Dealing with rodents and other pests can be a real hassle. Many people turn to cats for their renowned hunting skills, but as cat owners know, our feline friends don’t always live up to their predatory reputation.
Sometimes, they leave the pest control to us humans. That’s what led one woman to try a unique solution – feeding the wild foxes in her backyard.
In a surprising turn of events, these clever foxes not only helped with her rodent problem but also struck up a friendship with her cats.
In this woman’s hometown, foxes are common visitors. After she began feeding them, she noticed a welcome decrease in rodents, which thrilled her.
She even found herself enjoying the company of these wild visitors. Her cats, on the other hand, weren’t quite as thrilled about their new fox friends.
Unfortunately, she forgot to run her brilliant idea past her beloved feline companions which, as expected, resulted in a less-than-enthusiastic reception from them.
The first time she saw the foxes and cats together, she was understandably nervous about how they’d interact.
Cats can be standoffish with newcomers, often seeming aloof or even irritated – and that’s exactly how her cats reacted to the foxes.
They were less than thrilled about these “ugly orange dogs” invading their territory and eating what they considered their food. The cats made their displeasure quite clear.
Over time, though, the cats’ annoyance mellowed into tolerance and eventually blossomed into a sort of friendship. They started hanging out more with the foxes and even shared meals with them.
The woman has been documenting these interactions on her YouTube channel for years, using her outdoor camera to capture the remarkable bond between the cats and foxes.
Her goal is to correct the unfair and stigmatized reputation that foxes have while raising awareness of their actually friendly temperament. As she says in the description of one of her videos:
“I still get comments from people who fervently believe that foxes pose a danger to our feline friends – which they do not. Do not believe the hype that foxes are dangerous, they are very timid animals. So put your mind at ease when the kitty goes out at night. In actual fact, the kitty should be indoors at night. You will find the interaction between the species in this video enlightening. Over many years of observation, I have never encountered an attack by any fox on any cat.”
If you struggle to wrap your brain around this, believe me – I totally get it! I myself have trouble believing foxes don’t pose any threats to our feline friends.
But if this woman dedicated her life trying to prove a point, then I guess there’s no reason not to believe her, right?
On her channel, there’s a “Cats & Foxes” playlist with over 100 videos showcasing the fascinating lives of these animals. I highly recommend checking it out.
The footage she shares is extraordinary, offering a glimpse into the natural behaviors of both cats and foxes.
If you decide to watch some of these videos, I’d love to hear what you think. Drop a comment and share your thoughts!
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