It's an exciting life here

[NomoneyNohoney]

My wife is a kindly soul. She found a small kitten in a patch of waste ground, so took her a saucer of milk. Cat lapped this up and since then, as the kitten became a cat, she has progressed to feeding it too.
There is another cat owned by a neighbour. This old cat is close to blind, so by agreement, that both feed the second cat on an ad hoc arrangement.

At the weekend, my wife was feeding the two cats, and an urban fox arrived. She shouted at the fox, waved her arms around, to try and scare it away, but the two cats were more scared than she was. That led to her taking off one of her boots, and throwing it at the fox. She missed, the fox then grabbed her boot, and ran off with it.

So far, we've not found the boot. We've peered into neighbours' gardens, but it looks like it's gone for good.
I remarked to her that it was odd the fox had nabbed it and wondered why. Oh, she said, it smelled of pilchards. I gave the cats fish for their meal, spilled some on my boot and that might be why the fox ran off with it.

You know, after being kidnapped by the fox and reeking of pilchards smell, I'm not sure how much I want to find that boot.

[kiloran]

Maybe it was one of our foxes. Over the past few weeks, they've suddenly started leaving things on our lawn.

A chewed-up football. Followed by another chewed up football a day later. Then a kid's teddy bear. Then a 10-inch plastic carrot(?????). A chewed up rubber ball. A tennis ball. What appears to be part of a chewed-up bird box. A retractable steel ruler. A screwdriver.

No idea why they've suddenly started this, it hasn't been a problem in previous years.

If your wife's boot turns up, I'll let you know

--kiloran

[NomoneyNohoney]

Just to help you be sure it's hers, it's a right footed size 5.

[NomoneyNohoney]

P.S. Forgot to say, smells of pilchards.

[XFool]

My wife is a kindly soul. She found a small kitten in a patch of waste ground, so took her a saucer of milk. Cat lapped this up and since then, as the kitten became a cat, she has progressed to feeding it too.
There is another cat owned by a neighbour. This old cat is close to blind, so by agreement, that both feed the second cat on an ad hoc arrangement.

At the weekend, my wife was feeding the two cats, and an urban fox arrived. She shouted at the fox, waved her arms around, to try and scare it away, but the two cats were more scared than she was. That led to her taking off one of her boots, and throwing it at the fox. She missed, the fox then grabbed her boot, and ran off with it.

So far, we've not found the boot. We've peered into neighbours' gardens, but it looks like it's gone for good.
I remarked to her that it was odd the fox had nabbed it and wondered why.

This is common, known behaviour - whatever the reason.

Foxes often 'pinch' things and run off with them. If you find toys, gloves, shoes, odd items in your garden, foxes may be the answer.

On an allotment a fox once tried to make off with my small tool pouch. On another occasion one made off with a work glove.

https://www.fernsfeathers.ca/main-blog/fox-got-my-croc

BTW. The foxes likely won't cause harm to mature cats. Cats are often 'curious' about foxes and watch them without obvious fear.

IMO Some people are 'funny' about foxes and seem to have some irrational fears of them.

[kiloran]

P.S. Forgot to say, smells of pilchards.

Which will be completely overpowered by the smell of foxes!

--kiloran

[Dicky99]

This is common, known behaviour - whatever the reason.

Foxes often 'pinch' things and run off with them. If you find toys, gloves, shoes, odd items in your garden, foxes may be the answer.

On an allotment a fox once tried to make off with my small tool pouch. On another occasion one made off with a work glove.

I've also had a fox nabbing experience. I yelled out of the kitchen window at a fox which had the sleeve of my jacket in its mouth, which was hung out to dry on a coat hanger.
It stopped briefly to look at me when I yelled at it before carrying on regardless. By the time I'd run outside it had the jacket on the ground extricated from the hanger and only when I ran at it did it scamper up a 7 foot high wall dropping the jacket in the process. It still has the small canine puncture mark in sleeve as evidence.

[bungeejumper]

BTW. The foxes likely won't cause harm to mature cats. Cats are often 'curious' about foxes and watch them without obvious fear.

What XFool said. Our two tabbies encountered loads of foxes in the fields around us, and they never had any trouble, even though one of them was quite small. Foxes know full well that cats are well armed - well, all right, clawed - and that they have lightning-fast reactions and a very good aim. Not worth the risk of injury.

One of our moggies did have a strong aversion to garden hoses, though. We think it's likely that she'd encountered a stroppy grass snake at some time, and that it had struck at her, as they are prone to do when they feel they're cornered.

IMO Some people are 'funny' about foxes and seem to have some irrational fears of them.

Folk memories, I guess. Whether your instincts see them as wild dogs (possibly rabid) or as small wolves, the fears can be quite powerful. I mean, how many people will refuse to touch a harmless worm in case it bites?

I once encountered a really big old dog fox on a woodland path, and he did his best to stare me out. Stood his ground and bared his teeth at me. Then he got bored and sauntered off up the track, not even looking back at me to check that I was keeping my distance. I was!

BJ

[servodude]

I mean, how many people will refuse to touch a harmless worm in case it bites?

I have no idea.. how many?
And do you blame the Two Ronnies for this irrationality?

[Mike4]

I mean, how many people will refuse to touch a harmless worm in case it bites?

I have no idea.. how many?
And do you blame the Two Ronnies for this irrationality?

More pertinently, how would one know the worm was a member of the 'harmless' variety?

[kiloran]

Just to help you be sure it's hers, it's a right footed size 5.

No boot yet, but today's gift was a blue, fluffy lady's slipper. It's right footed but not sure of the size. It's yours if you want it.
It's a bit manky though!

--kiloran