Serval: description, color options, features of keeping and feeding

For many years, pets are not only beloved and funny animals that bring a huge amount of positive emotions and joy, but also an indicator of financial level. Representatives of the wealthy strata of the population have very rare and expensive pets that can emphasize their material well-being. In the exotic living areas of private mansions, you can often find unusual birds, animals and reptiles.

A spectacular and expensive purchase will be the serval - a domesticated wild cat. The spotted large animal will look impressive in the leather interior of an elite car or on the Persian carpet in the living room.

The African Serval is a wild animal whose color resembles a cheetah. The homeland of this beast is the tropical forests of Africa. In their natural habitat, biologists have more than 10 subspecies of cats of this breed. The bright color of the fur and its high cost have led to a significant decrease in the number of individuals in their natural habitat. In pursuit of profit, poachers began to massively catch and exterminate not only adult cats, but also kittens.

Serval is a graceful cat that, even at home, retains the habits of a predator and looks like a cheetah. The Serval cat has a small head, protruding ears, which have black and white stripes on the outside.The area of ​​the nose and bridge of the nose is massive and large. The mustache is long and tough. The eyes are almond-shaped at the bottom and boomerang-shaped at the top.

The average length of a powerful fleshy tail is 35 cm. The paws are long, thin and graceful. The maximum body size of an adult can reach 1 m, and the weight can reach 17 kg.

A distinctive feature of the animals is a bright unusual color. On a sandy or deep brown body, black spots are located, which smoothly turn into solid lines in the back zone. On the chest and abdomen, the coat acquires a white tone. The delicate fur has a smooth, uniform structure with very short hairs.

Serval has a keen hearing and lightning-fast reaction. The life span of an animal at home can reach 20 years. Like any animal, the African serval has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Advantages:

• high aesthetic performance;
• long period of life;
• lack of unmotivated aggression and inappropriate behavior;
• avoiding conflict situations;
• dog loyalty and love for the owner;
• playfulness and sociability;
• high intellectual abilities;
• tendency to train;
• lack of conflicts with equal animals;
• good immunity and resistance to various diseases;
• unpretentiousness to care and maintenance.

Disadvantages:

• cunning and stubbornness;
• high price range;
• incompatibility with young children;
• aggressive attitude towards small pets;
• excessive activity and constant desire to jump;
• the need for education and training;
• the presence of a constant desire to gnaw and mark everything;
• the need for a large room;
• intolerance to screaming and rude attitude;
• high cost of the diet;
• the need for daily street walks;
• difficulty in acquiring.

The African cat is a resident of the tropical regions of Africa, the Sahara, Morocco and Algeria. Animals have a negative attitude towards open areas and prefer bushes and grassy thickets near water bodies and rivers. For movement, the serval uses the edges and open areas, hunts in the morning and evening hours.

For food, cats catch rodents, birds, reptiles and large insects. To hunt birds, the animal uses instant vertical jumps. To catch rodents, the cat simply digs up the prey habitats and removes it from there.

Serval is a solitary animal that lives and hunts on its own. Rapprochement with relatives occurs only during the mating season. It is very rare to see a struggle for territory between males. Each animal is on its own site and does not claim additional space. In their natural habitat, the greatest danger to the serval is represented by hyenas, wild dogs and leopards.

At the beginning of spring, females have offspring. There can be no more than 3 kittens in one litter. The gestation period for the fetus is about 60 days.

Despite the long-term maintenance in the conditions of apartments, the domesticated African cat retained the features of its wild ancestors as much as possible. Animals do not like excessive attention to themselves, most of the time they prefer to be alone. During periods of increased activity, animals like to run, play and jump to a height of more than 2.5 m.

Experts recommend purchasing kittens from trusted breeders that are no more than 5 months old. Buying older cats is impractical due to the impossibility of taming already formed individuals. The presence of permits is a guarantee of the acquisition of a thoroughbred animal.

Despite its wild nature, the pet is very friendly and curious. The animal is not only a home decoration, but also a reliable guard who, even during a dormant period, keeps order on its territory. In order for the pet to quickly get used to its owners, it must be regularly fed from the hands and play on an equal footing with the animal. List of prohibited actions:

• playing with the hands and feet of the owner;
• scream;
• physical punishment.

The animal has a good memory, high intelligence and sensitivity. If aggressive actions were committed in his direction, the pet will never forgive this and, on occasion, will surely take revenge on the owner.

The beast must be protected from communication with young children who can offend him and provoke aggression. In the event of a conflict, the African cat will try to avoid physical contact with an opponent and will simply step aside. The main task of a cat owner is to show the animal who is the boss in the house, and to build relationships based on trust, understanding and friendship.

