Serval pelt has a certain value. The original dark stains and lines on the yellowish background of the animal's fur, the black spots of various shapes and sizes chaotically located on the cat's body give it a magnificent look. The western part of the continent, due to its dense population, became an incredibly dangerous territory for the serval, where hunters await him, mercilessly killing for exotic fur.
It is worth noting that of the 14 species, the most interesting representatives of the breed are absolutely domesticated, since only thanks to the hard work of the breeders the white-colored individuals with silvery inclusions on the skin in the form of spots were revealed to the world. Nevertheless, in the circles of specialists, it is precisely the primordial beauty of the breed that determines the purity of the species and its "naturalness".
Finally
If, after weighing all the pros and cons, you decided to abandon the idea of having a serval as a pet, you can admire the representatives of this wonderful breed by visiting a local zoo or sitting comfortably on your favorite chair and watching a documentary about the life of servals in wild natural conditions. Fascinating views!
Native areas and origin of the Serval breed
For the first time the world heard about this living creation of nature from the scientist Schreber in 1776. For about 80 years, several other subspecies of servals were discovered, and in 1858 the official scientific classification was already recognized, which said that this cute kitten, also called shrubby cat, belongs to the mammalian, predatory, family of cats and the same kind and type of servals.
In order to go to visit this amazing living creature will have to travel a little. The area of natural distribution of this predatory feline is quite extensive, this eccentric lives almost the entire territory of the African continent. The only exceptions are the lands of the Sahara desert, the woodlands of the equatorial zone and the Cape Province. Small serval populations are observed in countries such as Morocco and Algeria.
Serval behavior in open nature
As their permanent habitat, bush kittens choose more or less open spaces, around which there are a large number of bush thickets and grassy vegetation. For these cute little animals, the main thing is that near the territory occupied by them there is a permanent source of water, they are excellent swimmers by nature, which not so many cats can boast. But the desert locations, plains with a dry climate and wooded areas with high humidity these animals try to avoid, if they settle in the wet forests, it is only on the edges of the latter.
The main peak of activity of these graceful animals falls in the evening and earlier in the morning. Servals mainly hunt hares, various rodents, damans, small antelopes, flamingos, guinea fowls and many other birds. If the predators manage to hunt down some kind of lizard, then they also will not refuse to have dinner with it.
Mother Nature has awarded these amazing representatives of the world fauna with all those qualities that are necessary for experienced and professional hunters. Very large ears are given to them by nature not as a decoration, but thanks to them these little animals perfectly hear even the smallest rustles, which helps them to find even a strongly hidden prey. Long limbs provide servals easy passage even through the highest grass savannahs. The unique photoreceptors of the visual organs make it possible for these avid hunters not only to see their prey and the terrain around them, but also make it possible to distinguish color, shape, and even capture movements at one time.
In spite of all the power and length of its limbs, the shrubby kitty cannot run for a long time, catching up with its future dinner. Usually they use wait-and-see tactics, namely, servals watch the territory around for a long time, and as soon as some animal comes into their field of vision, without hesitating for a second, they pounce on it with a big, strong jump, and they know how to jump very well. In height, this predator can jump over 3 meters, so it can easily grab a few birds that are just prepared for takeoff.
If the thought occurred to him that he could afford to eat some rodent, he would not wait for him for a long time, usually this predatory kitten, without any special remorse of conscience, simply tears off their burrows and takes out his lively dinner from there. Servals also climb trees very well, so if they caught sight of, for example, a woody daman, then he would not be able to escape at a height from a predator.
Shrubby cats are creatures that do not need large companies, for this reason most of their lives live in proud and independent solitude. In the event that some of their kinsmen accidentally hit their territory, then there will be no fights and bloodshed between them. From their natural enemies, these little animals are saved in the most reliable way - by swift flight, while their savvy works perfectly and these cunning people never run away in the same direction. Most often, they simply confuse their pursuer with their sharp and unexpected turns or sudden jumps.
Serval cat genus
If we talk about the mating season in these representatives of the feline family, then there are no exact periods and dates, usually in each individual area, this time falls on different seasons. During the height of the sexual activity of the servals, the male and the female are obliged to spend some time together, they hunt together, eat and even have a rest, and after that the female serval can allow the male representative to fertilize her.
The duration of the period of carrying babies at servals lasts approximately 60-75 days. At the end of this period, about 2-3 small kittens are born. Before the female feels that the birth is already approaching, she begins to look for a suitable place for this, as long as it is safe and warm. Most often, such burrowing “maternity homes” are old burrows or cozy nests in the midst of dense grass vegetation.
Newborn babies feed on breast milk for about 6–7 months, and when they turn one year old, they already leave the mother’s nest and go to their adult and independent lives. They are already feeding themselves and are searching for their personal territory. Such kittens reach sexual maturity at the age of about 1.5–2 years.
