something happened to him. It was such an intense 2 nights of him following me and feeding so close and taking the food I put down. Where is he now and why would he stop coming.
Saturday 24th April
Third night of him not coming. I left sausage outside again and it was gone in the morning but no idea if it's him taking it.
Its now Tuesday 27th and it's been a week since he came and I fed him knowing I would then be able to get medication into him. No idea what has happened to him and little bit sad about it. It was now nearly a week since he had had the medicated meat.
So, its still the same night and by a really strange set of events we have now seen him again. When I go to bed I spend ages going in and out the front door checking for him. I leave the sausage out and then go upstairs to bed and peer out of the bedroom window with a good view up and down the road.
Somehow I had left the front door open and when lucie got up to go to the loo at 12.21am she came back to bed whispering loudly that the front door was open..... I shot out of bed, shot downstairs and reached the door... as I looked out there he was! On the path, finishing the sausage off I had left 3 hours earlier.
I was elated, mainly that he was there and he was OK, relieved we had been right in thinking it had been him coming whilst also relieved that the house was safe after I left the stupid front door open. I talked to him and he stayed listening to me. At this point I sprinted to the kitchen to defrost yet another sausage. Went outside and sat talking to him whilst throwing bits of sausage.
I desperately wanted to get my phone to get pictures and rushed to cook another sausage whilst grabbing my phone. It was such a relief to sit on the step and get some photos. His eyes are so much better just as Roger said they would be after the first dose. Left eye normal. Right eye still a little affected but I could see both eyes. Last week they were virtually shut.
The right eye is still a bit dark and not as clear as the left eye.
Annoyingly blurred but shows the right eye is bright, open and normal.
So after another amazing encounter with him I left the last bits of sausage in the front garden and said goodnight.
Wednesday 28th April - Medication night.
Went to Rogers after leaving a message that I would pop and collect another piece of meat. It was left outside with my name on. I swapped it for last weeks empty container. It's all costs for them.
The main quandary is whether to put sausage out as normal but know he doesn't come til later. So I am setting an alarm for midnight and will put it out and wait!
Midnight alarm - pottered downstairs and got a sausage ready and had the medicated meat to hand. I put the sausage out first and then waited. Within minutes the fox was on the path ! So I went out and sat on the step. He seemed a little more skittish and I had a feeling he wouldn't be around for too long, so got straight on with feeding the medicated meat. The eyes looked so much better already.
Then we hit a snag. Just as I had finished feeding, a second fox appeared and was much smaller and annoyingly I think was my original fox. I now had a horrible feeling that I had just given the medication to the wrong fox, but who happened to look exactly the same, same mange on tail. I hadn't taken any photos so couldn't compare them.
Frustrating but not alot I could do, and either way foxes were benefitting.
Following night I just had to leave the sausage out and go to bed. It disappeared really quickly so now they were back to coming earlier. It's very hard to keep up with their schedules !
Sunday 2nd May
I was just taking the boys our for their last wee, opened the front door and the fox was waiting for me at the end of the path ! Ushered the dogs back in and got some sausage. I am keen to keep him interested so it's easier for the medication once a week. Now this was definitely my fox, very little and tamer.
In fact he ended up taking the sausage from my hand. I managed to video this.
The coat is starting to look shinier and the eyes are the best achievement so far.
This shows the left eye well, open and shiny. I didn't get any photos of the initial state of the eyes but will find one as an example.
There was no sign of the second fox, which I felt might be a sibling, so it was just quality time with the right fox. The mission continues with the next dose due in 3 nights time.
Wednesday 5th May
So I trundled up to Rogers wildlife for a 3rd time to collect the medication and again it had been left outside for me. I replaced it with last weeks empty pot.
Its lighter later now and 9.20 was pushing it to see him. So I went to bed with an alarm set for 11.45. I woke at 10.20 so thought I would try then. Each encounter is different and tonight as I peered up the road from the end of the path there he was waiting in the shadows and he sidled down the pavement staying close to the garden walls. So small and came straight to me so I knew I had the right one. After one piece of sausage I started on the other meat. Piece by piece he came and took it. Tail is still bare at the top but main coat and eyes better.
