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We first met Juniper the fox on Instagram, where we saw her frolicking on her mom’s bed, and instantly fell in love. Who was this cute fox? So we decided to reach out to her owner, who gave us the full scoop!
“Foxes have a very high prey drive, meaning that they will attempt to hunt due to their natural instincts,” the pet fox’s mom told Bored Panda when we asked her about the video. “Juniper and all foxes pounce in this way when they hear a scratching noise which to them resembles the sound of a mouse under the snow or ground.”
Update: Juniper’s mom makes it clear on her Instagram that having a fox as pet is not just like having a dog or a cat: “Fox pets smell. Bad. Their urine and feces smell like skunk mixed with ammonia. There is no way to ‘de-scent’ a domestic fox. You cannot keep a fox indoors 24/7… Foxes as pets are destructive, they will destroy things in your house. Foxes must be fed some raw meats and bone content in their diet. They also need taurine, or they can go blind, suffer from seizures, and even die…” Read this before you even consider trying to get a fox for a pet!
More info: Instagram
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This is Juniper, the fox that just can’t stop playing
Everything she does, she does with a smile
When we saw this video, we had to ask what she was up to!
“Foxes have a very high prey drive,” Juniper’s mom told Bored Panda
This means “that they will attempt to hunt due to their natural instincts”
“Juniper and all foxes pounce in this way when they hear a scratching noise…”
“…which to them resembles the sound of a mouse under the snow or ground”
But just because she’s so cute doesn’t mean that it’s easy to have a fox as a pet!
“Raising a fox is extremely difficult, they’re nippy and noises and smelly”
“When she was growing up I would take her everywhere with me”
“She got really accustom to car rides and people, she loves both”
“Her favorite game is to have someone chase her through the house…”
“…and then turn around and run away from her so she can chase them”
“It’s a cute little game of tag”
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What do you think ?
M.S. 9 years ago
I love the photos. Juniper is gorgeous. I have a request, though: A lot of people, especially young people, will see this post, fall in love with Juniper, and try to get a fox as a pet thus it would be very helpful if you could edit this post to explain in more detail why it definitely is not a good idea to try and raise a fox as a pet. Thank you! :)
VivianeKatz 9 years ago
Good point. I'm really glad she mentions that foxes are difficult pets. If I wanted something exotic, I would get a domestic animal that looks exotic. Examples include Abyssinian cats or Shiba Inu dogs which look like foxes. (Even then, dogs require socializing with humans from a young age, plus training and patience as puppies).
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MónicaElisabethSacco 9 years ago
Beautiful Juniper! Even if it's not a good idea to rise a wild animal as a pet, I fully understand Juniper's mom: foxes are lovely and they indeed grow to love their human companions. It's hard to say "no" to such a glance or smile. Foxes must be protected from dogs (they aren't very good friends in Nature) but can learn to live with their bigger furry relatives. Usually, they go along better with cats. There's been a 20-year experiment in Siberia, where the scientists raised foxes who weren't scared by humans. The comeout was that the offspring of such foxes became domestic and tame, their ears fell down and their eyes turned darker, and let their masters to bear them in arms, just like any dog-puppy. So foxes, as well as wolves, can be tamed or decide to tame themselves. Anyway, it's not the case to go finding foxes to rise at home. Wild life deserves to remain wild.
BobbiNewell 9 years ago
As I recall from an article in National Geographic Magazine several years ago, the foxes in the experiment were chosen for their friendliness toward humans, and each generation was bred for this trait. The facility that is engaged in this experiment had started selling domesticated foxes that fell short of the program's requirements, but were still extremely human-oriented. I am curious whether Juniper is a wild fox, or one of the domesticated foxes. Making such a distinction would help inform readers and viewers.
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MartynaBoszko 9 years ago
There are many ways. They are often rescued after some kind of accident. Some animals that survive stuff like being hit by a car are not capable of staying alive in the wild anymore and end up in sanctuaries or are taken home by people. Or you can just buy one. There are "tame" foxes for sale.
Load More Replies...
HeatherPortillo 9 years ago
Beautiful animal and cant understand why some people think it's fashionably cool to wear animal fur. How could you kill this sweet fox????
