Fox Proofing

I have been searching and looking for advice as for the first time in 20 or so years we had a fox in our garden last night, it was big and looked very healthy.
We have 2 house buns but they have a little door, which is opened when we are home, so they can free range in the garden. It was cold last night so closed the door up early, only to go outside and see a fox looking at me. I do believe if I had not shut the door up it would have come in the house. Has anyone used any effective sprays or methods to keep fox's out, I know I will never get rid of it now it has the buns scent but I would like to keep it away as much as possible.
We have 5 foot fences/walls all around the garden and I just jumped these with ease!!
Thanks

rachglos said:

I have been searching and looking for advice as for the first time in 20 or so years we had a fox in our garden last night, it was big and looked very healthy.
We have 2 house buns but they have a little door, which is opened when we are home, so they can free range in the garden. It was cold last night so closed the door up early, only to go outside and see a fox looking at me. I do believe if I had not shut the door up it would have come in the house. Has anyone used any effective sprays or methods to keep fox's out, I know I will never get rid of it now it has the buns scent but I would like to keep it away as much as possible.
We have 5 foot fences/walls all around the garden and I just jumped these with ease!!
Thanks

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As someone who has lost a House Rabbit to a Fox who entered our home I believe the ONLY way to make sure it cannot happen is to keep downstairs doors and windows closed

I personally do not believe that there is anything that will deter a determined Fox

Really, feeding it is the only way of detering it - We have a daily fox visit, we have the rabbits and our neighbours all have cats, so they leave scraps out for it!

You can get sprays but they're clever and get used to them, same with the sonar thingys (which are rubbish and hurt rabbits ears anyway).

I actually love our fox, but wouldn't take any risks where my rabbits are concerned.

I agree with Jane I don't think there's much you can do.
There's probably been foxes around you for years though, you've just never happened to see one.

FudgeTort said:

I agree with Jane I don't think there's much you can do.
There's probably been foxes around you for years though, you've just never happened to see one.

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100% agree

As is often said on here the first time you see a Fox in your area can be the last time you see your Rabbit.

I shudder when I read posts that say 'my garden is 100% Fox Proof so my Rabbits are fine to Free Range unsupervised

There is no such thing as a 100% Fox-proof garden

Thanks everyone, I am certain we have them all around us as we live near the railway and lots of people do see them, I guess it's just the shock of seeing 1 for the first time in the garden.

They are never left out unsupervised so I think this would be ok, I was just wondering if I could do anything to deter it coming back as during the day a fox could look through the patio doors and scare them, the buns have loads of hiding places so I think they will be ok, although I know shock can sometimes kill a bunny.

Another thing to worry about

we have house bunnies and one day went to my patio doors and the fox was scratching and pawing at the glass trying to get in, despite me banging on the glass and waving my arms , he just carried on with his attempt to get in, they are as hard as nails and dont seem to be frightened , if the door had been opened he would have come in right past me im sure.

we let our rabbits outside but never unsupervised, TBH even the cats in our area have a go , the buns are petrified of them.

if you rabbits are free range , its only a matter of time im afraid, foxes are everywhere

the official fox website puts numbers at about 250 000 in the uk and that equates to about 2.4 foxes for every sq kilometre for the entire uk. The current amount of foxes will give birth to approx 400 000 cubs next year , which trebles the population for the summer months, by year end the population will drop back down to about 300 000, each year its getting bigger .

I wouldn't let them out again this winter. If they are house buns I'm sure you've given them lots of space indoors. They don't need to go outside so I wouldn't take the risk. Even if you are outdoors with them if a fox turns up there is not a lot you can do.

Jack's-Jane said:

100% agree

As is often said on here the first time you see a Fox in your area can be the last time you see your Rabbit.

I shudder when I read posts that say 'my garden is 100% Fox Proof so my Rabbits are fine to Free Range unsupervised

There is no such thing as a 100% Fox-proof garden

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I agree...why do people say this...& the other thing is when people say "we dont have foxes round here"...foxes are everywhere, town or country...you just dont always see them!

Back in the summer my friends next-door neighbour was in the garden with her family, broad daylight, their bunny was in the garden with them when suddenly a fox jumped over the fence, snatched the bunny & decapitated it in front of everyone!! How horrific is that!! Extreme i know... but foxes just freak me out with their determined & opportunistic behaviour.

They are a constant worry for a bunny-owner.

Rupert & Tia said:

Really, feeding it is the only way of detering it - We have a daily fox visit, we have the rabbits and our neighbours all have cats, so they leave scraps out for it!

You can get sprays but they're clever and get used to them, same with the sonar thingys (which are rubbish and hurt rabbits ears anyway).

I actually love our fox, but wouldn't take any risks where my rabbits are concerned.

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I really would not do this -

feeding foxes merely encourages them to come - and to then become very used to humans, and also very very very healthy - and indeed so healthy that they raise lots of young ones - who stick around as there is a good food supply and then make more foxes and so it goes on (and yes I do know about territories and fox behaviour etc but that are several months when the young will be with them and territories can adapt depending on food source).

The man 3 doors down to us used to feed the fox that became foxes that became more foxes until there were two earths at the bottom of his garden> each year he would go away on holiday a couple of times for three weeks each time (he is retired) and then peoples hens started to disappear and and someones guinea pig got taken, owners of elderly cats started to worryand we had to invest hundreds of pounds in electric fencing for our rabbits and hens . . . and he became a very unpopular man.

He eventually stopped feeding the foxes when his garden became covered in fox poo and rats (attracted by the fox food).

Eventually they drifted away and now we rarely see them (we used to see 3 or 4 every night).