Most foxes have to be content with living in a tunnel that they have dug in a field somewhere, and have to go out and hunt for their food.
But one pampered fox has a more cosy life.
Miss Snooks lives in her own one-bedroom flat above a pet shop. She spends all day dozing on the sofa in between tucking into her favourite meal of roast chicken cooked in honey.
Occasionally, she may play hide-and-seek in a den of blankets.
As a youngster, Miss Snooks was abandoned by her mother and was taken in as a vixen seven years ago by 58-year-old pet shop owner Steve Edgington and his wife Nola, 56 in Ditchling, East Sussex.
He said: 'She has everything she needs for a happy life. We supplement her diet with vitamins to make sure she stays healthy.
'Foxes have had a bad time recently but people need to understand that they are wild animals.
'Miss Snooks is beautiful and very affectionate, but she has been reared by hand and is used to people.'
The red fox which, of course, is closely-related to the wolf and the dog, is the world's largest fox and is found all over Britain. Since foxhunting was banned in 2005, their population in Britain is increasing rapidly. Out of an estimated fox population of 258,000 about 35,000 of them live in urban areas.
I think, although I'm not sure, that the red fox is Britain's third-largest carnivore after the grey seal (of which Britain is home to half the world's population) and the red deer.
Attacks by foxes in urban areas are also increasing. Baby twins Isabella and Lola Koupparis were mauled by a fox in their east London home last year.
It's a dog's life for Miss Snooks - the fox who spends her day snoozing on the sofa of her OWN flat after being taken in as a pet
By Daily Mail Reporter
17th February 2011
Daily Mail
Dog's life: Steve Edgington took in pet fox Miss Snooks seven years ago
As far as pampered pets go, Miss Snooks has it all. The only thing that sets her apart from other pets, however, is that she's a fox.
Living in her own one-bedroom flat, she spends all day dozing on the sofa in between tucking into her favourite meal of roast chicken cooked in honey.
Occasionally, she may play hide-and-seek in a den of blankets.
Seen here getting cosy with master Steve on a sofa and still up to her old tricks, snooty Miss Snooks lives the high life.
The vixen was taken in seven years ago by 58-year-old Steve and his wife Nola, 56.
Abandoned by her mother, a local who found her alone took the defenceless cub to animal lover Steve's pet shop in Ditchling, East Sussex.
Without learning the skills she needed to survive in the wild, she has never strayed from the flat and ignores the cat flap, which would allow her to escape.
And through the years, pictures show her celebrating Christmas and playing with Steve's family and other pets.
Steve had an unused one-bedroom flat above Hassocks Pet Centre in Hassocks, West Sussex and decided it had all the space she needed to live a full life.
He said: 'She has everything she needs for a happy life. We supplement her diet with vitamins to make sure she stays healthy.
'Foxes have had a bad time recently but people need to understand that they are wild animals.
'Miss Snooks is beautiful and very affectionate, but she has been reared by hand and is used to people.'
Creature comforts: Steve Edgington with Miss Snooks on the sofa of the fox's very own flat above his pet shop in Hassocks, West Sussex
Pampered: Miss Snooks is fully domesticated, never straying from her flat
As a nocturnal animal, Miss Snooks gets taken for her for walks at night-time - under the cover of darkness.
Since the attack by a fox last year on baby twins Isabella and Lola Koupparis in their east London home, the animals have had something of a bad press.
Steve says this only happens with wild foxes: 'Wild foxes are usually persecuted by humans and are terrified of them. If you corner one and it feels threatened then it will do whatever it can to defend itself.'
Fuss: Nola Edgington gives Miss Snooks a tickle under the chin. The fox has been reared by hand and 'is used to people'
dailymail.co.uk
But one pampered fox has a more cosy life.
Miss Snooks lives in her own one-bedroom flat above a pet shop. She spends all day dozing on the sofa in between tucking into her favourite meal of roast chicken cooked in honey.
Occasionally, she may play hide-and-seek in a den of blankets.
As a youngster, Miss Snooks was abandoned by her mother and was taken in as a vixen seven years ago by 58-year-old pet shop owner Steve Edgington and his wife Nola, 56 in Ditchling, East Sussex.
He said: 'She has everything she needs for a happy life. We supplement her diet with vitamins to make sure she stays healthy.
'Foxes have had a bad time recently but people need to understand that they are wild animals.
'Miss Snooks is beautiful and very affectionate, but she has been reared by hand and is used to people.'
The red fox which, of course, is closely-related to the wolf and the dog, is the world's largest fox and is found all over Britain. Since foxhunting was banned in 2005, their population in Britain is increasing rapidly. Out of an estimated fox population of 258,000 about 35,000 of them live in urban areas.
I think, although I'm not sure, that the red fox is Britain's third-largest carnivore after the grey seal (of which Britain is home to half the world's population) and the red deer.
Attacks by foxes in urban areas are also increasing. Baby twins Isabella and Lola Koupparis were mauled by a fox in their east London home last year.
It's a dog's life for Miss Snooks - the fox who spends her day snoozing on the sofa of her OWN flat after being taken in as a pet
By Daily Mail Reporter
17th February 2011
Daily Mail
Dog's life: Steve Edgington took in pet fox Miss Snooks seven years ago
As far as pampered pets go, Miss Snooks has it all. The only thing that sets her apart from other pets, however, is that she's a fox.
Living in her own one-bedroom flat, she spends all day dozing on the sofa in between tucking into her favourite meal of roast chicken cooked in honey.
Occasionally, she may play hide-and-seek in a den of blankets.
Seen here getting cosy with master Steve on a sofa and still up to her old tricks, snooty Miss Snooks lives the high life.
The vixen was taken in seven years ago by 58-year-old Steve and his wife Nola, 56.
Abandoned by her mother, a local who found her alone took the defenceless cub to animal lover Steve's pet shop in Ditchling, East Sussex.
Without learning the skills she needed to survive in the wild, she has never strayed from the flat and ignores the cat flap, which would allow her to escape.
And through the years, pictures show her celebrating Christmas and playing with Steve's family and other pets.
Steve had an unused one-bedroom flat above Hassocks Pet Centre in Hassocks, West Sussex and decided it had all the space she needed to live a full life.
He said: 'She has everything she needs for a happy life. We supplement her diet with vitamins to make sure she stays healthy.
'Foxes have had a bad time recently but people need to understand that they are wild animals.
'Miss Snooks is beautiful and very affectionate, but she has been reared by hand and is used to people.'
Creature comforts: Steve Edgington with Miss Snooks on the sofa of the fox's very own flat above his pet shop in Hassocks, West Sussex
Pampered: Miss Snooks is fully domesticated, never straying from her flat
As a nocturnal animal, Miss Snooks gets taken for her for walks at night-time - under the cover of darkness.
Since the attack by a fox last year on baby twins Isabella and Lola Koupparis in their east London home, the animals have had something of a bad press.
Steve says this only happens with wild foxes: 'Wild foxes are usually persecuted by humans and are terrified of them. If you corner one and it feels threatened then it will do whatever it can to defend itself.'
Fuss: Nola Edgington gives Miss Snooks a tickle under the chin. The fox has been reared by hand and 'is used to people'
dailymail.co.uk
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