Why can't you have a red fox?

Answer 1

Depending on where you live, it may be illegal. It is illegal in many places to keep wildlife as pets (in the US, you might be allowed to nurse an injured animal back to health with the ultimate goal of reintroducing it back into the wild... contact your local wildlife department for details).

Aside from that, red foxes are by nature wild animals and not particularly suitable as pets.

There's an institute in Russia that has been breeding foxes... grey foxes, I believe, though I may be misremembering... for several decades in an effort to understand the genetics of domestication. Their most "domesticated" foxes are affectionate towards humans and act much like dogs; they're trying to secure permission to sell some of them as exotic pets. If you'd like to know more about this, there was a recent article in National Geographic about it.

Answer 2

Some jurisdictions allow foxes as pets, others do not. Check with local authorities.

Answer 3

I have one at home