Foxes stealing shoes and attacking pets in Surrey Hills, Mont Albert

Cunning foxes are making themselves at home in Melbourne’s suburbs, crashing personal training sessions, stealing shoes and even becoming friends with people’s pets. And sightings are expected to increase even more in the coming weeks.

Foxes are causing trouble in Whitehorse.

Foxes are causing mischief and mayhem in Whitehorse, stealing possessions and terrorising pets and possums.

The furry pests have been on the prowl in Surrey Hills, Mont Albert and Box Hill in recent weeks, where residents have been reporting seeing the typically nocturnal animals around the streets at all times of the day.

Many have taken to Facebook to share their fox encounters, shocked by the number of sightings and the cheek of the animals.

Several people have reported having items — particularly shoes — stolen by the cunning mammals.

Warwick Halford took this photo outside his window in Surrey Hills.

MORE: ‘NEW CHINATOWN’ DEVELOPER’S GRAND DREAM IN LIMBO

MEET THE MITCHAM COUPLE FEEDING THE COMMUNITY

DANGER AS OFF-LEAD DOGS FORCE KANGAROOS FROM PARK

Two women said they were at an early morning personal training session in a park when a fox ran up and nicked a boxing glove.

Surrey Hills’ Sarah Hudson said her family had lost at least six shoes to foxes in the past 18 months, including her husband’s “heavy, steel-capped boot”.

She said she frequently saw foxes running up her driveway and found thongs chewed up and discarded around the garden.

“They always steal just one shoe, then come back for more,” Ms Hudson said.

A playful fox has befriended Erin Wantene’s cat.

Ms Wantene said she woke about 4am two months ago to noises in her living room.

She thought she might have been broken into, but instead found her cat darting around playing chase with a fox at the window.

People have been having shoes left by their doors stolen by the furry pests.

“They were doing the paw-to-paw thing through the glass,” Ms Wantene said.

The Surrey Hills resident said the fox had now become a regular early morning visitor and playmate for her cat.

Several others reported having foxes peer into their windows and take their shoes from by their doors.

But not all accounts have been as amusing.

A Surrey Hills family lost both their nine-year-old rabbits last week after foxes dug under their cage, gnawed through the wood and managed to get the latches and the door off.

Families have also been losing chooks, and many people have found the remains of slaughtered possums in their gardens.

Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc director Carla Penn said she wasn’t surprised to hear about the foxes’ cheeky behaviour.

She said they were “very playful”, “cunning” animals.

Ms Penn said residents had to be vigilant and “really good at making things fox-proof”.

“They’re very smart,” she said. “They’ll think about it.”

Ms Penn said she didn’t think the fox population had significantly increased, but said the animals would be starting to come out and eat more now ahead of breeding season.

She said the warmer weather could be bringing them out earlier than usual, with breeding season typically occurring at the end of winter and beginning of spring.

Whitehorse Council general manager infrastructure Nigel Brown said the council employed fox control methods “such as fumigating fox dens on council-managed parkland”.