4 min read Cat Rescue Discovers One Of Their Orphans Is Actually A Fox But she's still just as cute 😺🦊

On Monday, a wildlife rescue located in Shropshire, England, got an unusual call. A nearby cat shelter’s newest arrival was not the kitten they believed her to be. She was a little fox cub. Fox cubs are typically born in February and March, and with their folded ears, smushed faces and fluffy coats, they can bear a striking resemblance to kittens, who are born year-round.

Cuan Wildlife Rescue

“They are often thought to be kittens as they don’t resemble a fox at all,” Fran Hill, manager of Cuan Wildlife Rescue, told The Dodo. “We’ve had some in the past that may be a month or two old that people have reared and then realize it’s not a cat!”



It’s not that unusual for a cub to get separated from her mother, especially since Mom is always on the lookout for threats to her little family. “The vixen will sometimes move her cubs if she feels worried about her current position,” Hill said. “She carries them one by one to the new destination. If disturbed or challenged, she may drop the cub.”

The cat shelter transferred the cub to Cuan Wildlife Rescue, where she was found to have a little scratch on her nose but be otherwise uninjured. After a week at the rescue, the little cub is doing really well, but she demands a lot of attention in order to stay healthy and strong.

Cuan Wildlife Rescue

The cub is fed milk three times an hour every hour until midnight, and then the feedings start again bright and early at 6 a.m. “She’s fed with a bottle now but is likely to start lapping soon,” Hill said. “They mature quickly.” If another orphaned fox cub arrives on the rescue's doorstep, the two will move into an area together, where they can form a bond and build the skills needed to be released out into the wild. But, for now, all the little cub needs to do is continue to grow up strong.