Servals as Pets

African Servals are majestic and unique lesser, or smaller cats that have been kept as pets and companions for thousands of years. They are great mousers and were used to protect the grains from rodents. Servals were also kept by the Egyptians to protect their homes from the evils of the night while they slept, until the Sun God ‘Ra’ arose.

Servals are extremely affectionate and fiercely loyal, perhaps more so even than dogs. They purr loudly and will often give head-butts to display their fondness for their humans. If they were bottle-fed and hand-raised from birth, African Servals will get along with most other household pets and children as long as they are introduced properly. They are trainable and can be taught to walk with a sturdy harness and leash and can also learn to play fetch! Servals will use a litter box as would a regular house cat, but they are more likely to spray once they reach maturity if they are not spayed or neutered at a young age. They like to play in the water and will have a grand time in your bathtub or a baby pool, especially if it contains something they can catch such as minnows.

The Serval’s animated and often-silly personalities can get them into trouble! They can appear like a curious and energetic cat (multiplied by 10!) with a size significant enough to do damage. If you are a person that values your possessions greatly and has numerous breakable items, the Serval may not be the ideal pet for your home. Even though they mean no harm, they can do a great deal of damage to a Royal Daulton collection! It is recommended when considering a Serval for a pet that you have the ways and means to build a substantial and escape proof outdoor enclosure. This will allow them more exercise and stimulation which will be better for their overall health. The recommended diet for Servals is a well-debated topic but it should be known that there are available commercial foods that are specifically formulated for them. African Servals should be vaccinated according to the region in which they will reside, and with your vet’s informed recommendations.

Servals generally bond very strongly with their families but can be extremely shy and often times become quite ‘stressed out’ around strangers. When contemplating a Serval for a pet, this needs to be taken seriously into consideration as they can require up to 25 years of extreme dedication and care. Re-homing a Serval can be a very difficult task on account of their fear of unknown people. Often times they will never trust anyone other than their original owners. Prior to considering a Serval you would need to make sure that it is legal to own one in your area, as there are several places with by-laws in place forbidding the possession of them.

African Servals are intelligent, adoring, spectacular looking companions for the correct pet owner but they are definitely not recommended for everyone. It is suggested that you do all of the research that you can, before deciding whether or not you should let yourself be owned by one of these magnificent cats.