Fox (creature)

Foxes are medium sized, dog-like omnivores that live in underground dens, in woodland and shrubland. They are one of the many enemies of cats.

Description

 * Foxes are not friendly, and in the Warriors series, they are mentioned to be harsh and cruel. Most foxes have bushy tails and straight, pointed ears. They are solitary, nocturnal animals, mainly active at twilight and at night. They have ginger or reddish-brown/auburn coats, with a white underside, white-tipped, bushy tails, black ears and legs, and golden eyes with vertical-slit pupils. Foxes have sharp teeth and a pointed muzzle, and a strong, unpleasant smell. Although they do not appear in the The Prophecies Begin Arc more than once, they make regular appearances later. Foxes can live for 10 years in the wild, but most foxes live about 2 or 3 years due to road accidents, diseases, and the lack of prey in winter time. A fox's hearing is so sharp that it is possible for them to hear a watch ticking 40 yards away. Foxes and cats usually ignore one another if they happen to cross paths, although in the case of a fight, it is often the fox that leaves the encounter with more wounds.

Relation to Clan cats

 * Foxes are dangerous to cats. They are highly territorial, attacking other animals that step on their territory, so even if they don't eat cats, they will likely attack them on sight.


 * They are usually dealt with by being driven out by the Clan cats, episodes being described in several books. A strong and healthy cat can chase away a fox by him/herself, though it was mentioned that an adult fox can kill a cat.


 * Foxes play a major role in the Clan cats' life. Several cats are named Fox-, like Foxleap, Foxwhisker or Foxheart. The cats have expressions pertaining to foxes, like fox-length, fox-hearted, or fox dung.

Relation to Twolegs

 * Foxes are troublesome creatures as they steal poultry from around Twoleg nests. Twolegs usually set up traps to catch and kill foxes. They can attack baby Twolegs and adult Twolegs. They also eat chickens, animals that Twolegs buy and feed to make them bigger and eat them or lay eggs. Foxes also will attack Twoleg pets, such as rabbits, guinea pigs and kittypets if they don't run or stay out of the fox's way. They are as much as a danger to Twolegs as they are to cats. Some are even made pets by Twolegs, though foxes aren't really good pets, as they are dangerous, wild animals.

Bluestar's Prophecy

 * Bluepaw tries to go into an active fox den because of grief for Moonflower, her mother, and how cats are forgetting about her, but is stopped by Sunfall. Bluepaw is chased by a fox, but it is stopped by a falling branch that was on fire. Her mentor, Sunfall, scolds her afterwards and gives her a lecture, that opens Bluepaw's eyes to the living world.

Firestar's Quest

 * When Bramblepaw is about to be a warrior, Firestar tells him that he is so excited that he wouldn't notice if a fox ate him. When Sorrelpaw gets a thorn in her paw, Cinderpelt tells her that from the noise she made, she thought a fox had bitten her paw off. After the thorn is pulled out, the apprentice thanks Cinderpelt, and says that Sandstorm will show her how to fight foxes.


 * Later, at a Gathering, Tallstar announces that Onewhisker and Mudclaw chased off a fox who seemed to think it would he happier living in the moors than in the woods. Mudclaw yowls that they chased it off, and Tallstar warns Leopardstar to watch out for it, as it crossed into their territory near the river. Leopardstar sarcastically thanks him that another fox is just what they need, and says she will warn the patrols. Firestar thinks he will do the same, as RiverClan's territory is narrow there, and the fox might cross into ThunderClan.


 * When Firestar has to go share tongues with StarClan, Graystripe offers to come with him in case the fox has come back. After Firestar returns from the Moonstone, Graystripe tells him that the afternoon patrol think that the fox Tallstar had mentioned crossed into ThunderClan territory, as they scented strong, fox scent on the border, near the Twoleg bridge. Firestar asks if they followed the scent, but Graystripe says they lost it. Firestar understands the problem about the fox, but feels as if it belonged to another cat long ago. He is briefly distracted, before turning back to Graystripe and telling him to double the patrols where the fox was, and keep a lookout so that the fox doesn't settle there. Right after, when Longtail has been blinded in both eyes, he thinks that he is useless, and suggests leaving him out in the forest for foxes.