Description of the appearance of the predatory serval
The body of an animal is, one can say, one of the standards of beauty and elegance. The body of such a mammal is slim, with a well-developed system of muscles and long beautiful limbs. The average length of the body of an adult serval varies from 85 to 140 cm, the height at the withers is approximately 40 to 70 cm. The body weight of this muscular handsome varies from 8 to 20 kg. The length of the caudal process is relatively short - about 30–40 cm.
The head of a shrubby cat is neat and tiny, on it one cannot but notice the large auditory organs.
The entire surface of the body of this representative of the world fauna is wrapped up in a rather thick, but relatively short hair. And although according to the morphological structure of the body, the serval most resembles a lynx or a caracal, but with regard to body coloring, it can be said that its closest relative is none other than a cheetah.
The basic color of the fur coat of a shrubby cat is greyish-yellow, and against this background, irregularly shaped spots and stripes, which are colored in a darker color scheme, immediately catch the eye. The projection of the chest, abdomen and directly the front of the head is presented in white or slightly beige. The ears on the outside are also quite interesting and originally painted in a black tone, against which yellowish-white specks or transverse stripes are painted.
According to some sources, servals live in different geographic locations, the color of which varies greatly, there are several melanist servals in nature, most of these unique animals live in Kenya, namely in its mountainous regions. There are also bush cats, painted in a white color scheme, against the background of which spots and lines of grayish-silver color are drawn, but such original specimens are found only in conditions of zoos and nature reserves.
Serval content, home care
Living under the same roof with such a miracle of nature as Serval is truly a pleasure. In the event that you have purchased a small bush kitten, there is no special need to equip a cage or an aviary for it, since in its behavior it is not much different from an ordinary kitten and will feel quite comfortable in an apartment. Only such an extraordinary pet will have to be raised from early childhood, this is necessary so that when your pupil grows up, he still perceives you as his best friend.
By nature, servals are creatures endowed with remarkable intelligence and it is not difficult for him to explain the most important nuances of living in an apartment. To begin with, you should teach your exotic pet to defend the need in the same place, as such a perfect cat toilet with a filler. These little animals are very clean, so you will not see much resistance with this training, the only thing is that it will not always bury its excrement, as cats do, but you will have to get used to it. In addition, servals also have a tendency to constantly mark their territory, so in order to avoid unpleasant smells in the apartment it will be better to castrate or sterilize this animal.
In order for your new comrade, born in the wild, to honor you with his friend and family member, it is important to give him as much attention as possible from early childhood - feed him from your arms and play with him when you have free time and As a result, you will receive a reliable, sweet and funny buddy who will await your return from work every day with great impatience. When you start playing with this little kitten, it's good to do it on the floor so that your eyes are on par with it, so the animal will not feel defeated or less strong. As soon as such a kind of pet has appeared in your house, present him several toys with which he can play, both alone and with you.
Do not try to offer your hands or feet as bait for your kitten. Since he will quickly get used to this and will perceive your limbs as his personal toys and if at first it will be nothing, then when your boyfriend grows up abrasions and scratches you cannot avoid. He also needs toys to ensure that important things for you are safe and sound. The thing is that this fluffy loves to chew everything and if he doesn’t have anything like that under his arm, be sure that your books, clothes and even wires from various electrical appliances will come into play, and this is not only your losses , but also deadly for the shrubby cat. If the serval has already turned its attention to some object in your house, then you can spray it with apple spray, the smell of which disgusts the cats, and he will no longer stick his curious nose there. Such repellents are sold at any pet store.
The bush cat can also climb onto the dining table, scratch furniture and wallpaper and create many more different things, but so that she does not allow herself, in no case can you raise your voice, and even more so use force. Otherwise, you will not only lose your pet's trust forever, but also risk provoking anger and aggression on his part. The best weapon against Serval's bad manners is, strange as it may sound, a simple water spray. In case of bad behavior, just sprinkle some water on your pet and explain to him that it is impossible to do this, soon he will hear this word and act as you tell him. In general, servals are very smart, and if you make the same remark to him several times, then he will independently understand exactly where he is doing wrong.
Also, this friend can be taught from childhood to the collar and leash, he will happily walk with you along the street. Just never forget after such a walk to immediately release the animal from the leash, otherwise, playing with it, it can not only be injured, but also suffocated.
In the event that you already have pets in your house, this is absolutely not a problem, usually these cute predators get along very well with other animals, even become friends with them. But here, if you brought another pet into the house with the serval, then they should be introduced gradually and fairly carefully, of course there will be no aggression on your exot, but he can easily draw conclusions that you just gave him a new toy and moving. So in the course of the game, he can hurt and even kill your pet.
Do not forget that even though he lives next to you, he needs to feel that he also has his cozy nest. For this reason, it will be good to arrange for him a comfortable, soft place where he can retire and sleep or just lie down.
