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Please note:
Although they are wonderful animals and very special friends,
foxes do not make easy pets!
They are wild animals and will be very destructive. They can even become aggressive if not handled properly.
Foxes do not bond with everybody. Even if your fox trusts you completely, that doesn't mean that he or she will trust any other person. Your fox needs a place where it can feel absolutely safe and where no visitors are allowed - the fox must be the one to choose whether it wants to be seen.
Foxes cannot be trained like dogs, they do not learn to obey except on a voluntary basis. You must not punish a fox in any way. This would scare them and break whatever trust has been built up. They require a lot of patience and a very high level of tolerance, both of the owner and their neighbourhood.
Foxes are very social animals that do need a companion, if possible of their own species (or at least another canid, e.g. a friendly dog). A sole human companion would have to be able to actively spend several hours a day entertaining the fox.
The decision to own a fox must not be made lightly. You have to be ready
- to patiently bear any kind of destruction (which can become very nerve-wracking and expensive)
- to organize your life according to your foxes' needs (Red Foxes, for example, and all their varieties like ("arctic") marbles, silver, cross foxes etc. should have access to an all around escape-proof outdoor enclosure)
- to find a vet who is willing and able to provide medical care if needed - to have a reliable person to care for your animals in case you are unable do so yourself (holidays, illness, ...)
- and to face the irrational hate, fear and ignorance of your own conspecifics due to an enmity that is several thousand years old. Few people think of beauty and personality when seeing a tame fox. Most will think of rabies, theft and danger.
In many states and countries, owning a fox as a pet is illegal or difficult. Law is often arbitrary and more often than not, doubtful cases will be decided against the animals. Rabies is a powerful arguement and cannot be quickly verified in live animals - not quick enough for authorities, at any rate (while they may decree quarantine for a suspicious dog, they don't tend to be so considerate with foxes.).
I am not exaggerating.
Do not buy a fox if you aren't absolutely sure what you are going to get into. Every pet that is euthanized because it cannot fulfil the expectations of its owner is one too much. If you have any expectations at all when considering buying a fox (e.g. tameness, obedience, calmness, suitability for a house, ...), don't do it. A fox's personality is unpredictable, even if it is bottle-fed. If you cannot completely accept an animal the way it is, with all its needs and (admittedly severe) inconveniences, a fox cannot make you happy, nor you the fox.
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