Do Servals Make Good Pets?

There was a point in my life where I would have answered this question with a resounding "YES, Servals make great pets!" I write this article knowing that there are a few select people who will whole-heartedly disagree with what I am about to share with you. That being said, it must be written and if I can stop one family from the heartbreak or one Serval from suffering the anxiety of losing it's home, then my time has been well spent.

A little history...

In 1996, my then partner and I purchased an entire cattery that consisted of Servals, caracals, Fishing Cats, Jungle Cats and Leopard Cats (what were we thinking?). Nothing like jumping in feet first eh? Well what a frenzy I was in. I had no idea what I was doing and I really believed that these cats or at least some of them, would make wonderful pets. I fell in love with my first 2 Serval babies after waking every 2 hours for weeks on end to bottle feed them. To be honest, I fell in love with every bottled Serval that I ever spent time with. However, as time went on, I began to realize just how much time these cats truly required. I also discovered just how naturally destructive they could be. Now this is not because they were raised without training or raised without love and attention - no, they are just a VERY large animal with A LOT of energy to expend each day.

While we were fortunate enough to be able to care and provide for these enchanting felines, we soon discovered that Servals are definitely not for everyone. Sometimes they use their litter box but most of the time they do not. Some of the time they 'obey' their "rules" but most of the time they do not. You see, they can be very unpredictable and obnoxious because regardless of being hand-raised, they are not a domestic cat!!! Their life span can be up to 20 years, a commitment far beyond what most people can offer (anyone who has been around for 30 + years can tell you that life DOES change and you cannot predict what the next 20 years holds out for you).

My best description of having a Serval in your home is like having an extremely shy, hyper-active 2 year old with 4 legs, no manners and poor potty habits for the next 20 years. You also cannot simply leave your Serval at a boarding kennel while you and your loved ones jet off to Mexico for a couple weeks. Servals form such a tremendous bond with their "person" and your absence would be terrifying to them. There are also numerous laws and bylaws regarding the private ownership of non-domestic felines in many states, provinces and singular communities. These bylaws are popping up so fast and are making exotic feline ownership nearly impossible unless you have a zoological license. They are also unpredicatble enough that they should not be around small children or small pets (the Servals used in our Savannah program are kept in a separate facility with no contact with children at all).

Private ownership of a Serval is a bona fide lifetime commitment.  They require a highly specialized diet, especially during their fast growing "child-hood". Specialized veterinary services are also required and there are few veterinarians able and willing to care for such a specialized cat.

This lifestyle change is one that I would say 99.9% of the population cannot possibly commit to. My own personal experience is proof here. At one time I thought these magnificent cats were wonderful pets and it is my deep love and protective nature for them that gave me an epiphony many years ago. That epiphony, or "lightbulb" moment was that it was unfair to continue to breed these wonderful creatures just to subject them into a pet environment that most likely would fail longterm.

My husband and I have instead chosen to support many rescued and retired exotic cats that would otherwise have been euthanized or sent back into a breeding situation. I do not support the breeding of Servals as pets at all. It saddens me to know that people continue to say "oh Servals make great pets'. I know of one Serval (not one of my babies but I was in contact with the breeder who raised her) that had an extreme calcium deficiency when she was a kitten, had severe emotional issues as an adult as well as many skin allergies that was sold and re-sold and is still being bred after all these years (she is 8-ish now). So the new breeder thinks she can change the cat's name and maybe make a few bucks and obviously cares nothing for the poor cat that should never have been bred in the first place. These are the situations we hear about all the time and this is why I have chosen to sit down and write more on the subject. A popular point of view? Probably not but again, well worth the time in writing down my thoughts.

There are options for you if you really want to experience the joys of an active and exotic cat. Both the Bengal & Savannah Cat breeds offer the look of those gorgeous wildcats but with the domestic temperament that are suitable for families.

Stina