Sketch by; Mary Chilover
Here goes the ins and outs of a fennec as a pet. Fennecs are adorable, happy, funny, endearing, and playful. They are also jumpy (sometimes skittish), noisy, messy, and get into all sorts of things they shouldn't. The worst of a fennec is that a lot of them refuse to be litter trained, and some are very shy or even fearful of people. A few have been known to bite. They will destroy carpeting and wood with their digging (and maybe potty accidents) and will steal food and hide it in the couch or in your closet until you have to do a search for whatever is smelling. Some of them never learn to go to sleep at night. A lot of them have no problem eating or sleeping where they poop. They are finicky. What is there favorite treat one week, they will turn their nose up at the next. You can't let a fennec that is meant to be a pet outside! They jump, dig and climb out of anything except a 100% enclosed cage (including under the ground). And if they ever escape you will probably never catch them. If you want it for a pet, you must really keep it indoors only, and just be prepared to clean up after them. Also, you really need to have a cage. They need a safe den to go to when they are sleepy or stressed, and you should never leave a fennec out alone in the house. They will get into everything! This might be ok if you don't own anything smaller than their mouth, expensive, electric, or used as a cleaning solution, but most households are not safe for an unsupervised fennec. They are also 10 times harder to handle than a dog and 20 times harder than a cat. Mine refuses to walk on a leash and harness, and if he is put into a carrier or a car, he immediately goes to the bathroom and gets it everywhere. Also, since they are nocturnal, you generally want to keep them away from the bedrooms, or they will keep you up all night digging and playing. Fennecs like to play with other animals, but a lot of times the other animals are not so happy about it! Dogs seem to be best, and other people have had luck with ferrets, I think. Generally, cats only seem to interact with a fennec if the fennec has run up and bitten their tail! Any rodent, any bird, and anything the size of a fennec or smaller would be a bad idea as a play companion. These would fall into the categories of both "food" and "toy". Another thing that you want to do is make sure you have a vet willing to treat your fennec before you actually get it! I didn't, and it took me three months to find one that would agree to see him. Most vets will not do anything more exotic than a ferret or a parakeet. Also, they are rather expensive to treat, being an exotic. For food, most people use a combo of dry dog food, canned cat food, and mixed fruit and veggies. Some people supplement their fennecs with baby mice or crickets (though I am not one of them). Personally, I feed my fennec Mazuri exotic feline pellets (others use their exotic canine), which seems to have cut down on the amount of poop by half. He also gets (thawed) frozen veggies, occasional fruit, and whatever he can steal off of anyone's plate. My fennec is excellent with most people, especially children. A lot of fennecs are like this. However, there are others that you would NEVER let be petted or held by anyone - a few are very aggressive. And even a super-sweet one can get startled and bite or claw someone. Don't forget, they ARE a wild animal. Also, a few people who are allergic to cats and dogs also seem to be allergic to fennecs. If you have allergies, you probably want to try to visit a fennec first - you don't want to spend a lot of money on this pet (which you will) if you might just have to get rid of him a week later. Now that most of the bad stuff is out of the way, I'll tell you about my fennec. His name is Loki and I got him at 9 weeks old. He was neutered at the age of 7 months. It has taken us almost 2 years, but he goes about 90% on puppy pads (won't touch litter except to bury food in it). He hates my husband with a passion - will bark, growl, and even bite him - for apparently no reason. However, he absolutely adores my boys (ages 11 and 13). He likes other children as well (generally over the age of 2). He is nervous but curious about my 1-year old daughter. He plays with our dogs, torments our cat, and tries desperately to find a way to eat the hamster, rat, and bird. I have no fear of him ever biting anyone (other than Gary). He is very sweet and loves to have his ears rubbed and his tummy scratched - for which he will roll over and beg. He squeals with delight when people come to his cage, even if he doesn't know them, and will frantically race around the house chasing the dogs or the kids. He especially loves to play with furry cat toys. Some of his favorite snacks are grapes, pizza crusts, iced tea, and cheerios. Go figure! He is cuddly sometimes, but not alot, and is hyper 90% of his waking time. He is loving and adorable. I love him, and he is a great pet, in my opinion. By, Gabrielle Also check out the fennec FAQ http://www.angelfire.com/ut/fennecfox/fennecsaspets.html
Linda LaFrentz
903-389-5339
mailto:critterhouse@hotmail.com
