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What is in my bedroom!?

(36 Posts)
Aely Wed 11-Jun-25 13:27:25

I have been planting out some Pelargoniums and Fuchsias in my little garden and remembered a pot on my bedroom window ledge. I went into my bedroom and startled something which had been relaxing on my bed. I thought it was one of the many local cats but just caught a glimpse as whatever it was disappeared over the far side of the bed. Going round, I could see two back legs (very skinny and definitely not cat) and a long, almost bare tail with a tuft of long scraggy fur at the end. I think it is a dog. By what I could see it must be in extremely bad shape. I thought maybe fox, but no white tip to tail. My bed cover is filthy!

I have left a bowl of cat food on newpaper. I recently got some "emergency" cat food in as we have a couple of community fed cats, left behind when their owner died, too shy to be caught.

I have left the back door wide open and retreated to the living room. I hope the food will entice my mystery visitor from under the bed and it will get the courage, after a feed, to make its way downstairs and out the (open) back door.

Our local foxes are very healthy, unlike my visitor, and I have never seen those hind legs or tail on any local creature, so I am mystified.

Aveline Wed 11-Jun-25 13:39:27

Oh gosh. What a fright you must have had. Please let us know what it turns out to be.

AGAA4 Wed 11-Jun-25 13:40:54

Whatever it is it sounds feral so be careful. Hopefully it will leave.

butterandjam Wed 11-Jun-25 13:45:11

It chewed a wire, hacked your computer and sent this message to Gransnet :

"Leave? Not likely, Missis. I like it here. Just bring more food. Chicken and stuff. Be very quiet, I won't attack unless you disobey. This is my bed now; you can sleep in the servants quarters."

Aely Wed 11-Jun-25 14:35:53

Ok, question is, having had a good view of my visitor, how do I get a fox out of my bedroom?

HowVeryDareYou2 Wed 11-Jun-25 14:44:55

It sounds like a fox with mange (hence the scraggy tail). It will probably be terrified. The best bet is to ring a rescue place or RSPCA.

jusnoneed Wed 11-Jun-25 14:49:03

RSPCA info - "It's rare for foxes to come into our homes as they're wary of people. If it does happen, firstly close all other doors apart from one. Use something with a long handle, such as a broom, to gently encourage the fox towards the door. It's best if only one person does this, and they should stay quiet and calm to help stop the fox from panicking more than necessary"

Or possibly leave a trail of small amounts of cat food to the door?

Good Luck!

Allira Wed 11-Jun-25 15:31:12

I'd phone the the RSPCA.

Then keep the back door shut when you're out in the garden. I've tried to remember to do that since we've had a stray cat and three wild birds in the house (all safely evicted).

Oh - and yes, a dog once when we first moved here. It was a very large dog, a lovely Labrador, turned out to belong to a new neighbour. He'd escaped when they were busy moving in. 🐕

Aveline Wed 11-Jun-25 15:45:14

Good luck. Poor fox doesn't sound in a good condition. Hope the RSPCA can help.
Boil up you bedclothes btw. Likely to have fleas.

butterandjam Wed 11-Jun-25 15:51:55

RSPCA info - "It's rare for foxes to come into our homes as they're wary of people."

Not very; urban foxes get very bold. We had a fox den nearby and at night they often came to play on our lawn with their best friend, our dog. If she was indoors the dog fox would come to the back door and bark for her.

One night it was late and we wanted to go to bed, dog still out playing with foxes so i went to the door and whistled her to come home. Which she did, bringing her fox boyfriend right to the step. They had no fear of us at all.

Someone I knew found a litter of fox cubs playing in her urban kitchen, got in through the cat flap. The cats were sitting on the highest cupboard denying all responsibility.

Coconutty Wed 11-Jun-25 15:52:00

A fox! I have no idea but I would give the sheets a good boil wash once he’s gone.

62Granny Wed 11-Jun-25 17:32:35

I wonder if the RSPCA would respond , I know when we contacted them a few years ago about a cat ( not mine) that had been run over late at night , we ended up taking it to a vet in the next town the next morning, despite telling the Vet it wasn't ours they rang us back trying to get us to pay for a very expensive operation or for it to be put to sleep. We had also put up posters the next day for the owner to get in contact with them.

Aely Wed 11-Jun-25 21:10:22

It's virtually impossible to get the RSPCA to come out here. The nearest depot is 17 miles away and they consider us out of their territory. The fox, now named Peter, was eventually persuaded to leave. At least it left with a meal in its stomach. Cat food from me and some raw mince from a neighbour. It was very loathe to leave, very calm though. It looked at me with such pleading eyes. It just wanted rest and food. The neighbour came to see if it was Geoffrey, a local fox she hand feeds but it wasn't.

