In Minecraft, how do you tame a fox?

 

image via Mojang

Minecraft has dominated the gaming landscape as the best-selling video game of all time and a pop culture sensation ten years after its official launch.

Players have constructed everything from the Eiffel Tower to Hogwarts and even the entire Middle Earth – but the game is far more than just mining and crafting, considering its name.

Mobs, or mobile living entities, inhabit the blocky biomes, and while some are aggressive, many, like the mysterious and cute Minecraft Fox, can be interacted with and even tamed.

Here's how to tame your own fox, which is a little more difficult than taming most of Minecraft's mobs.

In Minecraft, where do foxes spawn?

Naturally, mobs spawn in different biomes, with foxes spawning in the Taiga biomes. Standard, snowy, and giant tree Taigas are the three types of cold forest biomes, with red foxes spawning in the normal Taigas and white foxes spawning in the snowy Taigas.

Foxes spawn in groups of two to four here, and there's even a 5% chance of seeing a cute baby fox! However, since foxes are nocturnal creatures that only mate at night, make sure you're prepared to protect yourself. They're also extremely wary, so sneak around them and carry plenty of sweet berries, which are their favourite snack.

In Minecraft, how do you tame a fox?

image via Mojang

Wild foxes can't be tamed; instead, you'll have to persuade them to breed like Pokémon. Giving a fox a sweet berry and then another sweet berry to the fox you want it to mate with is one way to accomplish this. The foxes will create a brand new fox who will be loyal to you after being given time to do their business. If you cross a red and a white fox, you'll get a 50/50 chance of having either colour – no wild colour combinations, though.

The fox cub, on the other hand, may continue to follow its fox mates, so you'll have to split them if you want the new fox to just follow you. Simply tie a lead to your new pet and walk it away from the other foxes, and the mammal mob will be fully devoted to you in no time.

Leads can be made with four string and one slimeball, and they can also be found in the wild in jungle temples, desert pyramid chests, and dungeons, as well as from drops, cobweb breaking, fishing, bartering, and cat gifts.

Tame foxes are fiercely loyal and will even protect you against other mobs if they threaten. They have been known to flee as the sun rises, so you might want to encircle them with a fence just in case.