The classic color scheme of the African cat ranges from light beige to burgundy. Kenyan breeds can also have black fur. The subspecies that live in forests have richer colors than those that hide in the bushes.

On the fur of most animals, you can see black spots that turn into straight lines on the back. Sometimes you can see stripes instead of black spots. The hair on the tail is covered with a circular pattern, and there is always a black tassel at the end. Often in zoos, white kittens with gray spots can be born.

Keeping a serval in an apartment is a big responsibility and difficulty. It is strictly forbidden to keep the animal in the house without creating comfortable and safe living conditions. The peak activity of pets occurs in the early morning and late evening. After a few hours of active life, pets get tired and go into a resting phase. The predatory pet must be isolated from other pets, which can be easy prey for the serval.

A pet can cause considerable harm to expensive furniture, wires, paintings and other interior items that will be bitten, marked and gnawed. To prevent damage to the interior, experts recommend purchasing special toys for cats and dogs, which the serval will be busy with during the period of activity.

A characteristic feature of the home serval's behavior is to mark its territory. The animal can perform this procedure up to 40 times per hour. The released liquid has a specific unpleasant odor, which can disappoint the owners. If the cat moves freely around the apartment, and the owners do not plan to get offspring, it is necessary to castrate.

Young kittens quickly get used to the litter box and use it with pleasure for the toilet. Serval has a positive attitude towards regular water procedures, the conduct of which will help to avoid the appearance of an unpleasant odor. If the pet does not have a desire to swim, it is strictly forbidden to force him. Forcing someone to do something will surely provoke negativity and aggression.

Veterinarians recommend combing the coat and cleaning the ears once a week.To brush the cat, you need to use a slicker, a furminator for short hair, a rubber brush and a thick comb. List of daily hygiene procedures:

• teeth cleaning;
• rubbing eyes with a special lotion;
• correction of the length of the claws.

Serval responds positively to daily street walks on a leash during the summer. In winter and during the autumn and spring cold weather, the pet's stay on the street should be reduced to a minimum. The animal does not tolerate drafts, strong currents of cold air and sudden changes in temperature. Even when creating the most comfortable living conditions, servals may not please the owners with offspring.

The diet of African animals differs significantly from the traditional food of ordinary cats. For the full growth and development of the serval, its menu should consist of chicken and quail meat, beef and veal, as well as offal. Raw meat can be paired with fresh green leaves, which will have a beneficial effect on bowel function. These products bring the home nutrition system as close as possible to the natural one.

A full-fledged balanced diet will require large financial costs from the owners of the animal. To provide animals with mineral elements, it is necessary to use special vitamin complexes, as well as special high-quality ready-made feed. An adult healthy animal should consume more than 500 g of raw meat product with bones per day. Quail eggs, forage mice and frogs can be treats for your pet.

An adult pet needs a single feed, and young kittens should be given food 2 times a day. The animal should not have free access to food. Veterinarians recommend after a year of life to arrange a full hunger strike for cats 1 day per month. In the summer, the animal needs constant access to clean fresh water. There are practically no vegetables, fruits, roots, milk and dairy products in the animal's diet.

It is strictly forbidden to use pig meat for feeding, which can provoke the development of paralysis, rabies and infectious meningitis. Veterinarians do not recommend feeding animals with cheap pelleted cat food. It contains no more than 5% of the required 50% protein. Inexpensive blends contain dyes, preservatives and flavor enhancers that negatively affect digestion.

The domestic African animal is distinguished by strong immunity, but it needs timely vaccination. Ignoring this procedure can provoke the development of dangerous diseases, and sometimes the death of the pet. Climate change can cause various diseases. The tropical animal does not tolerate frost and temperature fluctuations well. The most common illnesses are colds and leukemia.

Due to the fragility of the bone skeleton, as well as the lack of formation of the limbs in young individuals, it is necessary to limit the number of their jumps from a height. These fun can provoke damage to the paws.

Before purchasing an African kitten, all lovers of exotic animals should carefully study its character, diet and living conditions. Serval is not an ordinary domestic cat, this animal, even at home, remains a predator that needs a special diet, constant attention and a lot of free space. It is necessary to buy small kittens only in well-known nurseries, which can document the purebredness of the breed.

In the absence of financial resources for keeping a cat and a sufficient amount of time for its training and adaptation, it is better not to acquire a wild animal, but to opt for more traditional pets.

You can learn more about the home serval in the following video.