The African Serval Cat is a medium sized species of cat that
is found throughout a large part of Africa, particularly in the grassy
savannas. Servals have a wide range of sizes. They can vary from
18 to 24 inches tall and 18 to 45 pounds. The serval resembles a miniature
cheetah except that the serval has a relatively short tail . The
cheetahs tail is longer for balance and steering while running. The
servals tail is short so that it does not interfere when jumping from
a crouched or sitting position. The servals physical characteristics
are adapted for their particular habitat and methods of hunting.
A servals legs are the longest, relative to body size, of all cats.
The long legs give the cat a higher position for its ears. Its large
ears are highly sensitive to allow them to zero in on prey that they
cannot even see. It is reported that a serval can pounce and land
on a mouse from 20 feet away. The back of the ears have conspicuous
spots called oceli. There is some debate as to the purpose of
the spots. Some say that they are used to signal other servals.
More likely they are “false eyes” or “night eyes” which serve to distract
other predators from attacking from the rear since it makes the serval
appear to be looking backwards. They are smarter than a domestic
cat and, consequently, they get into more mischief in a home.
The coat of the serval can have a variety of patterns. Depending
on the habitat, some servals will have a background color ranging from
silvery tan to a distinct orange tan. The spotting pattern can vary
from lots of small spots to fewer very large spots. There are
also varying degrees of melanism from slightly darker than normal to
solid black.
Food for servals can vary widely depending on habitat and
availability. Small rodents such as mice, rats and squirrels are
commonly eaten. But they will also eat a variety of insects, reptiles
and amphibians. Studies have found that they also consume a surprising
amount of vegetable material and fruit. In captivity they will
consume many types of grass. Some are also fond of vegetables
such as corn on the cob and spinach. Servals primarily hunt alone.
In the absence of suitable small prey they have been known to team up
on larger animals. While servals are well adapted for hunting
by jumping and snaring or pouncing, they seem very skilled at probing
holes with their long forepaws. Servals in captivity will frequently
stick their paw in ones pocket to fish around for interesting items.
Servals have been associated with man for centuries.
It is reported that the Egyptians kept them either as living idols or as
protection for the huge amounts of food 
stored in granaries. The serval has been kept
in Europe as a pet for many centuries and has more recently gained
popularity in the United States. Servals are one of the few
wildcats that make a good companion. They bond very strongly with
the caretakers. They do not become aggressive as they
mature. They are extremely affectionate. For cat lovers they
are the ultimate cat. There are commercially prepared diets that
make it easy to provide proper nutrition. Veterinary care is
essentially the same as for a domestic cat. They do require more
attention as far as human interaction than a domestic cat. They
are smarter than a domestic cat and consequently, get into more in a
home than a domestic. If you are willing to make a long term
commitment to be caretaker for the cats lifetime then you will be
rewarded with an experience than only a serval can provide. If you
think that you are a candidate for owning a serval, or rather being
owned by a serval then you should read the serval care sheet. After that
I would suggest that you contact me for references of people who have
servals so that you can get more of a feel for the reality of
owning a serval.
