1.0 Fennec Fox

Since you guys love pictures, I thought I'd snap some of my fox.
I got him about three weeks ago. I needed a permit. It was free though.

He is very messy (very messy), but also very affectionate.

http://i52.tinypic.com/m7awqr.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/2ev3dyc.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/ly8ie.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/j77wvo.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/143kgt1.jpg

Any questions about him? Happy to answer.

What's it eat?

He is sweet looking.

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

What's it eat?

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His diet involves Halo cat food, fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked chicken, KMR (because he is still young), and vitamins.

Ive always wanted one of those little guys. What permit was required for them?

this is by far the coolest lil guy ever!!! I wonder if they are legal in NJ My wife is in love with him!! now she wants one.

It was an import permit because he was bred out of state. I had a lot of fun conversations with officials (curiously, you get a different answer every time you call until you speak to a supervisor or an animal control officer) but they finally said the import permit was all that was needed since he's a non-native species.

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New Jersey

Category: B

Summary of Law: It is unlawful for persons to possess a potentially dangerous species as a "pet." Potentially dangerous species include the following orders: Primates; Carnivora (nondomestic dogs and cats, bears); Saura (venomous gila monsters); Serpentes (venomous coral snakes, cobras, vipers, pit vipers); Crocodilia (alligators, crocodiles, gavials); Psittaciformes (ring-necked and monk parakeets); and Rodentia (prairie dogs, ground squirrels). Zoos and other exhibitors may possess these animals upon showing that specific criteria have been met, such as extensive experience in handling and caring for the animal.

Citation: N.J. ADMIN. CODE tit. 7, §25-4.8 and §25-4.9

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New Jersey state law looks good. If you do get interested in obtaining one, check with officials directly though in case anything has changed. For example, my state doesn't list that an exotic out of state would need an import permit, just that it is legal to keep them in personal possession. Check your county and town laws too.

If you don't mind me asking. How much did you pay or should i say how much do they usually sell for? I would love to add one to the family and as far as permits I was told a class III lol maby ill call again and see what they say lol

other thank that congrats what a awesome animal to own!:gj:

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Originally Posted by dirdad

If you don't mind me asking. How much did you pay or should i say how much do they usually sell for? I would love to add one to the family and as far as permits I was told a class III lol maby ill call again and see what they say lol

other thank that congrats what a awesome animal to own!:gj:

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He was $1200. Another good breeder prices theirs at $2000. I think my breeder will be raising her prices soon, if the discussion with the second breeder was any indication (they're trying to find a good market price).

I have wanted one forever. Someday when we have our own place. Someday...
He is adorable. Good luck with him:)

How CUTE! :love:

sweet !! so they are attainable....nice! and the price is not too bad even at 2 g's.. thanks for the info and congrats on the lil guy

They're cute, but I think I'd prefer a colour of red fox. Here in VA it's legal to own any colour mutation of red fox OTHER THAN the natural red. :rolleyes:

They're about $400-$600 each, so they're more in my price range. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Rhasputin

They're cute, but I think I'd prefer a colour of red fox. Here in VA it's legal to own any colour mutation of red fox OTHER THAN the natural red. :rolleyes:

They're about $400-$600 each, so they're more in my price range. :rofl:

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I've heard that other fox species smell REALLY bad due to their scent glands. Wouldn't that bother you?

This is on my list of animals To get when I have my own house and has been for a long time. They are amazing creatures!

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Originally Posted by Slashmaster

I've heard that other fox species smell REALLY bad due to their scent glands. Wouldn't that bother you?

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Indeed, they do. I don't know if they can be descented like a skunk can. I helped take care of a pair of foxes at a small zoo. VERY pretty animals (one red and one white with black tips)....and just as stinky as they are pretty. They smell very skunk-like.

When we lived in Colorado, we had wild fox living all around us. When we'd go walking in the fields, you could smell the foxes even though you never saw them.

There's nothing subtle about a fox!

