The striking appearance of the Serval, a medium-sized wild cat native to the African savanna, often sparks curiosity about its suitability as a household pet. With its long legs, large ears, and distinctive spotted coat, the Serval is an undeniably beautiful animal. However, the question of keeping a Serval is complex, depending on geographic location and the owner’s commitment to meeting the needs of a wild animal. Servals are not domesticated, and their care requires dedication and specialized resources far beyond that of a typical house cat.
The Complex Legal Landscape
The legality of owning a Serval is governed by a patchwork of exotic pet laws that vary drastically across jurisdictions, making the answer highly localized. Servals are generally regulated under three categories: outright bans, permit requirements, or, rarely, being unregulated at the state level. Many states maintain a complete prohibition on private ownership due to public safety and animal welfare concerns, considering the Serval a dangerous wild animal.
In states where ownership is permitted, a license or permit is almost always required, often involving a lengthy application process, facility inspections, and annual renewals. These regulations ensure owners meet specialized housing and care standards. Even if a state allows Serval ownership, local city or county ordinances frequently prohibit them, meaning a prospective owner must check regulations at multiple levels of government.
Federal law, particularly the Lacey Act, prohibits transporting illegally obtained wildlife across state lines. This means moving a legally acquired Serval to a state where ownership is banned is a federal violation. Navigating this complex legal web is the first and most significant hurdle for anyone considering a Serval.
Understanding Serval Temperament and Behavior
Servals are wild animals, and even those born in captivity retain the innate instincts and behaviors of their African ancestors. They possess extremely high energy levels and require constant stimulation, translating into a need for vast space to run, jump, and exercise. Their powerful hind legs allow them to leap over nine feet vertically, which can be destructive within a typical home environment.
A significant behavioral challenge is their instinct for scent marking, or spraying, a pervasive territorial behavior difficult to curb even with litter box training. This marking is a natural form of communication and a permanent feature of Serval ownership. Furthermore, Servals are naturally crepuscular or nocturnal, meaning their most active periods are at dawn, dusk, and throughout the night, which conflicts with a typical human schedule.
Their predatory drive is intense, as they are highly successful hunters. This instinct can manifest as unpredictable behavior toward other pets or small children, as they may view them as prey or rivals. While a Serval may bond strongly with one person, they are generally aloof and independent, lacking the desire for the constant physical affection expected of a domestic companion animal.
Specialized Housing and Dietary Needs
The physical requirements for keeping a Serval are extensive. They require a large, secure outdoor enclosure that allows for natural behaviors, with recommendations often starting at a minimum of 500 square feet per animal. The enclosure must be escape-proof, requiring fencing at least eight feet tall, fully covered at the top, and extending several feet underground to prevent digging out.
Servals are obligate carnivores, and their dietary needs are highly specialized, demanding a whole-prey or raw meat diet that commercial cat food cannot satisfy. A proper diet must include muscle meat, organ meat, and raw bone to ensure they receive essential nutrients like calcium and taurine, which are crucial for heart and bone health. Feeding whole prey items, such as mice, chicks, or rabbits, is necessary to replicate their natural diet and provide nutritional balance.
Finding a veterinarian with expertise to treat exotic felines is a practical challenge, as most general practitioners are not equipped for their specialized medical needs. Servals require specific vaccinations and parasite control protocols that differ from domestic cats. The long-term commitment is significant, as Servals can live for up to 20 years in captivity, requiring a lifetime of specialized care and financial resources.
Servals vs. Savannah Cats: A Key Distinction
The Serval is often confused with the Savannah cat, a distinct hybrid breed created by crossing a Serval with a domestic cat. The Savannah cat is categorized by its filial generation, denoted by an “F” followed by a number, indicating its removal from the wild Serval ancestor. An F1 Savannah cat is the direct offspring of a Serval parent, possessing the highest percentage of wild DNA and retaining many Serval-like behaviors and size.
As generations progress, the Serval influence diminishes, and the cats become more domesticated in temperament and size. Later generations, such as F4 and beyond, are generally considered domestic cats and are often legal to own without the strict permits required for a pure Serval.