Meet Scrappy, Lander Family’s Hyperactive Pet Red Fox Who’s An Attention Hog
Adrian Zuniga has found a novel way to disappear on the streets of Casper and Lander. All he has to do is take a walk with his 6-month-old pet red fox, Scrappy. Zuniga's unorthodox pet attracts a second glance from most passersby. It’s not every day someone sees a fox, let alone one on a lead. “They're nature's ninjas,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “They're elegant to watch, beautiful to see, and just as soft as a down comforter.” Everywhere Scrappy goes, he’s hounded by curious people who want to pet and cuddle him while peppering Zuniga with various versions of the question: What’s it like to have a fox for a pet? “They are 100% their own,” he said. “As much as he is a pleasure, he requires all of your attention. Every day is training day. You will be highly involved.” Backyard Kit Zuniga wasn’t looking to own a fox. The opportunity came unexpectedly when he agreed to take in one of three orphaned cubs. “I have a friend in Sheridan that manages quail and chicken, and he heard the cubs crying on his property,” he said. “He found three cubs, fumbling around in the dark. He checked the next day, and they came up to him, hungry.” The mother fox was nowhere in sight, and the cubs were so young that their eyes weren’t fully developed. Assuming something had happened to the mother, the property owner brought the cubs home and started asking friends and family if they’d be interested in doing the same. Zuniga took the male cub, knowing he’d have his hands full as the young fox grew up. He also knew that he wanted this fox to live its best life. “I didn’t make him a cage,” he said. “I didn’t want that to be the norm for him. He had his run of the house, and still does.” Scrappy came home when he was at least 2 months old. Since then, he’s grown significantly. “He went from a little figure about the size of a high-top sneaker to looking like he’s on stilts,” he said. “His legs shot over two to three weeks, like a gangly baby giraffe, and his little sausage of a tail exploded into a full plume.” When Zuniga adopted Scrappy, the little kit loved being held. He preferred being carried to walking for the first month. Since then, he’s become more independent. He’s not a fan of being held or carried, but loves being petted. “He loves being pet, getting his scratches on his chest and under his neck, and rubbing on his sides,” Zuniga said. “It'll get his eyes all watering up and squinting down, like he's going to fall asleep.” Full Fox The most common question Zuniga gets is a point of comparison. People want to know if Scrappy is more like a cat or a dog. Zuniga has a simple answer: Neither, he’s full-on fox. “If he’s like a dog, he’s like one that runs on lightning and energy drinks,” he said. “There's cat similarities, and there's dog similarities, but he is 100% fox.” Most dogs and cats adapt to their owner’s schedule over time. Zuniga deliberately altered his schedule to suit Scrappy’s needs. “He’s very nocturnal,” he said. “Even when influenced by us to try and switch him over to more of a daytime schedule, it's instinctually natural for them to just be up at night.” Zuniga, who works in health care, found that it was better for both of them to take a night shift. It lets Zuniga keep Scrappy occupied when he’s at his most energetic. One of Scrappy’s favorite routines is his 2 a.m. walks. When he’s ready, Zuniga’s ready to go with him. “The average walk is about 3 miles,” he said. “I have a tracker, so I can see the distance he covers, and he averages about 8 miles a day. He’s very, very, very high energy.” During the day, Scrappy has multiple spots where he likes to curl up and sleep. Sometimes it’s on the back of the couch, sometimes it’s under it. Since Scrappy is so young, he’s extremely attached to Zuniga. They rarely spend any time apart. “He’s with me every day, all day, aside from some short break,” he said. Come And Get Me Scrappy became a full-fledged member of the Zuniga family in no time. Zuniga’s 15-year-old son, Ty, is especially fond of him. “They might as well be brothers,” he said. “They’re always playing.” Scrappy’s favorite games are very energetic — and exhausting. A dog, and even some cats, enjoy a game of fetch. When Scrappy plays fetch, it’s inadvertent. “He's not a fetcher,” Zuniga said. “He's more of an, ‘I got it, now come catch me’ kind of animal. And good luck with that. I’m pretty sure he can teleport.” Scrappy can also parkour off anything, including other household members. “I was sitting in a car on our back patio, letting him run around and play,” Zuniga said. “He lay down for maybe 10 seconds, then ran toward me, ran up my leg, and jumped off my shoulder. He’s 100% wherever he goes.” The Zunigas already had a cat when they took in Scrappy. They get along fine, although the cat doesn’t have the energy and patience to keep up with the fox. Scrappy’s energy can be overwhelming at times, especially for Zuniga’s daughter. That’s why Zuniga does everything he can to keep the fox occupied. “If you're not playing with him, he’s going to find something else to play with,” he said. “Anything you leave out belongs to him. "You can’t have a fox and a day off where you can lie back and kick your feet up. You’ll be paying for it and cleaning up after it.” License And Registration, Please Having a fox as a household pet is unusual, but is perfectly legal in Wyoming. Wyoming is one of 15 states where people can legally keep red foxes as pets, with some caveats. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department doesn’t regulate foxes, but rules can vary by county. “Scrappy is registered in Natrona County,” Zuniga said. “You have to register them with the county’s animal control department, and they have applications for wild animals. The problem is making sure he’s registered at your residence.” Since Scrappy is registered in Natrona County, he’s just like any other pet. That isn’t true elsewhere, like Laramie County, which is why it’s important that Scrappy’s tags are stamped with his county of residence. “If you're passing through a county that says it's illegal to own a fox, well, you're traveling,” Zuniga said. “You don't reside there, so they can't confiscate the animal.” However, Scrappy doesn’t recognize these legalities. That’s why it’s all the more important that Zuniga keep tabs on his young fox. He Always Comes Back Just like any dog or cat, Scrappy’s innate curiosity has led him away from home. Zuniga has “lost” his fox only a few times, but no matter where or how far Scrappy goes, he always comes back. “He has finagled his way off the property two times here (in Casper), and he's done it once while I was working in Lander,” he said. “One time he did a 7.5-mile loop in the dark, and he still came home.” Zuniga noted that Scrappy’s hearing and sense of smell are “unparalleled.” Whenever he’s gotten out, he’s never gone long and always returns somewhere familiar. “The first time, he came back to our house,” he said. “The second time, he was in my friend’s front yard. We’ve been there, so he has some familiarity there. "The fact that he can find his way home, 8 miles in the dark, says enough for me.” One night, Zuniga was working in the emergency room at SageWest Health Care in Lander. Scrappy, in a camper, pushed through a window and escaped. “I got an alert that he was 3 miles to the southwest, and I was like, ‘Oh, good lord, I can’t leave. I have a patient,’” he said. "So I figured that when I got off work, I’d get in the truck and scoop him up." Around 4:45 a.m., Zuniga finished his shift and stepped on the hospital’s helipad. On his phone, he saw Scrappy wandering around two blocks away, but by then he’d gone all the way to Sinks Canyon and back. Zuniga started whistling for Scrappy and watched as he made a beeline straight back to the hospital. “He heard me whistling and smelled his way back,” he said. “Foxes have an inkling to explore. I can’t state that enough.” Forever Wild When some people see Scrappy walking on his lead, they get an inclination to have a fox of their own. Speaking from experience, Zuniga dissuades them. “The fact is that you’re raising a wild animal,” he said. “As much as the fox needs training, the humans need retraining to live in the house with a fox.” One thing Zuniga quickly learned is that Scrappy doesn’t like a water bowl. Any standing water will end up splashed everywhere. “If they have standing water, their instinct in the wild is to wash their feet in it, so he’ll step in a water bowl, and it'll be a mess 100% of the time.” The solution to that instinct was to get a bowl with running water, or let Scrappy drink from a running tap. If anyone leaves food out, a cat or dog might steal and eat it. Scrappy has the same predilection, but Zuniga has learned to leave food out at his family’s peril. Scrappy is litterbox trained, but some habits die hard. “If you leave excess food for a fox, they will want to mark it as their own,” he said. “Those are his instincts. If food’s left out, he’ll pee around it.” Scrappy’s diet consists of freeze-dried beef and chicken, along with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Zuniga also feeds him special kibble full of taurine, an organic compound essential to a fox’s health and muscle development. Scrappy will eat cat and dog food, but he doesn’t digest it. “Then you'll have to worry about diarrhea and whatever else,” he said. “It's a difficult situation to try to feed them the proper foods while trying to keep the mindset that this is a wild animal.” The unspoken challenge of having a fox as a pet is that he might be better off in the wild. Zuniga knows that time could come when Scrappy gets older. “I haven’t ruled out taking him to a sanctuary or refuge, where they do a soft release to get him back out into the wild,” he said. “He’s still babyish, but I don’t exclude that as an option as he gets older.” Zuniga intends to keep Scrappy “as part of the family,” but doesn’t feel that decision lies solely with him. Scrappy might find greener pastures and want to remain there, especially as he comes into his own. “There might be a time when he gets out and meets a missus, and I’ll probably never see him again,” he said. “It’s not likely, but it’s a funny thought.” Nature’s Ninja Whatever the future has in store for Scrappy, he seems to be enjoying his life with the Zuniga family. He’s certainly a head-turner and conversation starter, and he's comfortably acclimated to civilized society, although motorcycles still scare him. “Everyone loves him,” Zuniga said. “We go to downtown Casper and Lander sometimes, and he's gotten a lot of good reactions. I’ve got people flying out of their houses. They see him through the window and come out running.” Zuniga appreciates being able to answer questions from people who are interested in foxes and what it’s like to own one. He gives them all the details, including “the list of special requirements.” For most people, there’s innate enjoyment in seeing and touching a red fox. They’re elusive animals, and Scrappy gives Wyomingites a chance to observe their beauty, elegance, and playfulness firsthand. Fox ownership isn’t for everyone, but Zuniga has been making the most of his time with Scrappy. He’ll savor every moment, for as long as it lasts. “A fox is a magical critter,” he said. “He will get all the conversations going, and I'm open to it. He’s an adorable, amazing creature.” Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.