Oh...and VERY cute Fennec! Those ears are to die for!! ^^ :D

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Originally Posted by JLC

Indeed, they do. I don't know if they can be descented like a skunk can. I helped take care of a pair of foxes at a small zoo. VERY pretty animals (one red and one white with black tips)....and just as stinky as they are pretty. They smell very skunk-like.

When we lived in Colorado, we had wild fox living all around us. When we'd go walking in the fields, you could smell the foxes even though you never saw them.

There's nothing subtle about a fox!

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Aha! I heard that they smelled like skunks. Fortunately for me, Fennecs don't have much of a scent. He smells like pee sometimes because he's not very hygienic (he gets a lot of baths) but I've never found him with a skunky odor.

Is he litter box trained?

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Originally Posted by oliverstwist

Is he litter box trained?

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No. Some people have claimed they little trained their fennecs, but most people I've talked to say they simply can't be trained like that.

My fox doesn't seem to want to be trained though. I can't even get him to sit, and the dogs I trained a few years back got it right away.

Oh how cute! I had a friend that had a descented skunk.
He still postured though and it was cute but couldn't make The smelly.

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where can I get one and how hard was getting the permit and whats he eat and all his husbandry necessities ?

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Originally Posted by lance

where can I get one and how hard was getting the permit and whats he eat and all his husbandry necessities ?

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First, check the laws of your state, county, and village. That is the most important thing to do. :)

Then if it's legal for you, ensure you have about $2500 laying around for the fox and the husbandry necessities. My fox has a two-story Ferret Nation cage. Food is a bit expensive since it requires fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and cooked chicken. The cat food he eats (Halo) is one of the more expensive brands too. The vitamins - not sure how much those are, as I got some free from the breeder. KMR is expensive. It cost about $25 for a small can of mix. He is going through it fast.

The permit was not hard to get. The issue was more finding someone to talk to who knew what they were doing. I ran into a lot of issues where I would call up the officials and they don't have a clue what I'm talking about, or what to do about it. It took a lot of prodding to get to someone who was a supervisor or knew what a fennec was.

It's not too difficult keeping him. It IS very time consuming though, as these little guys are very active and require a lot of exercise. Think like a german shepherd. He has to spend hours running around playing with the cat or me. And since he can't be potty trained, I have to be vigilant to make sure he doesn't potty anywhere.

There's also the screaming. He does a LOT of screaming. He screams at night, screams during the day... if I walk by the room he's in, he will scream even louder. He screams when he's excited too, like when he gets a treat.

He also bites a lot. I have a lot of scars from the bites. Because of this I don't let him near anyone who isn't immediate family or friends I trust a lot. He has bit family already and I haven't had him too long. He is also food aggressive but that is typical for them.

If you can handle the intense time requirement, the biting and food aggression, the pooping and peeing everywhere, and the screaming, more power to you...haha.

Does he have to get vaccines?

Oh my gosh! That is the cutest fox ever! Those big ears are just so freakin adorable!

Lmfaoo OMG ! I thought you were joking at first :o very niceee fox, a while ago I wanted a snow fox but I don't think their legal in NYC "/ beutiful little guy anyway:gj:

That's very cute! Congrats! I don't think I could tolerate the messiness, and screams; but that sure is cute!

It is unlawful for persons to possess a potentially dangerous species as a "pet." Potentially dangerous species include the following orders: Primates; Carnivora (nondomestic dogs and cats, bears);
New Jersey

Doesn't a fox qualify as a Carnivora-nondomestic? Just wondering.

That's a cutie of a fennec. As far as training, you can train just about anything with precise operant conditioning. You just have to be patient and very precise about when you reward. Once you get the first steps down of establishing the reward cue, you can easily start shaping behavior and even extinguish unwanted behaviors via "off cue" extinguishing. That way there's no negative conditioning but you get the results you want.

+1

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

As far as training, you can train just about anything with precise operant conditioning. You just have to be patient and very precise about when you reward.

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Silver Fox. Not a fennec fox, but a fox nonetheless, and they are domesticated. i personally thought it was interesting to read about their domestication process.

http://www.sibfox.com/


there was also a tv special on this. i cant for the life of me remember the name or the channel of the show. but it was pretty cool.