Our local foxes are usually in really good health, beautiful animals with a golden sheen to their fur, but Geoffrey was a sorry sight. I think he may have come in from a nearby estate where the foxes I have seen are skinny and unkempt.

HowVeryDareYou2 Wed 11-Jun-25 21:28:04

Glad the fox found his way out. The poor thing needs help, and I hope he might turn up again and that the neighbours will feed him. Wild animals need all the help they can get.

petra Wed 11-Jun-25 21:28:05

I know it’s a daft idea but I would have been so tempted to keep him/her. I love them 🥰
My daughter teacher had a pet fox 🤢

flappergirl Wed 11-Jun-25 22:01:32

I knew it would be a fox when you mentioned the very skinny legs. Their legs are incredibly thin and fragile looking in comparison to their bodies. Poor thing. I wish him well.

BlueBelle Wed 11-Jun-25 22:18:39

Not the RSPCA they will just euthanasia it if they even bother to come out Ring a wildlife centre they will know how to look after it
poor thing
Petra me too I really love foxes although I ve never even seen one

BlueBelle Wed 11-Jun-25 22:20:38

Can you not give it a place to stay a cardboard box with a blanket, a garage, a shed and feed it each day poor thing

Aely Thu 12-Jun-25 12:57:34

I would, if I lived in one of the larger houses in town with a decent sized garden. Unfortunately, I live in a two up one down 1970s ex-Council, terraced, dog kennel of a house. No room for a shed, let alone a garage. If Peter comes to my back door at a regular time each day I can put out a bowl for him, otherwise there is a large cat population which would enjoy the restaurant facility.

knspol Thu 12-Jun-25 13:56:46

Never mind the fox, I'd be too busy scrubbing everything in sight, it could have had fleas or other unwelcome 'friends'.
If the RSPCA won't come to your address is there anybody at the local council who might be able to help in case of a repeat visit?

Frenchgalinspain Thu 12-Jun-25 14:51:54

butterandjam

It chewed a wire, hacked your computer and sent this message to Gransnet :

"Leave? Not likely, Missis. I like it here. Just bring more food. Chicken and stuff. Be very quiet, I won't attack unless you disobey. This is my bed now; you can sleep in the servants quarters."

Clear quote !!

Chuckling ..

Witzend Thu 12-Jun-25 15:04:08

We have a lot of foxes around here, but last week I was still surprised to see a somewhat mangy looking fox in our garden just looking at me, a few yards away. It looked in poor condition, but I had nothing to give it but a lump of cheese. It took that and scooted off.

Only a few days days later a Japanese neighbour told dh that his wife had procured medicine for it, and was putting it into whatever she was feeding it - ‘and it’s looking better’.

However he added that he wasn’t telling anyone else, since he knew that not everybody likes foxes.

Reynard has since been back to our garden, looking hopeful - I gave him a rasher of back bacon this time.

Nightsky2 Thu 12-Jun-25 15:56:37

This is my fox. She loves to sunbathe. She’s been coming into the garden every evening for supper for over a year. I took pity on her because she was limping. She was fine all winter but now she’s limping again.

Aely…if you’re on Facebook Google in foxes and you will see how to get help. They will send you medication in the post for mange if that’s what she has, it does sound like that’s what she/he’s got. My fox doesn’t come anywhere near the door and would run a mile from me if I got too close. I just say hello Milly and put her food down. Last night she killed something, it was too far to see but it might have been a bird🥲which she disappeared into the hedgerows with. I would be terrified if she came into the house. Good luck

HowVeryDareYou2 Thu 12-Jun-25 18:36:22

Aely

I would, if I lived in one of the larger houses in town with a decent sized garden. Unfortunately, I live in a two up one down 1970s ex-Council, terraced, dog kennel of a house. No room for a shed, let alone a garage. If Peter comes to my back door at a regular time each day I can put out a bowl for him, otherwise there is a large cat population which would enjoy the restaurant facility.

I used to leave food out for a young fox, and all the local cats used to come and eat the food. (one of them, a stray, became MY cat. I've had him since last Sept)

I ended up leaving out food the cats wouldn't eat - strong cheese, eggs (raw, in the shell), black pudding and fruit. He came for about 18 months then stopped coming last December - urban foxes only live for about 2 years sad

4allweknow Thu 12-Jun-25 19:31:38

I'd never be finished feeding wildlife. I have deer, foxes,squirrels, rabbits all round. The foxes are quite sneaky but brazen too coming right up to patio doors. I have a squirreltgat looks like a eabbut from behind. His tail is like a large ball of cotton wool at the end. I do feed birds.