KimberlyStone 9 years ago
She's just precious. But this is a one in a million situation of having one as a pet. And her mom makes it clear that Juniper is stinky, noisy and a lot of work.
szatan667 9 years ago
Poor fox..... An NO, it's not basically an orange dog, - are you really that stupid to keep wild animal out of it's habitat?
467 CC 4 years ago
Are u that stupid not to realize we are taking all of their habitats? Or the fact that they sell foxes domesticated? Seriously ignorance must be blissful for u.
Load More Replies...
Shannon Gibson 9 years ago
I would love to have a fox, one day when I retire and don't have to work anymore, but sadly I have a love for parrots as I help run a rescue for them. So sadly, a fox will never happen for me. Their prey drive along with having a flying bird around the house just would never be a good idea. They are beautiful animals and I'm sure if you do plenty of research and know how to take care of a fox then they would make a great pet. But sadly not everyone thinks about it. Never let your "wants" to outweigh the "needs" of the animal.
M.S. 9 years ago
I love the photos. Juniper is gorgeous. I have a request, though: A lot of people, especially young people, will see this post, fall in love with Juniper, and try to get a fox as a pet thus it would be very helpful if you could edit this post to explain in more detail why it definitely is not a good idea to try and raise a fox as a pet. Thank you! :)
VivianeKatz 9 years ago
Good point. I'm really glad she mentions that foxes are difficult pets. If I wanted something exotic, I would get a domestic animal that looks exotic. Examples include Abyssinian cats or Shiba Inu dogs which look like foxes. (Even then, dogs require socializing with humans from a young age, plus training and patience as puppies).
Load More Replies... MónicaElisabethSacco 9 years ago
Beautiful Juniper! Even if it's not a good idea to rise a wild animal as a pet, I fully understand Juniper's mom: foxes are lovely and they indeed grow to love their human companions. It's hard to say "no" to such a glance or smile. Foxes must be protected from dogs (they aren't very good friends in Nature) but can learn to live with their bigger furry relatives. Usually, they go along better with cats. There's been a 20-year experiment in Siberia, where the scientists raised foxes who weren't scared by humans. The comeout was that the offspring of such foxes became domestic and tame, their ears fell down and their eyes turned darker, and let their masters to bear them in arms, just like any dog-puppy. So foxes, as well as wolves, can be tamed or decide to tame themselves. Anyway, it's not the case to go finding foxes to rise at home. Wild life deserves to remain wild.
BobbiNewell 9 years ago
As I recall from an article in National Geographic Magazine several years ago, the foxes in the experiment were chosen for their friendliness toward humans, and each generation was bred for this trait. The facility that is engaged in this experiment had started selling domesticated foxes that fell short of the program's requirements, but were still extremely human-oriented. I am curious whether Juniper is a wild fox, or one of the domesticated foxes. Making such a distinction would help inform readers and viewers.
Load More Replies... MartynaBoszko 9 years ago
There are many ways. They are often rescued after some kind of accident. Some animals that survive stuff like being hit by a car are not capable of staying alive in the wild anymore and end up in sanctuaries or are taken home by people. Or you can just buy one. There are "tame" foxes for sale.
Load More Replies... HeatherPortillo 9 years ago
Beautiful animal and cant understand why some people think it's fashionably cool to wear animal fur. How could you kill this sweet fox????
KimberlyStone 9 years ago
She's just precious. But this is a one in a million situation of having one as a pet. And her mom makes it clear that Juniper is stinky, noisy and a lot of work.
szatan667 9 years ago
Poor fox..... An NO, it's not basically an orange dog, - are you really that stupid to keep wild animal out of it's habitat?
467 CC 4 years ago
Are u that stupid not to realize we are taking all of their habitats? Or the fact that they sell foxes domesticated? Seriously ignorance must be blissful for u.
Load More Replies... Shannon Gibson 9 years ago
I would love to have a fox, one day when I retire and don't have to work anymore, but sadly I have a love for parrots as I help run a rescue for them. So sadly, a fox will never happen for me. Their prey drive along with having a flying bird around the house just would never be a good idea. They are beautiful animals and I'm sure if you do plenty of research and know how to take care of a fox then they would make a great pet. But sadly not everyone thinks about it. Never let your "wants" to outweigh the "needs" of the animal.
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