Family gobsmacked after walking into bathroom to find fox cub hiding in bathtub

An Edinburgh resident "got a bit of a shock" after coming across the surprise guest inside their upstairs bathroom, said animal rescue officers, who released the cub back into the wild

A family were left gobsmacked after discovering a baby fox in the bathtub of their Edinburgh home.

Wildlife protection workers managed to rescue the lost cub, which is believed to have found its way upstairs after sneaking in through an open door. They released it back into the wild after being called to the property on Tuesday afternoon.

Catherine Atterton, an animal rescue officer for the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), said the family were quite surprised after coming across the surprise guest. Although it was a bit timid, the animal was unharmed.

She said: "The resident of the house got a bit of a shock when they discovered the fox cub in the bath! They think the animal must have sneaked in through an open door at some point during the day but wasn’t sure when.

"Thankfully the cub was unhurt, just a bit frightened. We were able to release the cub back into the wild straight away in the vicinity of the fox den we think they came from."

It's not the first time a fox has spotted an open door and made itself at home. In November last year, a surprised mum woke up to find her kitchen trashed and a fox sleeping on top of her countertop in Canvey Island, Essex.

Resident Emma Slade had let her dog into the garden in the early hours, and heard banging throughout the night which she thought was her daughter getting in from a night out. Emma said at the time: "There was no real damage but all the washing was on the floor, bins on the floor and a lot of poo!

"There were flowers all over the sofa. I'm not the biggest fan of foxes as the night I moved in my rabbit was eaten by a fox, so maybe it's the same one."

Last October, a confident fox "made itself way too comfortable" on a woman's bed in her London home. A video was later posted to TikTok, showing the animal barely moving or flinched as it lay on the bed.

The user, Holly, said the experience was "scary" as the "bold" fox had snuck into her home as she let her cat out. She wrote: "She was v cute but the whole thing was so scary!!! She snuck in the back door which was open for 5 mins to let the cat out… so bold."

And in May 2021, Natasha Prayag was stunned to find a fox stuck inside her washing machine at her house in the capital, after leaving the door open to grab some bags from the car. She said at the time: "The initial reaction was shock and alarm, which turned into curiosity."

She added: "We tried to coax him out first by whistling, then banging around a bit but he held steady. I eventually got some food from the fridge - my little one's pea pasta - put in a Tupperware box and placed it outside to lure him out."

The SSCPCA advises anyone who finds an animal in distress, or who is concerned about an animal, to call their helpline on 03000 999 999. Advice on foxes can also be found on the charity's website.

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