Watch: Fox Strolls Past New Rochelle Neighbor's Home

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A usually shy red fox took an overnight stroll past a New Rochelle resident's doorbell camera this week. Video on the Neighbors app shows the small carnivore slink by the entrance walkway then dart across the street and disappear into the night.

The video was taken around 3 a.m. Christmas morning.

While foxes can carry rabies, they typically avoid humans, though the allure of a tasty snack — such as pet food and unsecured garbage — can lead to a brief visit.

Foxes are typically active during the late night and early morning hours. Some pet-owners may feel uneasy about foxes, but animal experts say they're usually best left to their own devices. Unless they're rabid — which is very rare — or captured, foxes are not considered dangerous to humans. That being said, foxes can prey on small pets or livestock, such as rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens, the Humane Society said on its website. That means pets should be kept indoors or housed in sturdy structures.

A typical adult cat is nearly the same size as a fox and has a "well-deserved reputation for self-defense," the organization said. As such, foxes typically leave full-grown felines alone, unless they're kittens or under five pounds.

Most dogs are not at risk of a fox attack unless they have threatened its kits. Miniature dogs are "especially vulnerable to harm" from predators, though, including foxes.

Ring, the owner of the Neighbors app, is a Patch advertiser. Patch received no compensation for this article.