I have a mama fox and her four kits nearby to my barn and pastures. I love watching them, and don’t want to disturb them; however, I think mama is quiet hungry and trying her best to feed her kids. To that end, she has learned where I feed my feral cats and is waiting to eat when I bring them their food. I’ve tried chasing her off (doesn’t work, she just comes right back and I can’t be around or two of the three ferals won’t eat in my presence); I’ve tried putting other dry cat food out for her in another area (it’s not as enticing as wet cat food apparently, though she does eat that too!) - I am not sure what else I can do. She is skinny, she’s working hard and I want to help her, but I don’t want her to learn I’m the food dispenser either. But, I can’t feed my ferals (and though they are fixed and still feral, they are my cats) at this point, and that’s also unacceptable to me. They do depend on me, and I owe it to them to feed them as I have for the past 3 years. I’m not too worried about the fox hurting them, she chases them off to eat, but they don’t fight at all. So is there some food I can feed mama fox in some location that isn’t quite so close that will help her feed her kits and herself until they are weaned and on their own. This morning I watched her run all over my pastures, then get her kits and bring them to where I feed the cats. She’s training them now, and I can’t have 5 foxes trying to eat the 3 ferals cat food…I’m at a loss. I don’t leave the cat food out - but she’s got the timing down and is waiting for the free meal. Please help me come up with a solution that keeps all the wild ones happy, and my (much loved, caught as a kitten so not feral) barn cat and horses safe. Thank you.
I’ve used wet and dry dog food in a separate area from the cats. One momma fox was regularly traveling over a mile on her nightly hikes to get leftovers out of the trash at the local fast food places. Each morning I’d see the new wrappers and french fry bags not far from her hole. Poor thing, she was skinny also. Grouchy old biddies near me called AC and had the momma caught and (??), not sure what happened to the babies.
What if you get cheap chicken parts from your local wholesale store (necks/livers/etc) and put them out for her, close to her den (if that’s feasable for you)? My sister just started feeding a raw diet to her dogs and said it’s cheaper than their kibble, and would probably be more appetizing to a wild fox than cat food would be. Might keep her away from your kitties, and keep her belly full while she’s raising her babies. Best of luck to you! Foxes are my favorite animal, I’m so envious! 
Put the cat food in a location she can’t access to stop the temptation. Cats can fit thru small holes, jump higher, so they should still be able to find the food. Maybe a locked stall, doors closed, but cats can go thru the bars? Up high on a shelf or in the barn loft?
You might slip some wormer in her food, help her use her nutrition better. Vet should be able to advise on this. I worm my barn cats regularly, since they catch varmints and Vet said the Tapeworm is the problem with cats that hunt. I would presume the Mama Fox would also have that problem.
Raw chicken parts do sound helpful for her, instead of wet cat food. Hope she makes it and her kits too.
Rubber bullets. It won’t hurt her, but it will make it uncomfortable for her to eat.
It sounds harsh, but if she is eating your food instead of teaching those kits how to hunt, all the babies will die the second you stop feeding them 
If you are really concerned about her not finding enough food after that, I would set out some chicken for her every few days like other posters said.
Start by feeding her the chicken parts near her den at the same time you start feeding the feral cats at a different location. Move the cat feeding location (gradually) to a spot in the barn, or in a shed, preferably where they need to come in to eat when you are doing barn chores.
I like the above idea of periodic feeding of skinny momma, and of worming her…but there’s not a great way to get the dose right if the kits are eating the food too.
Thank you all for your suggestions! I am happy to report that all seemed well this morning. I got some chicken and put it in the tree line by the den so she can teach her kits to hunt and I elevated the cat food the best I could. She was not waiting for me this morning and the cats got to eat in peace. I’ll continue to give chicken (with some ivermectin to worm them once I figure out the dosing) as needed until the family grows up and moves on. They are all in pretty good shape, other than mama being skinny and it is a pleasure to get to watch them grow up. Last year it was baby owls and this year kits - so love my farm!
Thanks again for all your great suggestions!
We have been supplementing “our” fox with chicken from the store so she is not so hard on our “alive” chickens. We do this every Spring to help her out. Once there are more rabbits and wild birds around she and her kits move on and our chicken fatalities subside. It may not be the ideal thing to do, but she gets so thin. And I happen to like foxes.
Here is an article on the dosage:
http://foxwoodrehab.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/10/treating-sarcop.html
We used this successfully in hot dogs to treat mange in a fox last year. poke a hole in the hot dog with a screwdriver and then inject the hot dog with the ivermectin to get it to stay better. Just for worming you don’t need to do it nearly so often as for mange I am sure!
Be very careful using ivermectin if you have dogs as it can poison them especially collie breeds, we don’t have any dogs and neither do our neighbors.
Excellent post fordtraktor!
I’ve been wondering about the ivermectin dosage. I wasn’t successful in treating sarcops in our fox several years ago. I think it was too far gone before I treated.
Two of my dogs, a collie and a hound got a bit of mange then too. No surprise. Gave the hound ivermectin injections, but the vets I work for had me do a different treatment for the collie. White feet, don’t treat.
I have chickens, but I sure don’t free range them anymore. I have chickens and foxes and have for years. Yay!
I feed the resident foxes dry dog food and a bit of canned cat food, far from the rest of the action on the farm. I enjoy seeing them as they wait on me to finish the barn chores.
Swell thread syreino, thanks.
Please don’t go overboard with a bunch of dang cats though
Just peeking in to say: Love this thread. Well done!
[QUOTE=StormyDay;8176303]
if she is eating your food instead of teaching those kits how to hunt, all the babies will die the second you stop feeding them If you are really concerned about her not finding enough food after that, I would set out some chicken for her every few days like other posters said.[/QUOTE]
I may get yelled at here for this, but this and the “chicken” and “raw diet” responses gave me an idea:
Could you set out some actual chickens for the mama and her kits? Does that sound cruel? It would at least get the chickens out of cages for a period of time, would feed the foxes a fairly natural foxy diet, and the kits would learn to “hunt” to a degree.
Just trying to help them on a foxy level. I too love foxes and think you are wonderful to be feeding them and concerned about them.
Eating healthy chickens might also help the foxes with their worm problems?
P.S. - I just saw your update post, OP! I am glad you found a solution – glad for you and the fox and her kits and your kitties!
Since this got ressurected, I thought I would give a happy update. My fox family did well with their supplemental chicken, and as I tapered off with the supplemental food, there were no additional issues. I have not fed them for 4 nights now. I have seen a few of the kits around in new places and mama running through now and again.
I did see one kit determinedly trying to drag a deer leg (just a leg, but the full length) back to the den. S/He did very well, but finally gave up and left it for another time. It was so cute, and so disgusting at the same time. So I know they are able to forage for themselves now and can fend for themselves, as it should be.
It’s been a pleasure having them entertain us this summer, and I am so glad we were able to easily come up with a solution that worked - thank you all! I never would have thought of chicken since I am a vegetarian.
Thank you all for being interested in my fox family.
