Real fights between cats and foxes are rare. Most cats and foxes that share a neighborhood never come to blows, because each treats the other as something to steer around rather than something to fight.1Ecosphere. Space use and interactions of two introduced mesopredators, European red fox and feral cat, in an arid landscape A grown cat is close enough to a fox’s size, and tough enough in self-defense, that foxes generally aren’t interested in taking one on.2Humane World for Animals. What to do about foxes The honest answer to who would win depends less on the species than on the size of the individual cat, which is why kittens and very small cats are a different story.
How Big a Fox Really Is Next to a Cat
An adult red fox stands about 35 to 50 cm (14 to 20 in) at the shoulder, with a tail of 30 to 55 cm (12 to 22 in).3Wikipedia. Red fox A thick coat and a bushy tail make it look far heavier than it is, and long legs lift its height so that it towers over a cat without outweighing it by much.
The weights are less dramatic than the silhouette. Red foxes range from about 2.2 to 14 kg (5 to 31 lb), with females usually 15 to 20% lighter than males.4Wikipedia. Red fox In one region where both were weighed, female foxes averaged about 4.5 kg (10 lb) and males about 5.8 kg (13 lb).5PubMed Central. Mesopredator Management: Effects of Red Fox Control on the Abundance, Diet and Use of Space by Feral Cats Feral cats in the same area averaged about 3.3 kg (7.4 lb) for females and 4.4 kg (9.6 lb) for males.6PubMed Central. Mesopredator Management: Effects of Red Fox Control on the Abundance, Diet and Use of Space by Feral Cats So a typical fox there was heavier than a typical cat, but less than twice its weight.7PubMed Central. Mesopredator Management: Effects of Red Fox Control on the Abundance, Diet and Use of Space by Feral Cats
Many house cats weigh 4 to 5 kg (9 to 11 lb), which puts them close to a female fox. Small breeds, elderly cats and thin cats sit lower and lose that parity. To see where yours falls, weigh yourself holding the cat, then weigh yourself alone, and subtract. A bathroom scale is enough to show whether your cat is well above the small-cat range or near it.
Body condition matters too: a cat whose ribs are easy to see and feel under thin skin carries less weight than its frame suggests. And a fox spreads its weight over longer legs and a longer body, so at the same weight a cat is more compact and dense.
In a real meeting, close average weights mean a fox sizing up a healthy adult cat is looking at an animal that is not an easy meal, which is part of why it usually walks away. The fox’s height matters mostly if it can stand over a cat, but a cat that is crouched or on a raised spot can strike upward and level the field.
Teeth and Claws, Each Animal’s Weapons
The fox’s main weapon is its bite. At the canine teeth, a red fox bites with an average of about 344 newtons, nearly twice a house cat’s 184 newtons.8PubMed Central. Craniometric Characteristics of Selected Carnivora Species Kept in Captivity in Relation to Bite Force and Bending Strength of the Upper Canines At the back cutting teeth, the fox manages about 774 newtons against the cat’s 333.9PubMed Central. Craniometric Characteristics of Selected Carnivora Species Kept in Captivity in Relation to Bite Force and Bending Strength of the Upper Canines Pound for pound, though, the house cat has one of the strongest bites among carnivores, about 41 newtons per kilogram of body weight.10PubMed Central. Craniometric Characteristics of Selected Carnivora Species Kept in Captivity in Relation to Bite Force and Bending Strength of the Upper Canines The red fox, for its size, also bites harder than a grey wolf or a domestic dog.11PubMed Central. Craniometric Characteristics of Selected Carnivora Species Kept in Captivity in Relation to Bite Force and Bending Strength of the Upper Canines
The cat’s advantage is in its paws and body. Before things get physical, it arches its back, raises its fur, hisses and turns sideways to look larger, a display meant to end the encounter without a fight. Its claws are held tucked away by elastic ligaments and spring out when it tenses its forearm muscles, a system most other carnivores, foxes included, lack.12PubMed. The form and function of retractile claws in the Felidae and other representative carnivorans Because they aren’t worn down by walking, a cat’s claws stay sharp. Cats also evolved flexible forelimbs for grabbing and holding prey, while dogs and foxes did not.13PubMed Central. Carnivoran hunting style and phylogeny reflected in bony labyrinth morphometry And a cat’s hip allows a wider range of leg positions than a fox’s, which helps in climbing and grappling.14Journal of Zoology. Hip structure and locomotion in ambulatory and cursorial carnivores A cat can fight with all four limbs and escape upward, while a fox fights mainly with its mouth.
When a bigger animal attacks, a cornered cat often drops onto its side or back. It looks like giving up, but it is a fighting posture that frees all four paws. From there the cat hooks the attacker with its front claws and rakes with the back feet, which are strong enough to do real damage.