 * In a dream Firestar has about SkyClan, he sees an apprentice stray away from the main group and get picked off by a fox, and the apprentice squeals as the fox bounds away, outpacing the warriors that chase it. When Firestar wakes up, Graystripe says that he, Willowpelt, and Brackenfur will head to Fourtrees and see if they can spot the fox. While Firestar hunts, he spots another patrol attack Smudge and stops them, and Dustpelt, asks what's going on, saying that he thought a fox got them from all the noise they made. When he goes to help a different patrol scent the badger, he pauses at the mouth of a den, but only smells stale fox.


 * Once they are on their journey to save SkyClan and have passed the gorge, Firestar wonders how SkyClan felt, as they must have been terribly vulnerable to dogs or foxes.


 * After the flood on their journey, Firestar sees a fox, it's muzzle raised from eating pigeon, and its teeth bared. Firestar flees, and expects the fox to follow him, but it doesn't. After Firestar and Sandstorm find each other, when Firestar has another dream of SkyClan, Buzzardtail tells Fernpelt to lead the dawn patrol and watch out for the fox they saw on the other side of the gorge. When Firestar wakes up, and he and Sandstorm discover the gorge, Firestar realizes that there is plenty of space, and the warriors would be able to protect the rest of the den if foxes tried to get down. Later, when Sandstorm searches through the camp, she comments that there are no foxes of badgers.


 * Later, Firestar finds some feathers from the cliff, with a scent of fox on it. Sandstorm is worried, having hoped that there wouldn't be foxes there, but Firestar tells her that there are foxes everywhere. As Firestar and Sandstorm clean out the gorge more, Sandstorm warns him to get down when she sees a ginger tom who she thought might have been a fox.


 * When Sky shows Firestar and Sandstorm around the gorge, he shows them a dark hole in a gorge bush that used to be a fox den. Firestar tastes the air, but there is no scent of fox now.


 * Later, when Boris and Cherry want to learn to hunt from Firestar, he scolds them that the heard them because they were rampaging through the thicket like a couple of foxes in a fit. After a squirrel is caught, the kittypets don't want to eat much, but Firestar thinks that if it is left lying there, it will attract foxes.


 * Firestar and Sandstorm chase away a fox to protect a she-cat with kits, later revealed to be Clover.


 * Later, during the meeting for the cats who will join SkyClan, Leaf recalls how she had found Scree, a rogue, trying to fight off a fox, and while the creature fled when it was her, Scree was badly wounded, and he died before the next morning.


 * When Firestar explains Clan rankings to the cats considering joining SkyClan, he tells them that warriors must be ready to defend the Clan against threats like foxes, badgers, or other cats. Clovertail announces that she will join, as Firestar, Sandstorm, and Scratch saved her kits from a fox.


 * Later, when Firestar has a patrol to set borders, Sparrowpaw asks why they shouldn't use a dead tree as a marker, and Firestar explains that there would be no cover for prey if there are foxes and badgers about. Firestar also sets a border by the tree stump and deserted fox's den that Skywatcher had told him about. When Firestar is back in camp and goes to look for Skywatcher, he remembers what his mate had said about the fox as he heads down the gorge, and he keeps his senses alert. He is worried that Skywatcher would be no match for a strong predator, but there is no fox scent.


 * During a battle training session later, Sandstorm praises Cherrypaw on her move, saying that if she were a fox, she wouldn't fancy meeting the apprentice. Next, it is Shortwhisker's turn, and Sandstorm tells him to pretend that she is a fox that is trying to get into the nursery. The next morning, there is a crowd of cats, and Sparrowpelt says that Rockkit said that he had seen big shiny cats whose teeth were bigger than those of a fox.

Forest of Secrets

 * In the prologue, when Oakheart gives Graypool the kits, he says that he found them in the forest, and they are lucky that a fox didn't find them.


