I found the pic (and article) downright creepy. What an odd man. Mind you - I`ve never had cats... but I still can`t see why people shut them out all night.

If the Foxes have no problem getting food, they wont tackle a Cat Vicki. However, they are also opportunistic, if the chance is there, they WILL take it.

as would quite a lot of dogs given the chance!!

I have seen cats chase a fox and never heard of one killed by foxes---and we have loads of them round here.

They take rabbits a lot.

One year the farmer shot 18 foxes then moaned about the rabbits!

rune

The worrying thing with stories like this (and it's by no means just the Daily Mail, although they are a usual suspect) is a trend in reporting to sensationalise and mislead. It should be of concern to anyone but particularly dog owners as we have a lot to lose via poor public perception of pet dogs and the newspapers revel in a dog attack as much as a fox attack.

The title is designed to mislead for a start 'Is this proof that foxes are getting bigger?' Well no, it's not proof at all, 2/3 through the article you find a quote from an expert which says, 'no, it is an exception rather than a rule'. But the damage is still done - compare with 'Is this proof that large dogs make dangerous pets'.

Then you have the imbecile comment 'if it went for a cat it might go for a child'. Absolutely no logic behind this but it will get people nodding along as though it was a likely follow on, yup, first a chicken, then a cat, then a child. Compare with 'your dog growled and snapped at my dog, it is clearly aggressive, what if it got loose and attacked a child?'

Bad taste in the mouth too seeing photos of dead animals next to kids displayed as a kind of trophy. Doesn't give the right impression IMO - I could accept that in certain cases culling a wild animal may be necessary but this turns from necessity into glorying in destruction.

The idea too that an 'eye for an eye' is acceptable, (if we're talking wild animals). It killed my cat so I will kill it back, oh and take out another one too for good measure. I'm aware that many people disapprove of cat ownership due to their effect on bird populations (although many people who own cats are also the ones that bother feeding the birds through the winter and help sustain populations). I wonder how this guy would feel if his neighbour saw the cat kill a bird and so decided to take it out with an air-rifle?

You know, as a cat owner the greatest perceived threat to my cat is the road outside my house. Perhaps if, god forbid, my cat was run over I should waylay the next two cars I found going down the road, lay into them with a hammer, and then take a photo with next door's 7 yr old 'Look how big this SUV looks next to a child'. 'In fact this SUV could kill a child' (no lie this one and more likely than a fox going for it). How long would I last before being carried off to the Looney Bin do yah think?

I cannot stand people feeding wild animals, drives me insane, especially when little Tarquin in West Hampstead is mauled because of it!

Also, if my kid stood grinning next to a dead animal like this I'd wallop him!

I only feed wild birds that come in the garden - and ducks (only every now and again as I usually have the dogs with me) - but the ducks last weekend cos of the lake frozen over actually came up to me and the OH with our three dogs - they were that willing to come up to humans and dogs to get food - they didn't even mind the barking and the lunging towards them! we turned and walked away (I've never fed these ones though)

I too would wallop my kid too - what a stupid picture!

But dogs are domestic pets who's owners must take responsibility for them.

yes..that why i said given the chance

foxes deserve as much right as any animal in this world...

19 year old cats that have owners shouldnt be left outside to fend for themselves either!

They do deserve to live yes, in manageable numbers in the correct environment. Dont think anyone would argue with that.