Domestic Foxes

[stoutfellow]

Some time ago, pompe raised a question: what might have happened if foxes, instead of wolves, had been the first canid to be domesticated? In response, I mentioned an experiment in domesticating foxes I'd read about.

In an effort to maintain some of the housecleaning momentum from mbernardi's visit, I've been cleaning off the desk in my computer room. One of the unexpected items unearthed by this effort is the March-April 1999 issue of American Scientist, which contains an article on the experiment I mentioned. Without going into the details that I'd forgotten, I'd like to quote the following passage, which seems relevant to pompe's question.

Over the years, other investigators and I have raised several fox pups in domestic conditions, either in the laboratory or at home as pets. They have shown themselves to be good-tempered creatures, as devoted as dogs but as independent as cats, capable of forming deep-rooted pair bonds with human beings - mutual bonds, as those of us who work with them know. If our experiment should continue, and if fox pups could be raised and trained the way dog puppies are now, there is no telling what sort of animal they might one day become.

(It should be noted that the fox pups in question are the product of some thirty generations of selection for tameness; they are not wild foxes.)

Comments

[pompe.livejournal.com]

I was more thinking about foxes instead of cats, but this is certainly interesting.

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

Ah. :rereads original post: Well, in any case, it does suggest that foxes could fill a cat-like role - somewhat closer to their humans, but less so than wolf-derived dogs.

[kattsune.livejournal.com]

As a fan of foxes, I've been wondering if it is possible to own one as a pet. At the same time, I recognize that poaching the kits in the backyard is a awe-inspiringly bad idea. But the idea that somewhere, someone is breeding them for pet-like qualities gives me hope.

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

The researchers in question are/were in Russia; at the time of the article, they were having difficulty getting continued funding, and were considering selling some of the pups as pets. Of course, this was eight years ago, and I don't know what has become of the program since.

[kattsune.livejournal.com]

But no idea is unique, and if one group did it, another may be wandering around with cute little vulpine tufts of fury for sale.... minus the fury.

[filkferengi]

Yay for housecleaning momentum, even with fascinating distractions!

We've managed to keep over half of our coffee table completely cleared off, much to the approval of Her Feline Meowjesty, who condescends to loll thereon. :)