 * When Fireheart visits RiverClan to learn more about Oakheart's death, Graystripe suggests that Fireheart rolls in something to hide his scent, and says that fox dung is good. After Mistyfoot talks to Fireheart, she tells him to go, and teasingly reminds him of the fox dung. In camp, Fireheart is unable to believe what he is doing, as he had found fresh fox dung in the forest, and rolled in it until he reeked. Fireheart goes to sit by Sandstorm for Thornpaw and Brightpaw's apprentice ceremonies, but she asks where he has been, and exclaims that he smells like a fox that has been dead for a month.


 * When Yellowfang tells Fireheart to talk to Cloudkit about the moss in bedding, he finds the kit in the elders' den, where Halftail explains that the leader of TigerClan stalked the fox for a day and a night.


 * At the Gathering that Bluestar reveals that they are taking in Brokenstar, Tallstar calls the former ShadowClan cat a heap of fox dung. Two dawns after the Gathering, Fireheart takes Brackenpaw out hunting, and the apprentice is alarmed to smell fox. Firestar asks if it is fresh, and the apprentice sniffs, then relaxes as he realizes that it is stale.


 * When Bluestar explains to Fireheart how she gave up her kits, Fireheart asks what she told the rest of the Clan, and the leader responds that she made it look like they had been taken from the nursery by a fox or badger.

Midnight

 * When the six questing cats confront Midnight, she mentions she can also speak fox, but all they talk about is killing.

Moonrise

 * The six questing cats are about to be attacked by a group of territorial foxes, but Midnight convinces them to leave the cats alone. One fox says that he had tasted cat before, and he liked it.

Starlight

 * When the Clans move from their forest home to the lake home due to Twoleg destruction, they find a place where the Clans stay until they find territory. Foxes show up at the Gathering place, but the warriors chase them off.

Twilight

 * Squirrelflight falls into the brambles. With a failed attempt to save her, Ashfur goes in as well. A fox shows up and nearly mauls the two of them, but a ThunderClan warrior, Brambleclaw, drives the fox off and saves the two.

Sunset

 * Although foxes do not appear, the fox traps set up on ThunderClan territory play a major role. In a Clan meeting, Daisy says that Twolegs use them to protect their sheep. While exploring, Berrykit is caught in one and loses half of his tail. Near the end of the book, Hawkfrost traps ThunderClan's noble leader, Firestar so that Brambleclaw could become leader. Brambleclaw saves his leader from almost losing a life.

The Sight

 * A dead fox is found on ThunderClan territory, and from the scent of it, ThunderClan realizes that it's a mother vixen. Firestar sends out patrols, but Hollykit, Lionkit, and Jaykit decide to join in and find the fox cubs. They end up getting chased, and Jaykit falls into the ThunderClan camp. The patrols get rid of the fox cubs.

Outcast

 * After Hollypaw and Breezepaw teach the Tribe to-be's some basic fighting moves, Breezepaw tells them a story about fighting a fox on WindClan territory, but Hollypaw thinks that there will never be foxes up there.

The Fourth Apprentice

 * In Jayfeather's thoughts, it is revealed that Firestar had lost a life defending his territory from a fox that had trespassed on ThunderClan territory.

Fading Echoes

 * A WindClan Elder complains that he will have "half his pelt" hanging off a "fox-toothed" bush, and his ears will be shredded. Foxes do not formerly appear in the book.

Night Whispers

 * After a fox is found in ThunderClan territory, four patrols fail to drive it away and Lionblaze decides to use his gift to fight the fox alone. He goes to Firestar with this idea, but is ordered to take Dovepaw along with him, so she can run for help if he needs it. Lionblaze sends the fox running for its life, and Yellowfang later tells Jayfeather that it is a sign that ThunderClan must stand alone against the Dark Forest.

The Forgotten Warrior

 * When Molepaw, Cherrypaw, Brightheart, Foxleap, and Rosepetal are having a training session, a fox attacks them, and they fight it off. It comes back, but a mysterious cat scares it away. The cat was later revealed to be Hollyleaf, one of ThunderClan's former warriors.

