In reply to P Barnes (Letters, July 3), who seems to have misunderstood my letter questioning cat deaths and foxes, firstly, yes I do love foxes and believe they are totally misunderstood by some of the general public.

When I sympathised with the owners of the pet cat, and did so because I know just how much a family pet is missed when it dies.

I doubted the cause of the death because no fox was seen killing the cat; my point being that, although there were foxes in the area, this does not mean a fox was responsible for the death.

Too often the fox is immediately blamed for such things.

P Barnes says foxes kill for the sake of it and not just to eat. This is totally wrong.

Foxes kill to eat, like all wild animals. When a fox breaks into a pen and kills chickens, leaving them or only taking one, this is either because of disturbance and the fox has to run off or because the fox takes one. Unlike cats, foxes don’t kill for amusement.

Foxes have a part to play – as rats have increased because of flooded sewers and mild winters, we should be glad foxes are around as a rat predator.

Let us start focusing on real problems such as sheep worrying, air rifle killings and herring gull cruelty. Give the fox a break.

Gloria Wheatcroft, The Drive, Hove