On December 15, Kim Fryer and her daughter got quite a surprise when they woke up.
Kim’s daughter came downstairs to the kitchen of their London-area home in the Mitcham district around 7 a.m. only to find a little wild fox asleep there right on top of their microwave! Obviously, the first thing she did was wake up her mother who said:
“My daughter found him at 7 a/m/ and called up to me. I came down and spotted this little fox curled up on top of the microwave!”
The family immediately called animal rescue workers from the RSPCA rather than try to deal with the wild animal themselves.
Apparently, the furry little guy had made his way into the home overnight through a cat flap in the door.
“I have five cats and a dog so obviously I have a cat flap. He must have crawled under the gate and through the cat flap.”
He may have been seeking the warmest spot in the house, but went through a lot of effort to find it. The Fryers found quite a mess in his wake, with some overturned houseplants and other things knocked off counters. It’s like wild animals have no manners!
“A couple of my plants were smashed and there was mud everywhere. [My daughter] put the light on and one eye opened but he didn’t move. We could tell there was something wrong with him.”
The poor little guy didn’t put up much of a struggle when RSPCA Inspector Phil Norman arrived either. Worried that he was lethargic and possibly sick, he took him to Putney Animal Hospital in London for a checkup.
As you can see, he wasn’t much more active at the vet.
But the craftily named “Mr. Fox” eventually showed some signs of personality.
While Mr. Fox didn’t protest when he was brought in to the hospital for a health check, he wasn’t very happy about being kept in a cage. But soon enough the vets found the fox was in fine health and released him back into the wild.
A hospital spokesperson later said:
“Fortunately, he was quite healthy with a beautiful fluffy coat, so after a thorough check over he was released back to the area he was found in by one of the hospital staff. Good luck Mr. Fox!
Most foxes don’t bother with people, but if you do ever encounter one close up, it’s important to leave the area. If that area happens to be your house, then calling in rescue workers is the right answer. If a fox is nearby, however, usually making loud noises can help scare them off.
While The Humane Society notes that it’s unlikely that a fox will approach you, sometimes they can be lured into unexpected places if they are hungry and smell food or trash.
Foxes aren’t dangerous to people unless they have rabies, but you’ll certainly want to discourage foxes from coming near your house if you have small children or pets. Small dogs and outdoor cats are at particular risk.
If you or a pet ever happen to be bitten by a fox, seek medical attention immediately. But, again, it’s unlikely that humans will ever be disturbed by the creatures. The most you might have to worry about is cleaning up after their visit.
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