I used to have a dog. Bonnie was a lovely bundle of cuddle and the product of many breeds.
When Bonnie passed away at the ripe old age of 15 or thereabouts (her exact date of birth was never established), it left a huge hole in my life and I was pet-less for quite a few years.
One evening I spotted a fox furtively exploring my back garden. I was captivated by this handsome visitor and kept an eye out in case I saw him again.
After a while I noticed other foxy visitors, and, being a softie, I left some scraps of food out for them. That was the start of the foxy trio. Skinny Tail, Fat Tail and Pretty became regular visitors.
Winter came along and new little Foxy appeared in my life. He was a young juvenile and I first spotted him sitting on my balcony in the snow. Then I saw him again in the back garden, and after a while it became obvious that he belonged to Pretty. He was her boy.
He was always with her when dinner was up, and if he didn't get his share from Mum, he'd sit on the back step as if to say 'Look, she's left none for me!'
One day, Foxy visited on his own, and after a while it seemed that Pretty had bequeathed my garden to Her Boy. From being a small needy boy, Foxy grew into a very handsome young man.
He loved digging holes in the flower beds. Each morning a new hole appeared. I replied by placing an upturned flower pot over the hole, and eventually Foxy Boy got the message – no more holes appeared. He visited every day, sometimes several times in one day.
Then a huge moment happened. We made eye contact and we both held it for some time. We had bonded.
Foxy visited for five years. He enjoyed sunbathing on my shed and in warm soft patches of earth. As he entered middle to old age he became 'Old Boy' and was probably a Dad a few times over.
He would have been about 3 years old when he introduced his latest family – Big Ears, Little Girl and Little Boy (later known as Little Mum due to mistaken identity). Mum came along as well, but she was very shy and always wary. I named her Old Mum.
These were magical times. Big Ears was very cheeky and would 'borrow' things such as gardening gloves and slippers. Little Girl was shy and gentle, and Little Boy, aka Little Mum. was just naughty.
As these youngsters grew they began to visit independently of Old Boy. One day Big Ears and Old Boy had a huge fight over who got to sit under a tree which was Old Boy's favourite spot. Old Boy won, probably telling Big Ears it was time he got his own place. That was the last I saw of Big Ears.
Meanwhile, Little Boy, now definitely known as Little Mum, had her own litter and would frantically tap on the back door, asking for extra food to take back to her cubs. I don't think Little Girl became a Mum. Perhaps she helped Little Mum with her cubs because they were often together.
In March 2012 Old Boy said his last goodbye to me. He held my gaze for a long, long time, disappeared under the fence, and I never saw him again.
I missed him so much and I often wonder where he went. He was probably about six years old by then, very old for an urban fox. I had always hoped he would spend his last days in my garden where I could care for him, but being a wild boy he had other ideas.
Although Old Boy knew me, being a wild boy at heart he would never come too close. If I accidentally surprised him in the garden, he would be off. He needed to see me first, and I had to be in the usual place!
I never tried to coax him to come closer, or to feed him by hand. His wild instincts kept him safe. He trusted me, but only on his terms, and that is how it should be.
Old Mum stayed with me for a few months after Old Boy's exit, as did Little Mum and Little Girl, but I saw them less and less, and then not at all. That's the trouble with wildlife. You love them and then they break your heart.
However, another little foxy had been visiting, drifting in and out and on the fringes, and this one really was in need of some help.
Organisations to contact for advice or help for foxes: The Fox Project https://foxproject.org.uk , Greenwich Wildlife Network https://www.greenwichwildlifenetwork.org
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