Just wondered what are the risks posed to cats by foxes?

We've had several urban foxes in the area, some people say they just ignore cats but others say they can harm them. Which is correct???

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RIP Charcoal my shy girl 1987-2000, Patch the wanderer 1987-?, Tabby my darling fluffball 1988-2002 & Panda the rascal 1988-2008

My sister who lives next door to me had her cat taken by a fox

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RIP all my babies.
Monty LabxGSD 1972-1982
Jody Black Lab1982-1999
KizzyLabx Goldie 1983-1994
Larry Yellow Lab 1985-1993
Charlie Black Lab 1986 -1997
Ben Yellow Lab 1985-1999
Pud Choc Lab 1989-2003
Bridgit Black Lab 1991-2004
Floss Yellow Lab1992-2006
Millie Yellow Lab1994-2010
My boy Ted, my first my last my everything.Golden Retriever 1/8/98-28/6/2011

i live in the countryside and have not seen any foxes as of yet and i have 6 cats and 5 go out and they have been fine and they wounder off into the woods at the back of our house .

Never had a problem with foxes and cats.My semi feral Bumble who for a few years lived in a shed in the garden,actually shared that garden with fox families.They gave each other respect and a wide bearth.I've had up to 6 cubs plus adults all in the garden with Bumble wandering through.He ignored them and they did the same.It would,IMO be a brave fox that tackled a fit cat.

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I've no idea of the actual scale of the problem, having not heard of too many instances of a fox attacking a cat but it did happen, some years ago, with a cat of my own and I know a couple of people's cats being attacked by a fox. With mine, I saw it with my own eyes. It was just dusk but still enough light to see clearly. I'd gone outside to call him in for the night and as he walked up the garden a fox flew out of some hedging and just managed to catch him After a horribly noisy tussle which only lasted several seconds my poor cat disappeared into fields backing onto our garden. We spent two days and nights looking for him and he finally appeared home with a few nasty puncture wounds and a very badly damaged tail.

Fortunately, he recovered completely but I no longer let my cats into the garden anywhere NEAR to darkness.

live healthy cat???

most things i've read ( i have a missing urban kitty, so red a lot! - went missing mid afternoon) says urban ones are not going to take on a healthy cat - so many bins about, why try?



ok, rta dead / injured...

i heard of this happening, but i would have thought it would have to be a very hungry fox to take a cat and most likely a sick old and very young cat.

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The first rule of a predator is "don't get hurt" and a cat is dangerous prey
A cat is in much more danger from cars, dogs and people than it ever will be from a fox

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Everything I'd ever read said the same; foxes will not try to tackle a cat and I believed it... until I saw it happen. He was a large, healthy British Shorthair neutered male and in his prime at about 3 years old.

At that time we lived in London and had many urban foxes which were a bit of a nuisance with bin bags/soiling in the garden. I've lived rurally for the last 10 years and, needless to say, have never seen a fox in my garden (nor in the huge open expanse backing onto our garden), nor any evidence of them.

Forgot to add I still think it's a pretty uncommon thing to happen.