Is it possible to domesticate a red fox?

Ok, well, since I've been eleven, I've been interested in foxes, in particular, red foxes. The idea of having one as a pet crossed my mind many times. I never parsued my thoughts however, as my father said that it's not posible to strip a fox of it's...

wild behaviour. It's been eight years since I became interested in them, and yet I'm stil interested in owning one. I live in Australia, where it would be considered illegal to keep one alive, in such a state, but that doesn't bother me. What do you all think of the situation, or if any one has any tip on how to demestocate one, they would be very appreciated.

Domesticating a wild animal for a normal person who isn't a trainer, I would think would be next to impossible. I think it would be very unsafe if you try to do this, and also as you mentioned it is illegal, so if you got caught, that wouldn't be good. The best thing I can think of at the moment would be to go into zoology or something so that you can study them up close and be around them in a zoo type setting. That way you can be safe and legal AND get to be around them. Good luck.

unless you rescue it and get some sort of papers, no. You can't catch one and keep it.

I'm not questioning the legal side of the issue. I plan on ignoring that factor. Just because you're not saposed to do something, it doesn't mean you can't. I want to know if it's possible at all. I've thought about zoology, but it just doesn't seem to have the same appeal. I was thinking that perhaps if I cought one as a kit, I might be able to accomplish my wish. They explore the outsides of their den for the first time around six weeks, so if I were to capture one near then, that would be the time for I to do so. Does anyone think that this approach would be succesful atleast to some extent, to demestocate a fox.

Nope, I think they would all fall back on their wild side at some point. That is in their DNA makeup. Good luck if you try though..both for your safety, and the legality of it. I don't think you will be successful in either one.

They've done it before, with the rare silver fox, which is a name given to red foxes that have a particular rare coloured coat. That took fifty years though, of spacific dna match ups ect, and eventually they gained and lost a few of their original physical features. I don't plan on breeding foxes for fifty years though so I don't think I'm going to take it to that extream. Here's a websight I discovered, featuring a youtube video, showing a man who owns a red fox as a pet, keeping it tame through simple human contact.

http://www.banglacricket.com/alochona/showthread.php?t=25184

You can tame a wild animal, but you cannot domesticate one...

Here in Montana, they have quasi-domesticated Bobcats...that is: 20 years or so ago, someone started breeding Bobcats out of the wild...they bred generation after generation, until now...hundreds of generations later, they have a quasi-domesticated Bobcat. You can buy them here for about $400...The crap part is, they are declawed at birth, and defanged by the time they are 3 months old...in order to protect children and other domesticated animals (like the family dog), because they can still revert to wild under certain circumstances. Makes me kinda sick.

Go study them...as is...

phrannie

hmm, thanks, I'll do that. I had my words wrong, thanks for the correction, that'll be the last time I trust my mums definition of a word.

there was an old woman who my dad knew when he was young, she rescued a two or three week old orphan, she kept it as a pet, but let it live outside of the house all the time due to the smell (something which goes with them I'm afraid) it went wherever it wanted, but always came back, also it completely fine around humans and she was always walking around town with it. So it is possible, just difficult I expect, but she must have done something right. It's something I've always been intrested in myself, but I would only try to if it ever came to it, my conscience wouldn't allow me to effect their eco-system in any way. Though the bonus is they live a lot longer in captivity, about 20 years, as opposed to the average three years lifespan. It's up to you good luck if you do.