Here's why:
* Family: Red foxes belong to the Canidae family, which includes dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals. Cats belong to the Felidae family.
* Physical characteristics: Red foxes share many physical traits with dogs, such as a long snout, erect ears, and a bushy tail.
* Social structure: Red foxes are typically solitary, but they do form family groups (like wolves and dogs), which is less common in cats.
* Communication: Red foxes communicate with barks, howls, and other sounds similar to dogs. Cats communicate with meows, purrs, and hisses.
However, red foxes also exhibit some cat-like behaviors:
* Predatory instincts: They are skilled hunters and stalk their prey, like cats.
* Agility: They are incredibly agile and can climb trees, which is similar to cats.
* Nocturnal behavior: They are mostly active at night, like many cats.
While there are some similarities to both dogs and cats, red foxes are more closely related to dogs in terms of their evolutionary lineage and many of their behavioral traits.