He skits away the moment there is any other noise. A taxi came and he hid between 2 cars. Always so alert, then a lady came running down the road and he went a way up the road, always coming back.
To keep a mix of being too close and just leaving food out I left the remaining bits of sausage on the front path. Within minutes of writing this, they had gone. I can rest knowing he has eaten and can carry on getting better.
Monday May 10th
5 nights since I last saw him. Good in one way he isn't reliant but not good in others because I like seeing him! I set an alarm last night for 11.45 and came and put sausage out which was quickly taken up by a very healthy looking imposter fox. As I hung out of the bedroom window kind of discouraging him. How can I train one fox to come and one fox to go away!
It would be good timing to see him tonight. it's Monday and treatment day is Wednesday and will be his last treatment. Well depending on how he is looking.
Just before writing that I had put sausage out and 2 minutes later it was gone and a healthy fox was running up the road. Nope it was no good, he wasn't there, so I set an alarm to try later. One final check out of bedroom window and there he was. Great! Clothes back on and run downstairs and sit on step. He emerges from where he was waiting between 2 cars and we hung out while he ate sausage and I took photos. I also got a photo from further away because it's such a lovely little sight to see him Potter down the road towards me. Also a photo of him disappearing away from me. I think there is new fur growth at the top of the tail which will be a great result. Aside from the lower end of the tail and the bare section on the side, he looks OK and is obviously getting enough to eat.
So now I can sleep without having to get up! He's doing OK which is so great. I am trying to balance him being OK to be with me but I always leave the last bit of food on the path and say goodnight so he doesn't think I just abandon him.
4th treatment
This is proving to be a mission. It's now Saturday 15th May. I saw him Monday. I collected treatment on Thursday.
He didn't come. I had set an alarm. Then Friday night I set an alarm again for 11.45. Went downstairs got sausage put it outside and watched from window. I was really tired so set an alarm for 15 minutes and lay on sofa! Alarm went off. Sausage had gone, went outside. No fox.
Put more sausage out. Set alarm 10 mins, yes was honestly that tired! Sausage was gone. No fox in sight. Right! Sausage out, watched for the next 10 minutes, no-one came! Great, lay down, 7 mins later sausage was gone.
I was starting to feel like I was in a set of Benny Hill!! I lay down fox sneaked in garden gate gets sausage. Alarm goes off, I get up, nothing. And that's what anyone watching would have seen for about 7 times until I gave up at 1.15am!! It makes me think it wasn't my fox coming in because he always seems to hang around and wait for me.
Really frustrating, he needs this last dose and I need to see him. On one hand it's great as he isn't reliant on me, on the other hand the 'what ifs' start. What if something has happened to him. What if he has forgotten about the sausage station. I just needed to keep his interest long enough to get the 4 doses administered. I don't want to fail now.
So I am playing the same set an alarm game. So far have missed him twice. Between 11.31 and 11.37 the sausage went!!! So now I am waiting and watching solidly until 12. This is all really late for me!!
Its raining so its good to be able to watch from inside.
When I watch solidly no-one comes. When I lay on sofa for 5 minutes the sausage goes.
Ah ha... Gotcha.. Not good photos but enough to see its not my fox. The tail is way too thick and the fox is bigger.
Its actually a really good healthy animal. So our smaller friend just isn't around. The medication is good for 3 nights. I will try again tomorrow night.
I never got to see him again in the same way. I went out every night worrying about him. In the end I had to leave the meat out as it wouldn't last any longer. I hope he made it and can only presume that I helped in some way. I got to know the different foxes, size and behaviour were the main identifying features. If I called or whistled, my fox would stop and come towards me. Others wouldn't. So it was easy to keep a look out for him. Main feature being so small, on initial sight he was cat size. I watched over the next few months and much nearer Christmas, we started seeing a small fox who would wait on the shed roof for breakfast. I always thought this was my fox, all better and well. Won't know for sure, but I hope so.
Comments