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Originally Posted by oppie2005

Silver Fox. Not a fennec fox, but a fox nonetheless, and they are domesticated. i personally thought it was interesting to read about their domestication process.

http://www.sibfox.com/


there was also a tv special on this. i cant for the life of me remember the name or the channel of the show. but it was pretty cool.

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:tears: Look at those horrible little cages those guys are living in!

I don't know what any tv special might have said about these, but calling them "domesticated" is a HUGE stretch. "Tame"....maybe. I have my doubts about even that. But an animal like that is a looong way from being domesticated.

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Originally Posted by JLC

:tears: Look at those horrible little cages those guys are living in!

I don't know what any tv special might have said about these, but calling them "domesticated" is a HUGE stretch. "Tame"....maybe. I have my doubts about even that. But an animal like that is a looong way from being domesticated.

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I'm not sure what "little cages" you saw. I don't see anything that shows the size of their cages at all.

They did have some "domesticated" foxes. They bred the tamest of the tamest for several generations and ended up with foxes that acted very domesticated and their ears tended to be more floppy. All domestication process is, is breeding for tameness. If they act completely domesticated, then what stops them from getting the label of domesticated species? Not just training, they bred specifically for tameness, instead of for color or coat. Just tameness and handleability. There was a couple papers on them at some point years ago, but I haven't seen anything new in years about it.

That fox is so cute! Is the biting just being playful, being aggressive or is it something they get over as they become more tame/get to know you better? And you said he plays with your cat? Does that go well? How long did it take them to get acclimated to each other?

The silver fox project is REALLY cool in my opinion. Seeing the process of domestication and HOW IT CHANGES THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE of the animal is fascinating to me. There was a great article about domestication of wild animals in Nat Geo that talked about this experiment.

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Does he have to get vaccines?

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My breeder said to be very careful with those. Some people have let their vets give vaccines to their fennecs and it killed them. If he needs a vaccine she should be contacted first to make sure it is safe.

It's the same thing with certain tick killing solutions. One kind that is safe for dogs will kill a fennec.

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Potentially dangerous species include the following orders: Primates; Carnivora (nondomestic dogs and cats, bears);
New Jersey

Doesn't a fox qualify as a Carnivora-nondomestic? Just wondering.

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The "potentially dangeorous" is what I looked at, since no one could construe a fennec fox as being dangerous or life-threatening. They don't get over three pounds. It is best to contact the officials in your state to make sure though.

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As far as training, you can train just about anything with precise operant conditioning. You just have to be patient and very precise about when you reward. Once you get the first steps down of establishing the reward cue, you can easily start shaping behavior and even extinguish unwanted behaviors via "off cue" extinguishing. That way there's no negative conditioning but you get the results you want.

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Interesting... not sure I have the patience to train him as he's very energetic and doesn't focus. I can't get him to sit for a treat because he's too busy climbing the walls! :o

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Silver Fox. Not a fennec fox, but a fox nonetheless, and they are domesticated. i personally thought it was interesting to read about their domestication process.

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Oh yeah I heard about that. I also read a couple of scientific papers in one of my college biology courses regarding how they were domesticated.

They are very expensive too...

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That fox is so cute! Is the biting just being playful, being aggressive or is it something they get over as they become more tame/get to know you better? And you said he plays with your cat? Does that go well? How long did it take them to get acclimated to each other?

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Most of the time he is just nipping. You can barely feel it. However sometimes he does have abrupt mood shifts and will snarl and bite down hard. It's hard to gauge when he will do that, but I'm getting a better feel for it.

I'm also getting faster in moving my limbs away. (He doesn't just bite hands. He has bitten down hard on my forearm before)

As for the fox and the cat, she was fine with him when they were playing at my aunt's house, which is where they were introduced. After we went back to my house (where she had established herself for about three months - I adopted her), she was less fond of him. She doesn't hurt him though, and never has. He sometimes bites her tail or charges her and barks and she will hiss and swipe at him but he always comes back for more, so she can't be hitting too hard. Sometimes she chases him though. She's had plenty of opportunities (from what I've seen) to seriously hurt him and she hasn't.

Where do you live...I may want to come by and nab him :D

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Originally Posted by Miscreantpc

Where do you live...I may want to come by and nab him :D

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Haha! That's a secret.
Not even my friends get to see him. Family and very close friends only ;D

Congrats! Hes so beautiful! I've always wanted one but I've heard theyre illegal here in Az... :tears:

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Originally Posted by Slashmaster

Haha! That's a secret.
Not even my friends get to see him. Family and very close friends only ;D

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Can I sign some sort of binding legal document in order to see him?

Interesting idea, but you're rather far away ;D

http://i56.tinypic.com/33453qs.jpg
Half parrot, half fox? He spends so much of his time on my shoulder.

That's too frickin cute. Oh my lord. Way to cute.


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I remember seeing the Nat Geo documentary "Science of Dogs" where they went into breeding foxes for temperament in Russia and the "nice foxes" actually physically changed. They produced silver and grey & white foxes and they behaved more like domestic dogs. It was very neat.

This latest picture is too cute! I think it's decided that I have to get one (at some point in the future)! I was watching a YouTube video of someone feeding their fennecs goldfish and the one was wagging its tail and jumping all around! So cute.

Those ears!

Oh my goodness he is the cutest thing on the planet!

Le bump.

Update pics?!

That lil fox is way too cute

I agree more pics this is my first time hearing about these house pet foxes and they look cool

I understand this is an old thread but I wanted to chime in with some information regarding foxes.

Red and Arctic species are most commonly kept along with the Fennec. Red and Arctic species are more similar to a dog than the Fennec. Fennec species generally is louder and does not litter train much. Reds and Arctic have some luck litter or house training but upon maturity and into adulthood, they will urine mark things, even their own food and water.

The odor is not the body, but the urine that smells of skunk, particularly the red species. They can ask "musk" the way a snake can, and it is a very different and difficult to describe odor. It will linger on clothing and other items until washed. It is a rare occurrence with tamed animals.

Red foxes are mass bred in fur farms around the world and have tons of different color morphs. There are some color morphs of Arctic species as well. Red foxes are cheapest, a few hundred dollars and up. Both should be hand raised from 2-3 weeks of age for ideal temperament. They are generally not aggressive, and would much rather run than fight. When hand raised, can be very very tame and affectionate, and will enjoy petting and may pursue you to be petted.

Red and Arctic species should be kept outdoors around and after 6 months of age. A large enclosure with a covered floor and top is needed as they can climb (particularly red species - Arctic are more dog like in movements). They are very destructive indoors and would make your house smell foul quickly. They get along well with dogs and will play with them when raised with them.

In the US, state, county, and town/city ordinances must all be obeyed to possess legally. None will trump the others. Most states do not allow legal ownership, and those that do will generally require them to be captive bred and purchased from licensed dealers.

The "domestic fox" project is in Russia. They have bred the red species intentionally for tameness for many years. They cost nearly 10 thousand dollars to purchase. You can have a tame, sociable animal that is raised from a young age right here in the US for far less money.

Edit: also, for a state that had a law regarding canidae or carnivora, unless the Fox is noted as exempt, they would be illegal, even the Fennec fox, despite their size. So they are illegal in New Jersey based on the quoted law. If owning a fox in new Jersey, it is likely possessed illegally. If discovered, the animal will undoubtedly be confiscated and euthanized. An animal doesn't have to be big to be viewed by the ignorant public as dangerous - a big concern with exotic mammals is rabies. There are no vaccines approved for foxes, or nearly all animals. It requires rigorous testing ($) for it to be considered approved.

It is thought that the rabies, distemper, parvo, etc vaccines can work on foxes and other animals. However, most options are modified live and can, in rare cases, cause the animal to contract the virus. Thus, vaccines should be used with caution. Killed versions of the vaccine are safer. However, having a vaccinated animal in an illegal state will not be sufficient to prevent authorities from confiscating your pet.