The Serval is one of the most "exotic looking" of the smaller cats.  The legs are long and the head is small in proportion to the rest of it's body.  And they have large rounded ears.  The coat is an orange /brown with black spots. The mature Serval can weigh up to 40 pounds.  The length of the head and body is 28 to 38 inches, tail is 14 to 18 inches.  The average life span is 20 years.  The best way to describe a Serval is it looks like a small Cheetah with large ears. 

Photo at right is one of our males, "Taz". 

  The Serval comes from Africa.  Their habitat is the open savanna, common in wetlands and on the shores of lakes.  In the tall savanna grasses the Serval has the advantage of being able to leap high into the air and come straight down on top of it's prey, which would consist of rodents, lizards, birds, frogs, and bugs.  They can leap up to 10 feet high.  The Serval is a carnivore (meat eater).  In captivity Servals eat a variety of foods such as, raw meat, a special canned feline food called Zupreem, a dry wild feline food called Mazuri.  We prefer to feed whole, (bone and all) raw meat with a vitamin, mineral supplement such as Oasis or Mazuri.

Breeding:  The  Serval reaches sexual maturity around 18 to 24 months.  After a gestation period of about 75 days, the female gives birth to 2 to 5 kittens.  In captivity the kittens are pulled from the mother anywhere from 4 days to 2 weeks.  They are then bottle fed and hand raised to start the bonding of cat to humans.

Sounds Servals make:    When "talking" they make a sound like "now" but they tend to hiss more than the cute little "nows".  They also growl when upset, and purr.  We have had the pleasure of having some that make sounds very similar to words, for instance, one male we had that when he did something bad we would say NO NO, he in turn would kind of grumble a no no sound.  We had a female who, at feeding time grumbled a yum-yum sound. 

Photo at left is one of our females, "Miss Kitty"

Servals can make wonderful pets for the right person, when raised from babies.  They can be trained to use a litter box  when started young.  When raised together, they get along well with other household pets.  Ours were raised in the house with our 3 dogs, the smallest being a miniature poodle that weighs 3 pounds.  And they still remember who the boss is!  It's really funny to see these big cats run from something so small.  We try to socialize all babies with other animals we have, we believe it helps if they go to a new home with existing pets.

If you choose to de-claw your kitten, we recommend waiting until they are 12 weeks old.   We also recommend spay or neutering before 6 months of age.  It is best to do this before they reach maturity as both sexes spray.

 Photo at right is one of our girls, "Mutt"

  Below is another male "Oscar"

F.A.Q.s

Q.  Do Servals make good pets?

A. Servals can make wonderful pets for the right person. 

Q. DO Servals require a special diet?

A. Yes, Servals should be fed either a canned food made specifically for exotic felines called "Zupreem", a dry food made for exotics felines "Mazuri exotic small feline diet", or raw meat with vitamin supplement like Oasis or Mazuri.  Servals should not be fed regular cat food.

Q.  Can Servals be litter box trained?

A.  Yes, if started young.  Some of our Servals have been better than a domestic cat.  But keep in mind all cats are different and some are better at using the litter box than others.

Q.  Can Servals be trained to walk on a leash?

A.  Yes, if started young they can behave quite well on a leash.  But keep in mind they can leap 10 feet from a still position.  Might be a good idea to use a retractable leash.

To learn more about Servals check out these free discussion groups:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/serval

BEFORE you buy an exotic animal: check your city, county, and state laws to find out if the animal you want is legal where you live, or if you will need a special permit or license.  Talk to your veterinarian to see if they treat exotics, if not find one that does. 

NOTICE:  For exotic animals you MUST check your State, City, and County laws.  If you place a deposit on an animal and we find it is illegal for you to own, your deposit will not be refunded.  So Please check your laws before you pay for or place a deposit on an animal.