The diet of such a kind of pet should consist mostly of meat, preferably with bones. It is good to offer your kitten low-fat varieties, such as poultry or beef. The average daily lunch weight of a homemade serval should be between 600 and 1300 grams, depending on the age of the animal.
Watch your friend's health carefully, just like an ordinary cat of this crank should be vaccinated, and during the period of active growth of an animal he can often get injured limbs, jumping even from a slightly higher height, so it’s best to limit your pet’s ability to conquer the tops of your home.
Purchase and price serval
It is possible to purchase an animal such as a bush cat on the territory of our country, just making such a purchase, make sure that you buy a small animal raised in captivity. The average cost of a serval kitten ranges from 300,000 to 900,000 rubles.
More about home servals in the video below:
Serval description
Serval looks like a small cheetah: slim, with long legs. His close relatives are lynx and caracal. The body length of an adult animal is 90-135 cm, weight - 8-11 kg. Some individuals weigh up to 18 kg. The breed standard is not approved, however, the characteristic features are highlighted:
- Relatively small head.
- Huge ears. Set high, rounded at the tips.
- Eyes almond-shaped, saturated green color.
- The nose is wide. The nose is flattened, black.
- Vibrissa pads are pronounced. The vibrissae themselves are long and dense.
- The tail is short, rather thick.
- Long legs (in relation to the body), back longer than the front.
Serval's coat is short, shiny, thick, pleasant to the touch. It is covered with contrasting spots, merging into stripes on the chest, back, tail, legs. The main color varies from sandy to reddish-brown. The hair on the face, belly and chest is white.
The coat color depends on the geographical area of the habitat. Forest servals are darker, spots on wool are small. The wool of steppe animals is lighter and the spots are larger. Black Servals inhabit the mountainous regions of Kenya. White individuals with silver-gray spots can be found only in captivity.
Life in the wild
The habitat of servals is the entire territory of Africa, with the exception of the Sahara, the extreme south of the continent and the forests of the equatorial zone. In Algeria and Morocco, these predators are rare. Servals prefer large areas overgrown with vegetation. As a rule, these animals live near the water.
Bush cats are most active in the evening twilight and in the early morning. This time they use for hunting. As food servals are hares, lizards, rodents, birds. Serval can catch a small antelope, gazelle, deer. These predators swim beautifully, in shallow water they catch waterfowl, frogs, fish.
Servals are considered very effective hunters, almost 60% of attacks end in capture. The predator can jump in length (from its place) to a distance of up to 3.6 m, and in height - by 3 meters. In the run, it reaches a speed of 80 km / h.
Servals are characterized by a solitary lifestyle, they avoid conflicts with their relatives. The boundaries of the territory of the male reach 45-70 km 2. The area of the habitat of the female is 3-9 km 2. Подобно другим кошачьим, сервал метит свою территорию, оставляя мочу или слюну на камнях, деревьях и других предметах.
Спаривание у сервалов может произойти в любое время года. Беременность длится 66-77 дн. Количество котят в помёте составляет от 1 до 4 котят (в среднем — 2), вес при рождении — около 250 г. Самостоятельно молодняк начинает охотиться с возраста 6 мес. When older servals are 1 year old, they leave their parents.
In terms of their character and behavior, servals are similar to dogs: they are very clever, perfectly trainable, like active games, hunting. They are distinguished by curiosity, explore and protect their territory. Bush cats adore water, in rainy weather, they tend to run out into the street.
Servals are perfectly adapted to new conditions, very friendly and sociable. They “talk” with pleasure: they make unusual sounds like birds chirping, purr loudly, hiss and meow. A tame animal usually has a good temperament, but it is better to acquire a kitten born in captivity. Such a cub socializes better and makes contact easily. It is recommended to give preference to the kitten from 1.5 to 5 months, at this age they are able to become strongly attached to the owner.
It is important that all family members communicate with the pet, so it will feel safe. You can not just leave the serval alone with the kids. In general, such pets are good for children and can become good companions for games. However, a shrubby cat can scratch a child badly if it hurts her or starts bothering her with excessive caress. Servals are afraid of unfamiliar people and try to hide from them.
Servals are characterized by stubbornness, cunning, rancor, and vindictiveness. So that these qualities do not turn the growing up kitten into an uncontrollable animal, mutual respect should be the basis of the relationship with the serval. It is impossible to beat a pet and shout at it, rather strict tone. As a punishment, a cat can be sprayed from a water pistol and it is possible to utter the word “not allowed!”.
Serval gets along well with other pets, if he grew up with them. An adult cat can hurt a little puppy or kitten while playing. Birds, reptiles, small rodents can become prey for predators.
Photos of serval
Lifespan
In the wild, servals live for about 10 years or less, animals are hunted for fur. In some parts of Africa shrub flesh meat is eaten. Another cause of extermination is attacks on poultry.
In captivity serval life is 15-20 years.
