F U R - F ARMING IN CANADA 41 



mother fox proves to be not capable of rearing her young for any 

 reason, they are taken from her and reared on the cat until four or 

 five weeks old, when the cat will usually desert them. They are then 

 able to lap milk. Young foxes have been found stiff and cold, but 

 by warming them in hot cotton wool and providing them with a feline 

 wet-nurse, have finally grown to maturity. A nursing bottle and a 

 medicine dropper also might be kept on hand to feed milk. 



The young are blind for about three weeks and do not leave 



Breeders the nest, but when they are about four weeks old, the mother 



carries them to a sunny place. They soon learn to lap 



milk and eat. When about three months old, the mother weans them 



and they may go to quarters of their own. 



Foxes have only one litter a year, each litter consisting of from 

 one to nine pups. The earliest noted litter came on March 12 ; the 

 latest, on June 4. No instances are yet recorded of two litters in one 

 year, but it is believed that it may occur within a few years when the 

 animals are more domestic in habit. 



According to the best authorities, foxes in the wild state are 

 monogamous. In captivity, they are usually paired for life, and in 

 many instances re-mating is said to be impossible. In some cases, 

 however, foxes can be re-mated yearly. Some males will mate with 

 several females during the same winter. Two systems of double mating 

 are practised. Under one system, a male and two females of the same 

 litter are given the run of three pens. After mating they are all 

 separated into their respective pens. The other system also requires 

 the use of three pens, the male spending alternate days with each of the 

 two females. When mating is effected in these ways, success is not as 

 certain as with single mating. 



The fox continues prolific until about ten or eleven years of age. 

 If a pair fail to produce young after the eighth year, they are usually 

 slaughtered. In the majority of cases foxes mate when ten months 

 old. Sonic breeders endeavour to mate a young female with a male 

 a year older. 



Xo serious diseases were observed in foxes on Canadian 



Hygiene and , -kt • i i. i. n i. i i 



Diseases ranches. No sick fox was seen except one tliat had 



produced no overhair and appeared to be in very poor 

 condition generally. It was probably the type known to hunters as 

 tlie Samson fox. Evidence furnished by R- E- Hamilton of G-'rand 

 Valley, Ont., wbo once bad one in similar condition in his possession, 

 indicates that the lack of fur and the poor condition is caused by a tape- 

 worm. Mr. Hamilton cured it by administering a violent vermifuge, 

 using a biscuit vermifuge, J>uppy doses. 



