John A. Adams
Exotic Pets - Fennec Fox
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Uploaded By:
John A. Adams
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Category:
Exotic animals
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Added on: 27 January 2014.
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Exotic Pets - Fennec Fox - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats.
I am Beth Randall, and I am the director at Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary, and this is Zoey, and she is a Fennec fox. And Fennec foxes are native to the Sahara desert, they are the smallest fox in the world, and they have been bred here in the United States as pets since about the 1970s. They run about $1500, and are considered one of the more exotic pets that an average person might go buy. They are not necessarily legal everywhere, so people do need to check their city, county and state for the laws regarding exotic pets before they get one.
Fennec foxes are a shy animal. All foxes are shy, but Fennecs are especially shy; very skittish; they can be very bitey; not really predictable. It might take months and months of handling before a Fennec fox can be actually picked up without gloves. They do dig a lot, that is just one of their traits, they dig at everything. They do not really play with toys so much. A lot of people get them and think that they are going to play with them, like with cat toys and things, and they may or may not do that. Foxes are a solitary animal, and so they do not necessarily interact with you.
They are also not potty trainable. And so that is something people actually need to understand, that they may choose to go in a litter box, they may choose to go on a puppy pad, but the majority will not, they will go potty wherever they are, it is just a fox trait. They need to eat a diet high in protein, with taurine added, that is an amino acid that has to be added to protect their heart. They like fruits and vegetables, and it just depends on the individual fox. They live about 12 years. They should be spayed and neutered for temperament. And they do need to be free range, as well as having a cage to hide out in and to be in when someone is not supervising them.
Sometimes they can get along with cats and dogs and other pets, and sometimes they do not, they are all individuals. It is really important to visit someone who has a Fennec fox before you get one. That way, you know if you can deal with the smells and the actual care that they do need.
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I am Beth Randall, and I am the director at Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary, and this is Zoey, and she is a Fennec fox. And Fennec foxes are native to the Sahara desert, they are the smallest fox in the world, and they have been bred here in the United States as pets since about the 1970s. They run about $1500, and are considered one of the more exotic pets that an average person might go buy. They are not necessarily legal everywhere, so people do need to check their city, county and state for the laws regarding exotic pets before they get one.
Fennec foxes are a shy animal. All foxes are shy, but Fennecs are especially shy; very skittish; they can be very bitey; not really predictable. It might take months and months of handling before a Fennec fox can be actually picked up without gloves. They do dig a lot, that is just one of their traits, they dig at everything. They do not really play with toys so much. A lot of people get them and think that they are going to play with them, like with cat toys and things, and they may or may not do that. Foxes are a solitary animal, and so they do not necessarily interact with you.
They are also not potty trainable. And so that is something people actually need to understand, that they may choose to go in a litter box, they may choose to go on a puppy pad, but the majority will not, they will go potty wherever they are, it is just a fox trait. They need to eat a diet high in protein, with taurine added, that is an amino acid that has to be added to protect their heart. They like fruits and vegetables, and it just depends on the individual fox. They live about 12 years. They should be spayed and neutered for temperament. And they do need to be free range, as well as having a cage to hide out in and to be in when someone is not supervising them.
Sometimes they can get along with cats and dogs and other pets, and sometimes they do not, they are all individuals. It is really important to visit someone who has a Fennec fox before you get one. That way, you know if you can deal with the smells and the actual care that they do need.