Friday Chat w/ Vlad

Hey, it’s Vlad. So the dog days of summer are upon us. All of us foxes at JABCECC are sporting our summer coats. Sometimes when people first see us in these coats, they think something is wrong with us because we look so trim.

The fact is, foxes are naturally very trim animals…of course this does not apply to Yuri as there is something very…unnatural about that boy. Our winter coats being so thick, make us look much bigger than we really are. Our true physiques only become evident in the rare circumstances when we need to get a bath. The term drowned rat doesn’t capture all the nuances of our appearance in this situation, but needless to see it is not a great look for us. Of course we make darned sure whoever is doing the bathing gets to know what shampoo tastes like. Thankfully, since I perpetually smell like lotus blossoms, sandalwood, and a delightful hint of skunk butt, I have never needed a bath.

Red fox’s summer and winter coats stay essentially the same color year round, whereas arctic foxes can have dramatic color changes. You may have seen our new resident arctic fox Sakari. She has large areas that are black, but come winter she will be white as the driven snow.

Speaking of Sakari, have you seen the video of the way she was treated by people on the fur farm? It makes my blood boil. I come from a line of foxes that has been selectively bred for over 60 years to love people, but when I watch that video, I can’t say I’m feeling all that warm and fuzzy about humans. Foxes however are very resilient. Sakari will put her past behind her and will come to enjoy her present and since her present includes being in my presence how could she not cherish every day. While it might take some time and patience, she may even begin to appreciate some of the finer things in life…like belly rubs.