That is why the stronger bite doesn’t settle things. A bite only works if the fox can get its mouth on the cat, and doing so puts its face within reach of those claws. Claws can reach the nose and eyes, and injuries there are painful and can be disabling, a real cost for a wild animal. Even a minor wound can become infected or slow a fox down for hunting, so it gains little from a fight that might leave it hurt. A cat also moves fast and twists in ways a fox can’t easily follow, so the fox may struggle to find a secure grip. In a short scuffle, speed and an exit matter a lot: a cat that reaches a fence or tree can end the fight in seconds, whatever the bite force.
Which Cats Are Actually at Risk
Kittens and very small adult cats, under about 5 pounds (2.3 kg), could be prey for a fox.15Humane World for Animals. What to do about foxes Kittens in their first months are small enough to be prey, and they lack the experience to read danger or escape quickly. Old, ill or injured cats are more vulnerable even at a normal weight, because they may not be able to fight back or run. A litter born outdoors is exposed whenever the mother is away, since kittens cannot defend themselves.
Most meetings between a healthy cat and a fox are tense but quiet. Both animals freeze and stare, and then one of them walks away. A cat may puff up and hiss while the fox keeps its distance or circles, and the display usually ends things.
How Cats and Foxes Avoid Each Other
Shared ground doesn’t mean contact. Where both live, their home ranges overlap a lot, yet tracked cats and foxes kept farther apart from each other than from their own kind.16University of Sydney. THE ECOLOGY OF FERAL CATS, FELIS CATUS, IN OPEN FOREST IN NEW SOUTH WALES: INTERACTIONS WITH FOOD RESOURCES AND FOXES In an arid region, the avoidance went both ways, with cats steering clear of foxes and foxes of cats.17Ecosphere. Space use and interactions of two introduced mesopredators, European red fox and feral cat, in an arid landscape Foxes mostly hold set territories, while cats roam more independently.18Ecosphere. Space use and interactions of two introduced mesopredators, European red fox and feral cat, in an arid landscape In a city, cats waited longer before visiting a spot after a fox had been there than after another cat had.19PubMed Central. Spatiotemporal interactions of a novel mesocarnivore community in an urban environment before and during SARS‐CoV‐2 lockdown
Cats also adjust their timing. On average, cats are most active around dawn and dusk.20Oikos. Dynamic shifts in predator diel activity patterns across landscapes and threat levels In some areas where foxes hunted at night and fox activity was high, cats shifted to being active during the day.21Oikos. Dynamic shifts in predator diel activity patterns across landscapes and threat levels In wet forest, cats avoided dawn when foxes were busy then.22Oikos. Dynamic shifts in predator diel activity patterns across landscapes and threat levels Where foxes were very common, cat numbers in small areas were lower.23Journal of Applied Ecology. Mesopredator release among invasive predators: Controlling red foxes can increase feral cat density and alter their behaviour
Did a Fox Kill My Cat
Fox marks on a body are often from scavenging. In a series of cats found badly mutilated, examinations pointed to red foxes feeding on the bodies after death.24PubMed. Fox (Vulpes vulpes) involvement identified in a series of cat carcass mutilations The wounds showed carnivore tooth marks, wet fur and limbs pulled apart in a pattern typical of scavenging.25PubMed. Fox (Vulpes vulpes) involvement identified in a series of cat carcass mutilations So finding that a fox has fed on a cat doesn’t mean the fox killed it. Road traffic is a common cause of death for outdoor cats.
If you find your cat dead, take the body to a vet rather than assuming the cause, because an examination can often tell injuries from before death from marks made afterward. Handle the body with gloves and keep it cool and wrapped until the vet can see it, so evidence is not lost. If a car was involved, a vet may find injuries such as broken bones or internal bleeding that point to a collision.
If your cat is injured, a cat with bite wounds should see a vet quickly, because bites often become infected and a small puncture can hide a deep abscess. After any wildlife bite, ask the vet whether your cat’s rabies vaccination is current, since that affects what steps are needed. Don’t wait to see if wounds heal on their own, because cats often hide pain and illness until they are quite sick.
How to Keep Your Cat Safe From Foxes
Start with the cats in the at-risk group. Keep kittens and cats under about 5 pounds indoors or supervised outside. Bring cats in from dusk to dawn, when meetings are most likely in many areas. Feed pets indoors so food bowls don’t draw foxes into the yard, and consider a cat flap that reads your cat’s microchip so foxes can’t follow it into the house.
To make your yard less appealing to foxes, keep bin lids secure and cover compost so there is no easy food to find. Close gaps under decks and sheds, since foxes may use these spaces as a den or shelter. Clear fallen fruit and spilled bird seed, which attract rodents and in turn foxes. Don’t feed foxes, because it makes them bolder around people and pets and draws more of them to your yard.
Cats escape by climbing, so tall fences, trees or cat shelves give them a way out. A raised shelter or perch lets a cat watch a fox from a safe place and may stop a chase before it starts.
Don’t try to trap or poison foxes. It is often illegal and puts pets at risk, and removing foxes can simply let other animals move in. If a fox seems sick or unafraid of people, call local wildlife services.