Servals are usually distinguished by good health and strong immunity. They almost do not get sick, provided proper nutrition and maintenance. Kittens have limbs very fragile, therefore it is necessary to ensure that the pet does not jump from high surfaces: at a young age the risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system is increased.
Pay attention to the nature of the chair. If diarrhea appears, be sure to consult your veterinarian. Intestinal upset can cause severe dehydration.
Servals are vaccinated in the same way as other pets. The only difference is that drugs should not contain active viruses. The animal may die from complications.
It should be noted that servals tend to mark the territory often. Their urine has a very unpleasant odor. To avoid this, pets are sterilized: females at the age of 1 year, males at 7-8 months.
Content Features
Serval must provide comfortable conditions of detention. Animals do not tolerate low temperatures, drafts. It is better to keep a serval in a private house with a spacious aviary attached to it, having free entry. Predator can additionally walk on a leash. The pet must have a place hidden from view, where he can retire to rest.
You can not keep the serval in the conditions of the apartment, the close enclosed space provokes problems with character. The pet should have enough space for movement and for games, these animals are very active, they love to jump, run and climb. Servals are very energetic, most of the free time they are in motion.
Like dogs, servals tend to nibble, so make sure your pet has a lot of toys in advance. Since shrubby cats love height, it is better to remove all objects from cabinets and windowsills.
Servals do not require special care, as they are very clean. About once a week, inspect and clean the cat's ears, as well as remove discharge from the eyes. To give a neat appearance with the same frequency, you can comb a pet with a special mitten or brush from natural bristles. Combing should be more frequent during the season.
Bathing with professional shampoos or conditioners Serval is not required. In the warm season, you can do walks to the reservoir, servals like to swim.
For a toilet buy a tray more. The filler can be chosen the same as for ordinary domestic cats. Servals are accustomed to the tray quickly, within a few days.
It is important to follow the rules of behavior with the serval, remember that this is a predator:
- Do not let the cat play with your hands or feet. It is fraught with severe injuries.
- Provide the possibility of walking.
- You can not restrict freedom of movement. If you need to catch a cat, for example, for inspection, you can not drive it into a corner. In this case, the instincts of the wild beast are turned on, and the serval will defend itself. Try not to scare him, let him calm down.
- Make sure that the children gently handle the serval, do not shout and do not chase after it.
Feeding features
The basis of the diet should be raw meat with bones. This may be beef, veal, chicken, quail. The daily allowance of meat for an adult animal is up to 0.5 kg. A kitten can buy frozen daily chickens and scroll through a meat grinder.
Serval's menu also includes offal, quail eggs. Sometimes you can give fish (tuna, salmon). Feed porridges (oatmeal, rice, buckwheat) only occasionally (with good tolerance), although they are unlikely to be liked by a predator.
As a source of fiber give vegetables, sprouts germinated cereals. These foods include in the diet with caution, given the tendency of servals to diarrhea. With poor tolerance vegetables are best not to give.
Extras need vitamins and calcium supplements. Fermented milk products, milk, pork are contraindicated in the pet.
Feed the serval at the same time. After feeding, remove leftovers. Water should be always available for the pet.
How much is?
Serval kitten is very expensive, the price sometimes amounts to 1.5 million rubles. It is cheaper to buy a hybrid derived from a purebred predator mating with a domestic cat. This breed is called "savanna", the cost of a kitten is:
- F1 hybrids: from $ 10,000,
- F2: 4,500– $ 8,000,
- F3: 2 500 - 4 500 $,
- F4: 1,500 - 2,500 $,
- F5: up to $ 1,200.
The smaller the number after F, the greater the serval's kitten:
- F1 - the offspring obtained from mating serval with a domestic cat, the genes of the wild beast are approximately 53%.
- F2 - 2nd generation, obtained from mating F1 hybrid and domestic cat. Serval genes - no more than 29%.
- F3 is the 3rd generation from mating an F2 with a domestic cat; the wild animal genes do not exceed 16%.
In F4 hybrids, the proportion of serval genes is about 10%, F5 is about 6%. For breeding most often used Bengal breed. The selection program also includes Egyptian Mau, Siamese cats.
Appearance
Serval, also called the shrubby cat, is distinguished by the pride and grace of an African predator. Its size is small compared to other African brethren, and simply gigantic, if we equate it to an ordinary domestic cat. The weight of the spotted pets varies in the range of 8-18 kg. Height - 40-65 cm, and body length can reach 130 cm.
The head is relatively small, the muzzle is not elongated, but the ears are rather large, set high, well trimmed inside. The nose and nose are wide. Eyes almond-shaped, large. Serval real top models in the cat world. Their limbs are the longest in relation to the body, while the hind legs are slightly longer than the front.
The coat is short, thick and shiny. The main color is golden brown. Lighter areas, almost white, can be seen on the stomach and face, and the main adornment of the cat is the contrasting black spots located in stripes. Color may have some differences depending on the geographic homeland. Servals from the steppe regions are distinguished by large spots and a light background, and forest cats are darker.
Serval Hybrids
In captivity, servals sometimes mate with ordinary domestic cats. On the basis of such hybrids a new breed was bred, which was named Savannah. There was also information about the appearance of hypoallergenic breed with a beautiful name Asher. Subsequently, they turned out to be the same shrouds, the price to which the fraudsters greatly exaggerated. In addition, often mating shrubby cats with steppe lynx, caracals are often successful. As a result, so-called servicals or caravals are born.
Serval in the wild
Servals are distributed almost throughout Africa, with the exception of the South of the mainland. In total, there are 14 subspecies, some of which are endangered.
In the wild, servals lodge in shrubby and grassy thickets near the water. Active mainly at twilight time, as well as at dawn. Due to the high limbs, the servals and the perfectly developed hearing servals move neatly in the tall grass, looking for prey on top of it. The tactics of hunting is similar to Caracal, Serval does not like chases, he prefers ambushes and long jumps. From a place a cat can jump 3 meters high and up to 5 meters long. Rodents Serval often have to just dig out of the holes. For tree animals climbs on the branches of trees, swims well.
Servals lead a solitary lifestyle and try to avoid all kinds of conflicts.
Breed throughout the year. During courtship, both the female and the male rest and hunt together for several days. Pregnancy lasts for 65-75 days. In litter, usually two or three kittens. Up to 5 months, the mother feeds them with milk, and at the age of about a year they leave for free bread.
Character, intellect and habits
Homemade servals, grown in nurseries, surprisingly friendly and affectionate animals, which are practically not dangerous to humans. Nevertheless, they are categorically not recommended for families with small children, who have not yet learned respect for animals.
In general, socals are sociable, playful and intelligent. They are very affectionate and gentle attitude to all family members. They prefer to sleep in beds and are rarely aggressive to strangers. Only if they have not previously had experience with other people, can they avoid contact. You could even say that in the character of the serval there is a certain timidity and cowardice. It is important for these cats to feel protected and to know that there is a safe place in the vicinity.
By nature, servals are very curious, they are happy to learn new games and explore previously unfamiliar territories. With other cats, as a rule, get along well. Cohabitation with a dog depends on the nature of the latter. Serval will not mind making friends and playing together, unless they show aggression towards him. Rodents, poultry, ferrets will remain for the cat a potential food, so you should not seduce it, and even more then scold the usual manifestation of the hunting instinct.
Serval is very smart, they quickly remember the home rules, but other than that they are easy to train and can learn a few commands. From the usual cat they are distinguished by the size and speed of reaction, except that servals are very fond of water.
Serval content at home
Serval is recommended to start only for life in a private house with an attached aviary and free entrance to it from a separate cat room. It is important that the animal has always been a place where he can hide or just retire to rest. Sometimes servals lead into apartments, but this is not the best option. Servals need to move a lot to keep fit and healthy.
Servals do not need special care, they do not have a specific smell and are very clean.
Not so long ago, they didn’t even know about the possibility of professional care for the fur, and therefore got used to follow personal hygiene themselves. True, many owners, in order to maintain a neat appearance during a seasonal molt, comb their kittens using natural bristle brushes or special mittens. Caracal can be offered to swim as fun, but they do not need to be washed with professional shampoos or conditioners. In the toilet servala go to the pot with a filler, which differs from the cat time only size.
It is also worth considering that servals with the onset of puberty begin to actively mark the territory. In this regard, the animal is not recommended for breeding castration / sterilization.
Video about the contents of the home serval:
Features of education
In raising a serval, one will have to show considerable patience, while it is important to take into account a lot of features, not to neglect the advice of breeders.
Serval kittens are very fond of chewing, in this they look like puppies. To distract the attention of the kid from valuable things will wash a lot of toys. to And electric wires and electrical appliances are recommended to be sprayed with special cat sprays from the “antigryzin” series, which are sold in ordinary pet stores. In no case can not scream and beat the cat, that she can not forgive. In addition, a clear command "can not!", Backed by water from a spray will be more effective. You can not play with your baby with your hands or feet, as he grows up he will perceive them with his toys, he may scratch, bite or attack from the “ambush”.
Accustom to the leash as early as possible. On the street, the kitten should feel absolutely safe next to the owner, this is the main key to success.
What to feed serval
It is necessary to feed the serval so that he does not even think to yearn for the African savannah. In the wild, most of the predator's diet is in rodents and birds. The smaller part consists of snakes, lizards, insects. Of course, catching grasshoppers for cats is not necessary, it is enough to make the right menu of meat (beef, veal), feeding mice, rats and poultry. As a compliment from the cook, you can offer quail eggs and offal. Be sure to enter the diet vitamin and mineral supplements. Water should always be freely available.
Servals usually have good health and good immunity. With proper maintenance and nutrition, they practically do not get sick. But before you start an unusual pet, you should make sure that in the vicinity there is a veterinarian who can provide expert help. Servals are being vaccinated with regular cat vaccines. The life span of a serval is 13–15 years, individual individuals can live to be 20 years old.
Serval kitten selection and price
The optimal age for a kitten to move to a new family is 2-3 months. During this period of life, the baby begins to get used to the smells and rules. He chooses a “favorite” among people and begins to become a full-fledged member of the family. At this age, the active upbringing of the animal begins, training for walks and so on. Podsryashenny serval will be more difficult to adapt to the new house.
It is very important to buy exotic animals from breeders, and not from dealers. The baby and his parents should have a full package of documents confirming the origin and health. But it is more important that he is accustomed to man from an early age.
If the animal was caught in the wild or raised in a closed enclosure, this can later lead to huge behavioral and domestication problems.
The cost of servals depends on many factors. Breeders set prices themselves, focusing on the average market value of 2 in the country, in Russia it is 400 thousand rubles. In some kennels, kittens can cost $ 8,500 or more. In other CIS countries, the price of a serval is usually slightly lower - 7000-7500 thousand dollars. Kittens for breeding are always more expensive than those sold as pet for castration / sterilization. The main thing when buying an exotic animal is not to run into scammers.
Useful information for the future owner of the home serval
The first thing I want to wish the future owners - Take the issue of buying a kitten very seriously. Servals live more than 15 years - this is a pet for a long time. The cost of a kitten also makes you wonder. You need to clearly understand that the serval is a very serious animal with its own character, and you will have to adapt to it, properly care for it and behave correctly in relation to it. You need to be prepared for the kitten to wake you up early in the morning with your games, Serval twilight animals, their activity drops at 5-9 in the morning, and 10-12 at night.
Kittens are taken away from cats at an early age (1.5 - 2 weeks) and fed from a bottle every two hours around the clock so that the kittens are socially adapted, not wild. With them, besides feeding, you need to constantly play, otherwise they will grow up shy. This care, as for the baby! Serval kitten, it is desirable to take no earlier than 1.5 months of age, but not later than 5 months. The younger your kitten, the faster it will become attached to you. Like many exotic animals, Servals choose one owner for life. Поэтому, если вы решитесь завести себе уже взрослого сервала, готовьтесь к тому, что он к вам так и не привыкнет.
Как и другие кошки, Сервалы метят свою территорию и делают это постоянно в независимости от пола. Запах их секрета достаточно сильный, поэтому рекомендуется кастрировать/стерилизовать котенка не позднее 7-8 месячного возраста для котов и не позднее года для кошек.
Do not confuse Serval aviary (for breeding) with the home, who grew up in constant communication with people. The nature of an adult individual after puberty changes quite a lot, not neutered / sterilized. Serval is no longer a lovely pet. Aviary servals are kept in a state of semi-ardent so that they multiply, create their family, without being distracted by games and entertainment, otherwise they will be ordinary pets. But this does not mean that they become completely wild and cannot be stroked and petted, they also approach the owner, rub, purr, but do it less willingly and less often than home Servals.
If you are ready to get yourself Serval, take the kitten very seriously. To get a sweet home miracle you need to take a socially adapted, bottle-fed, petted, tame pet. Learn all about the nursery, conditions and do not save time, do not ask to deliver the animal. It is best to come by your kitten yourself, choose, see how Servals are contained, get more first-hand information, what you need to be ready for - you get a friend for a long time. There are a lot of Serval kittens on the Internet now, and the question immediately arises - after all, you can buy for 3 and 5 thousand! Just want to warn - you can save! But there are two variants of events: First - you will no longer see either the money or the kitten. A lot of scam. Second - get a wild, most likely sick kitten, which may not live long, from some provincial zoo. At best, a healthy one will be brought, but a savage who is not likely to become a good pet, and sooner or later the question will arise - where to get rid of him! Be careful! Not many real breeders. The so-called second-hand dealers, at best, will bring you a savage "cheaper", or you can just run into scammers and lose money. Think about it when they tell you to make a deposit, and they will offer you a kitten to see in a week - it’s just yet! And in case you refuse to redeem an animal, you will not receive a deposit. They may even voice a new term - “Half-Wild”! Think about whether it makes sense to save. An animal without proper documents, even healthy, free of defects, cheap - at first glance a good acquisition. The same effect as buying a burned-down machine with interrupted numbers, sooner or later - the laws of countries that have ratified CITES can remove an animal with a fine, at best, or a real term at worst.
Is the home serval dangerous?
One of the first questions of potential owners is how dangerous it is to keep such an exotic thing at home. AT
first of all such rumors are spread by people who have never had the opportunity to really communicate with Servals at home, and the story of the Berber family often mentioned has nothing to do with these animals.
To begin with, the Servals in the wild feed on rodents, birds, small reptiles and amphibians. They are very shy and never attack prey anymore than their size, so the person for them is clearly a competitor from a different weight category, therefore Serval is absolutely not dangerous for humans. Servals in the wild are solitary and even skirmishes between them are rare. With a direct threat, even in nature, they run away and very rarely go into attack, for example, the exception may be the protection of small kittens. In case of danger, they prefer to hide or flee. They do the same thing at home, a loud sound, a stranger, an elevated voice — the maximum that Serval will do — will hiss up, pressing his ears and trying to escape. But we should not forget that this is representative of the wild nature - it can not be driven into a corner. If he feels that he has no other way out, he will defend to the last. You will not be able to keep a pet in your arms for a long time, they do not like when their freedom is restricted. Servals are very dexterous and resourceful, so if he wants to escape from him, he will not just cope. Try not to scare Serval, so that he feels completely safe next to you. Do not forget that servals, like people - each has its own character.
A separate topic in this issue is children: Servals are very afraid of “children-flayers”, children who scream or squeal very loudly, beat them, chase them, even a simple cat or dog doesn’t like it. If Serval is clamped, it can paw, scratch or bite. Therefore, it is not recommended to keep Serval in a house with children under 5 years old. Older children can already understand how not to treat a pet. Otherwise Serval will be afraid of them, and may never get rid of this fear. But if a child is raised and knows how to handle animals, this will guarantee peace in your family.
Meeting with another pet
Cards, especially those brought into the house by a small kitten, are very friendly and play with most pets, be it a cat or a dog. However, an adult Serval should be introduced to small animals with care, as he may mistake them for a toy or food. In nature, Servals feed on rodents, birds, lizards, so it is best not to keep them in the house. Serval has very strong natural instincts, he is very persistent, clever and inventive - Serval can even open the latch of doors. If a bird lives in your house - you can be sure that Serval will find a way to enjoy it.
What and how to feed the serval
In the wild, Servals feed mainly on rodents, hares, damans, and flamingos,
guinea fowls and other birds, small lizards and occasionally frogs. This should definitely be taken into account when drafting your pet's ration. Do not forget that this is a wild animal and the main food is raw meat with bones - beef or poultry, sea fish of low-fat varieties - from 0.5 to 1.3 kilograms per day. Be sure to add to food vitamins with calcium supplements, preferably special, designed for wild cats, some of the best in the world are Apperon (USA). Meat and fish are best given past frozen and thoroughly rinsed in running water to prevent various infections from entering. We strongly recommend not giving boiled meat and pork, it is simply not digestible, we also do not recommend feeding Servals with canned food, and a vegetarian diet is absolutely unacceptable. The best food for them is of course live food - birds, rabbits, mice. After the pet feasts on a lively bird, it becomes kinder and affectionate. I would like to pay special attention to such food as live quails, in the blood of which there is a significant portion of substances useful for the serval. Serval quails are eaten whole, together with a feather, which is also very useful for their health. You can add to food quail eggs, preferably with shells. Like any cat, Serval sometimes needs to be given fresh grass without fertilizers (you can buy seeds at any pet store), sometimes you can give a leaf of lettuce or cabbage.
How to teach a tray
The best way to show Serval is the right place - put him in the tray immediately after feeding. As a toilet, Serval, like an ordinary cat, uses a classic tray with a sorbent, preferably wood or ordinary wood chips. For kittens, ordinary cat litter suits; for adult Servals, it is better to use a tray measuring 60 by 100 cm. Servals are very clean animals, so you need to ensure that the toilet is always clean. Usually Servals do not bury the toilet like domestic cats and do not handle a small and large need in one place, trying to hide their excrement even under the bedding on which they sleep. To avoid this trouble, put him two trays in different places. If your kitten went to the toilet in the wrong place, you should not scold him, especially to beat and poke his muzzle in a puddle, it is enough to explain it to him with words, showing the right place. In nature, Serval has one or two places for a toilet on his territory, which is why sooner or later he will get used to the right place.
About pet's health
Servals practically do not get sick, they have very strong immunity. There are fractures of the limbs due to a lack of calcium, especially at an early age, therefore it is necessary to add specially developed vitamins and calcium to food every day until 7-8 months of age. Also, the presence of vitamin D, which helps calcium to digest. The best source of vitamin D is the sun's rays. Therefore, it is useful to walk with your pet on the street, and even better to make a small cage near the house if possible, this will allow your pet to walk in the fresh air, and take sunbaths.
Like other pets, Servals need a primary (2 months) and annual vaccination. However, you must make sure that the vaccine does not contain active viruses. Otherwise, the animal may get sick and die. It is very important! Your pet will not be able to explain to you what and where it hurts, so if you notice oddities in his behavior and movement, immediately contact a veterinarian.
Especially you should pay attention to diarrhea, it leads to dehydration and can completely dehydrate a young cat in just a couple of hours. In this case, intravenous treatment is necessary. If you notice signs of diarrhea (loose stools) more than twice in a row, you should contact your veterinarian. Diarrhea is treated quickly and easily and can sometimes be caused by a change in feed. Watch out for kittens so that they do not climb and jump from high objects, as they grow very fast and their limbs are fragile enough as they grow up. While the serval is young, in order to avoid injuries it is better to restrict his space at night, or during your absence. For example, close in a room where there are no high cabinets, jumping from which he can break something to himself. When the serval grows and is stronger, such a need will not arise. Servals, like any other cats, eat grass, so remove flowers from the house that they can poison. Remove loose-hanging wires, the kitten can gnaw or get tangled and strangled.
Social adaptation of your pet
Home Serval must be introduced to the society - this is an important condition for being in a circle of people. Constant communication with people is just necessary for him, otherwise he will constantly be frightened and hide. If you want to teach Serval to the leash and collar, you need to start from a young age. Give him time to get used to. Never leave Serval with a leash on his collar unattended, he may become entangled in it and be crippled or strangled. Bring your pet to people, and it will get used over time. If guests come to you, try not to close him alone, he may take it as a punishment. Do not forget that this pet is touchy enough. It is important that Serval pay attention to all family members whenever possible.
Why is serval one of the most expensive pleasures?
Frequently asked question - why is the kitten so expensive? Simple arithmetic - to buy and feed a pair for breeding, rebuild open-air cages, the same fillers for the toilet and constant care will cost a potential breeder in a rather round sum. It must be remembered that Servals reach sexual maturity by about 2-2.5 years, and you will see the first kittens not earlier than this period. The couple must grow together to create a family. The maintenance of one Serval costs about 350-400 dollars a month, returning to the question of your ability to maintain such a pet. During puberty the feeding of the couple is significantly different - at this time they just need live food every day. Respectively grow maintenance costs. Kittens, starting from the age of one and a half a week, are fed with special milk for puppies, which is also expensive. And do not forget about the work of breeders. Newborn kittens for almost 1.5 months need to be fed every 2 hours around the clock!
About documents
Most breeders will not give you the information you learn from this article. The preface may seem not quite on the subject, but. I advise everyone who is really interested in the acquisition of Serval, to read this article carefully and to the end.
Preface: This remark will be more understandable to men! Imagine the situation: you buy an expensive foreign car! When registering a vehicle (vehicle), the inspector announces to you that the numbers on the car have been killed, the vehicle has been imported illegally, it is confiscated and a criminal case is opened on you about the conbane, tax evasion and others like it! Little nice? Loss of money, nervous breakdown, a lot of problems. And this is not the most complete list! How not sad. Now I will try to connect this situation with the existing reality in the market of trade in exotic animals, which include our ward Serval !:
As in the case of a foreign car, you, as the owner, must register your pet with the Administrative Authority (AO) of your country. For residents of Kazakhstan - the Committee of Forestry and Hunting. Why is this necessary to do? - There is the so-called CITES - “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora”, ratified by most civilized countries to protect species of wild fauna and flora, which, according to Appendix 2, includes Serval. Each future owner of Serval, in accordance with international law, must obtain CITES - an import permit (if imported from abroad) before bringing the animal, as well as notify the Administration of the country about the presence of an animal belonging to CITES. To obtain an import permit, you must have a copy of the CITES permit for export from the country of exporter (breeder, nursery). Accordingly, this document should be at the one from whom you acquire Serval. Otherwise, criminal liability and confiscation (seizure) of an animal (Administrative responsibility for violations of international law is not provided for!). Not every breeder has such a document. It would be nice - you buy a kitten in your country and you don’t need any CITES! Not so simple! If the breeder is not entitled to maintain, breed and export animals - according to the documents certifying the legality of the acquisition and you will not have and you will not be able to register your pet.
The maintenance and breeding of Servals in the state language sounds like "The content of the zoo collection of wild animals on the list (Appendix 1.2) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This is quite a serious question that arises in all who acquire, maintain, breed and sell Servals. The acquisition of a serval kitten from abroad is associated with some difficulties, especially from foreign countries. The same applies to the countries - participants of the Customs Union (CU), as the Customs Union (CU) does not give privileges when importing / exporting wild animals included in Annex 1, 2 CITES. This convention - as already mentioned - is an international agreement.
I repeat - CITES Permit, must be both from the seller (export from the exporter’s country) and the buyer (import to the importer’s country) when importing from abroad and registering animals with the Administrative Authority (AO) of the country with keeping the stud book and reports to the AO about changing livestock.
Thus, when purchasing a Serval kitten outside your country, you need to make sure that the seller has permission to export from the country of exporter (CITES) and obtain permission from your authorized body to import Serval (CITES) to your country before you buy a kitten! As well as acquiring a kitten in your own country, verify the legality of the maintenance of servals by sellers and the legality of the documents transferred to you by the seller. This procedure does not take much time and does not require material costs, the main thing is to apply in time to the state authority supervising your country.
