Fox And My Catflap!

[Postman]

Hi everyone, just wondered if anyone has had any trouble with foxes before. In the last two weeks ive had a fox trying to get in via my cap flap everynight at 3.00am, every morning!! His always on time and its driving me mad! We have started locking the cat flap at night but he still thinks he can break through! As i get up at 4am for work every morning anyway i really would like to keep my extra hour in bed! Any tips would be very grateful! Thanks Postie..

[M&P]

Try buying a Big Cheese Sonic Fox Repeller, Robert Dyas sells them

[Willy]

I have a fox repeller in my garden which has been working great for months...until the other day when I noticed a fox sitting right in front of it!

Apparently they work most of the time but some foxes try and front it out (well it is South London ), they also don't work if the fox is deaf!

[sophie]

Men's urine apparently deters them because of the testosterone in it. Perhaps wee outside your front door (or if it's exposed wee in a bucket and pour it around)!

[paultreacy]

Fantastic story. Entirely hilarious, though I do sympathize. Really.

[Postman]

Thanks guys, ill think ill try the sonic repellents first before i start weeing up my back door. lol. However, this morning he didnt show. I woke up around 3.30 to use the bathroom and was abit worried about him as he always pops around about 3ish.. Maybes he lost his watch. lol

[groan]

I have the same problem - a fox that regularly visits through the catflap and finishes off any scraps the moggy has left behind.

I live in SE9 (Eltham/Chislehurst area) and have yet to find a solution to this problem. Actually I'm not sure it is a problem - the cat doesn't seem too worried by the intruder and it's an incentive to me to make sure the kitchen is cleared up before I go to bed

Did you have any luck sorting your intruder out?

[sophie]

It CAN be a problem though if they come into your house. Fleas being the least of the worries. For example I've had several shoes stolen and chewed up by foxes!

Not my scruffy it doesn't really matter shoes either but my really nice Nine West Sandals which they no longer do and trainers! Oh, and with the sandals they only took 1 sandal and it took me ages of looking for the other one that finally made me realise. I then found the rubber sole in the garden with all of the leather chewed off.

I've also come home and found a fox had been in my flat all day having snuck in while door was open briefly in the morning. It stank the place out and when I came home I obviously scared it nearly to death as it almost jumped out the window. Fortunately my biker neighbour came to my rescue and managed to catch the fox while wearing full leathers and helmet. Fox was then set free in the garden. The flat stank for ages afterwards.

Our bedroom has a door which opens to the garden and again that used to be kept open on summer evenings. That habit stopped when I woke up with a fox trying to climb on to my bedside table.

We don't have a cat flap but always used to leave our back doors open during the summer when we were in the house. Not anymore though!
They are definitely getting much braver and I think that is part of the problem. Where they used to be timid and would avoid human contact we no longer seem to worry them as much. Not had as much contact with them this summer though ... perhaps the wee thing is really working!

[LaHibernis]

After hearing a light thud on my cat flap the other night, I found a frog spreadeagled across it with his friend sitting on the step watching. It made me smile.

[coll]

Nothing will deter these foxes. I have 2 greyhounds and one hot summer night a few years ago we stupidly left the back door open for them to get in and out during the night – yes it was stupid. We were woken up during the night by a huge commotion. Our male greyhound started racing around the house. I got up to check see what was going on and found a fox in the upstairs back bedroom. That means he had to walk straight through the kitchen, evade the dogs, climb up the stairs, down a small set of stairs and to the back bedroom.
We had to call animal control who told us to close all the doors except the back door, get a broom and shoo it out. We did only for him to leave a really smelly poo on our carpet. Charming evening!

As for our cat flap the only visitors we’ve ever gotten has been our neighbour’s cats who we would find sleeping in the laundry baskets – again regardless of there being two greyhounds in the other room.

[Postman]

Well to be honest, my little friend hasn't been back in town. However I do think it has something to do with the fact that above the back garden door where the cat flap is, there is my landing window. One nighton retiring to bed, I decided to leave the window open and fill up a bucket of cold water! That night to my delight, I heard the banging on the cat flap so I jump out the bed to the window. I looked down and without him seeing me, I grabed the bucket and tipped the water all over him Perfect aim! I wish I had filmed it and sent it off to that show you been frame. lol Any how his not been back!

[sydenhamboy]

I don't know if it helps but foxes are (apparently) afraid of grizzly bears. So if you have one or you know of any Canadians that do, I'd be tempted to chain one up near your catflap.

Foxes will supposedly pick up on the scent and will avoid areas inhabited by bears like the plague! Hey Presto - a fox-free garden.

[sophie]

I wonder if they stock grizzly bears at Sainsbury's