Hope this is an OK forum for this.
My urban garden cams caught a badger and a fox, on different nights, visiting my garden. I decided to put out some hard badger/fox food purchased on line and placed bowls well away from the house. This is like dry cat food so unlikely to attract rats
I now have visits every night from foxes (sometimes 2 at once) and the badgers most nights. One night, there were 3 badgers together. The bowls empty at least every couple of nights and I tend to properly wash them about every 3 days.
I have 2 questions.
1. Is it OK to feed these animals? I live in a city, about 2 miles from the city centre and the only livestock around are household pets. The badgers/foxes were visiting anyway but just not as often and not the numbers. I am also at the end of their downhill garden run as my garden is surrounded on 2 sides by 10ft walls. The foxes have to take to the street to continue foraging. The badgers only go back where they came.
2. I know of the possible risks of TB to cattle caused by badgers. Is there any risk to pets in encouraging badgers or, more significantly, foxes eating from the same food bowl?