Last night I got clear footage of a cat-fox confrontation.
Over the years I have rescued 3-4 different foxes all cornered by different cats. Last night's little skirmish was my fault.
I put dry cat food out for hedgehogs or the odd stray cat. Only a small amount but it helps. I also put out two digestive biscuits and these allow me to see any fox up close and see whether there are any issues -injuries, mange etc.
After the semi feral black cat that lived in the garden and then next door for 11 years died there was an imbalance in the norm. She had kept fox visits to a minimum when she was out and about. Once she passed away more foxes visited/passed through. Then the unneutered tom cat from the house in front took over. The other cats were very casual and only here to hunt rats/mice. The tom cat decided that he was taking over.
Measuring him he is around 3 feet long (with tail) and certainly as big as any fox -when I opened the door to the postie one day he looked to his left and said "That is a very big one" -I checked and it was the tom cat. He now considers the doorstep his when he can be bothered to show up.
Last night the fox tried to get its biscuit but the cat was all hiss and claws and the fox snapped back from a safe distance; it had obviously been involved with a cat before!
After the "confrontation" the cat went about its business and the fox returned later to claim its biscuit.
So why am I not posting the video clips or photos? The answer is quite simple. Any still or the video clips could be used by anti fox people out of context: "Cat fights off attacking fox" or "Fox attacks pet cat". Excellent propaganda.
We are at that time of the year when the anti fox/ pro hunt people start posting about the infamous "ginger and white" pet cat carried off by a fox. That ginger and white one has been carried off more than the black and white cat in the last ten years. It's all to make fox hunting seem like control and the attempts to get fox cubs for hunts go unhindered.
First class video clips and stills would attract a lot of views but I am not interested in views. I am certainly not interested in being the person to supply images to be used to demonise any animal (especially when I know "the cat started it").
But it was my fault because the biscuits SHOULD have been placed away from the cat food. I just completely forgot. One thing I did learn was that a fox is NEVER going to try to attack a cat (even while the cat was hissing the fox was nosing around for food).
