Many different mobs have been added to Minecraft over the years, and foxes are one of the latest. Known scientifically as Vulpes Vulpes, these animals stand out from other Minecraft entities due to their nocturnal behavior: they sleep during the day and are active at night.
Foxes are also unique thanks to their high jumping pounce to damage their foes and their ability to pick up any dropped item and carry it in their maw. Players may see use in these unique attributes and might want to tame a fox or two as a pet. However, their taming process is a bit more complicated than other Minecraft mobs. This guide will provide instructions on how to successfully tame a Minecraft fox, and how they can be useful as a companion.
Fox Taming in Minecraft
The first step to tame a fox is to journey to their habitat, the Taiga biomes, and their variants. Those that have extensively explored their Minecraft world may have already found one, but those that haven’t will have to trek out in search of one. Once there, players will need to breed two foxes using a sweet berry, also found in the Taiga, like one would with other mobs in the game. Only fox offspring can be tamed, so this step is necessary for those looking for this forest friend. However, there are a few obstacles in the way that makes breeding foxes more difficult than other animals in the game: They run away when players approach them. Crouching while preventing them from fleeing, so always do so when in their vicinity. As breeding foxes obviously requires two, players will need to find ways to bring them together. One such way is by throwing sweet berries, or other food, in front of them. They’ll run to collect them, which players can take advantage of to bring two of them together after walling them in with blocks. Players can also use a lead, crafted using string and a slime ball, as an alternative should they have any.
Domesticated foxes are useful as allies in combat. They will attack any hostile mob that threatens the player with their speed and impressive jumps, making them reliable partners that set them apart from wolves. However, tamed foxes don’t follow the player like other pets. This means that owners will need to bring their fox along with a lead, and then tie the lead to trees or other objects to prevent the fox from running away. Or, unleash them in areas where there aren’t known hazards like lava pits or treacherous ravines. Doing so will allow players to go about their business, whether that be chopping trees for timber or mining ore for metal, while their fox friend defends them. Of course, this can only occur at night due to their nocturnal nature. Nighttime has historically been a dangerous part of Minecraft due to all the monsters, but tamed foxes can help alleviate that worry. Also, their instinct to hunt down prey like rabbits and certain fish means that the player doesn’t have to.
There are a couple of important details fox owners should note that can make their lives easier. Wolves are the natural predators of foxes and will attack them when within their range. Those that have a large pack of wolves at their command should consider housing their fox somewhere else so there won’t be a fight. Foxes themselves will even hunt chickens, jumping over fences to do so. Plan out a location to house them that won’t cause any chaos, and this friend will serve an adventurer well.
Minecraft is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices.