African Serval Cats

Our Serval kittens are raised with love, handled and very well socialized. They are used to being around the daily goings on in our home, other pets and the sights and sounds of a busy household. We strive to produce kittens that will be a joy to their new owners for many, many years to come.  We are here to help you on your journey of being a serval parent and welcome any and all questions!

You've probably already figured out that a serval is not your average cat.  They can make a variety of sounds - purring, chirping, hissing, growl and several noises in between. One thing to note is that servals tend to hiss a lot. Unlike a typical house cat, their hiss is often a way of "talking" and not the same as a domestic cat hiss. Servals are very vocal and express their emotions a lot. If they aren't happy about something they will tell you! And on the same token, when they are happy, they will love on you and purr with their whole heart. Young kittens also will "test" their boundaries and try to see what they can get away with. Never let your kitten bite on your hands when playing. They will eventually get bigger and the biting won't be cute anymore. Redirect with a toy or a play game. It's important to be firm with servals. A nose boop and a strong "NO" is not out of line if your new kitten is being too rough. Remember, you are his/her parent now and a mama serval doesn't put up with ill-behaved kittens.  Servals are a high energy cat and enjoy play games. A buggy whip with a string or feather attached is a great way to burn off energy. Some servals will even learn to play fetch!

Servals are obligate carnivores, requiring a special diet. There are several ways to feed servals a proper diet and this ranges from a raw all meat diet, to a whole prey diet to a commercial canned diet supplemented with dry food. Servals also need to have properly balanced vitamins and minerals. Most diets require a calcium supplement to be added. Our servals are fed a commercial canned diet that is recommended by zoos, called ZuPreem in addition to a dry exotic feline food made by Mazuri. We add calcium carbonate and vitamin/mineral supplements to their diet. Whole prey and raw foods are fed 3 times a week to provide enrichment and offer a variety of foods. 

Servals are an exotic pet and even though they may be many, many generations removed from their wild ancestors, they do still retain some of their wild characteristics. Most notably, they are inclined to spray or mark their territory. Spaying and neutering at or before 6 months of age can lessen this behavior but does not always prevent it.  Servals do best when they have access to the outdoors via a catio or similar safe enclosure. Often they can be trained to only spray in their outdoor area, but not always.  It is also a good idea to have a safe place indoors to contain your serval when you aren't home. There are a lot of household items that your pet can get into if left unsupervised. 

Our Serval stud cat's sire and dam were both direct African imports. The number of servals in the United States has a relatively small gene pool, and most can be traced back to a handful of originally imported cats from the 1980's. Our stud being a direct descendent from recent African bloodlines, makes our kittens a perfect out cross for breeding programs.