The Rescue

 * Mintfur reports to Sharpclaw that on their patrol, they came across fox-scent, but the trail was old. Shrewtooth explains that they marked how far the scent came into SkyClan by bending down the small branches on some of the trees. Later, Leafstar asks Sharpclaw, who walks by with Cherrytail, on if he will check the fox trail that the patrol had mentioned. The deputy stammers that he and Cherrytail were going to hunt, but Cherrytail interrupts that they could easily pass through the pace where the fox was scented.


 * The next day, after he assigns patrols, Sharpclaw tells Leafstar that he and Cherrytail checked the fox-scent, and it was no farther than the branhces marked by Ebonyclaw's patrol. He adds that he sent another border patrol that day, lead by Waspwhisker. When Leafstar and Harveymoon are out walking, they find Waspwhisker and Tinycloud, who have lost Sandypaw and Nettlesplash, the other cats on the patrol, and Waspwhisker explains that the patrol split up to follow the fox-scent over the border. The four cats track the young cats' scents, and soon reach the end of the fox trail, which is marked by Ebonyclaw's branches. When they find the young cats, Leafstar asks where they were, and Sandypaw stammers that they were trying to follow the fox scent. Nettlesplash adds that they didn't find anything.


 * When Leafstar is trapped in the elderly Twoleg's den, she sees Fallowfern who limps and yowls outside, and Leafstar frets that the fox caught her.

Beyond the Code

 * Leafstar and Sharpclaw discuss how changing their hunting patterns has put them in competition with badgers and foxes, and the next day, they announce to the Clan that patrols with have eight cats for protection. Sparrowpelt is disgruntled with this decision, but Petalnose counters that the only other option would be to become prey for foxes and badgers.


 * When Sol's hunting patrol comes back with lots of prey, Leafstar goes with them the next day to find out how they caught so much food, and the patrol approaches a fox den, which causes Leafstar to get nervous and confused. Two foxes approach with prey in their jaws, and they drop it at the den entrance before going inside their den. The cats on the patrol rush to grab the prey, and just as they leave the area, the foxes bring their cubs out to feed, and are confused when they see no prey. At the top of the ravine, Sol explains to Leafstar that if the foxes want to hunt at dusk, they can hunt for SkyClan too. Leafstar yowls that they just left a trail for the foxes all the way to their camp, and says that they might attack the Clan. She tells him that Clan cats use skills to hunt, and when Sol protests that it is a skill, she says that he is stealing from foxes. Sharpclaw climbs up to the ravine and asks how they caught all the prey upon seeing it, and Leafstar announces that a fox caught it, causing Sharpclaw to be infuriated with Sol.


 * The next night, Leafstar wakes to footsteps, and looks out her den two see two adult foxes entering the gorge. She jumps down from her den and announces to the Clan that there is a fox attack, and Sharpclaw gives battle orders. The Clan cats fight the foxes, and though Leafstar knows that Sharpclaw would suggest against it, she fights the foxes too. However, as she fights, her kits start climbing down from her den, and Leafstar begs Sol to fight the fox she is attacking, to save her kits. When Sol doesn't respond, Lichenfur jumps down and stops the kits, and Leafstar bites that fox hard. The foxes run up the gorge, yipping, with the SkyClan cats caterwauling behind them. After the fight, Sol comes to Leafstar's den and apologizes, and he asks if she will tell the rest of the Clan that it is his fault that the foxes blame, but Leafstar says that she won't.


 * After Leafstar hears Sol's story, she asks Billystorm what his thoughts are on Sol, and he admits that he was horrified about what happened during the fox attack. At the Gathering, Leafstar tells SkyClan that she is proud of the way that they fought off the foxes. When it starts down pouring during the Gathering, Leafstar goes to her nest, where Firekit asks if it was more foxes.

After the Flood

 * Leafstar thinks about how the flood left the camp open to attacks from foxes, rats, rogues, and Twolegs, and she imagines a fox approaching a group of bristling cats. Later, when rogue cats come to attack the gorge and Leafstar tells SkyClan that they are under attack, Patchfoot asks what they are facing, and guesses that it is foxes, although Leafstar corrects him that it is rogues.

References and Citations
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