Serval - description of the breed and character of the cat

Man is increasingly moving away from nature, therefore, although small reminders that there are endless plains, wild forests where untamed animals live, he is very pleasant. Because many people decide to have a wild cat.

Wild Pet - Guest of the Hot Continent

The ideal solution to make a wild child a pet is to settle a Serval cat in the house. Already his appearance casts dreams of hunting and incredible travels, and it is not surprising, because the birthplace of this cat is a distant Africa, in which the serval lives most often not at home. More recently, their number was quite numerous, but the beautiful fur attracted poachers, and because of this, the number of servals began to decline sharply. Large animals, especially leopards, also hunt them.

In this breed you can recognize the Caracal and the wild golden cat, as well as the cheetah - their colors are so similar. However, in the mountains of Kenya, there are individuals that repeat the color of a graceful black panther. They are so distinguished, calling the black servals, or melanists. White color is a very rare exception, in the nature of their units.

For the serval, the favorite natural habitat is more often the African savanna, less often - mountainous areas, they are also found on the mountain slopes, whose height is more than 3 km. The desert does not attract them in the first place because there is very little water. But the forests with high humidity are also not their refuge, although sometimes it can be found on the edges of the serval.

Serval, though small, is a real predator, and the height of its hunt comes at night. His victims are mostly small animals, a family of rodents, snakes, hares or other members of the animal world, whose weight does not exceed 200 grams. They hunt very skillfully: they can remain motionless in ambush, without stirring for a long time, and then, having caught even a small rustle, jump on the victim.

In flocks, these animals do not get together, but live alone.However, the male necessarily guards his area, marking it up to 30 square meters. m, and the female - up to 20 square meters. m

Children at servals appear regardless of the natural seasons. Carrying kittens lasts from 65 to 77 days, one or four babies can appear in the litter, but usually twins are born. An interesting fact: the lambing occurs either in a built nest among thick high grass or in burrows that are swept by aardvark - animals that are very similar to anteaters.

Just born babies have a weight of 250 grams., Eyes begin to open in the interval from 9 to 14 days. The kitten goes to the first hunt when he is 6 months old, and only at the age of one year he begins to live on his own, without maternal care.

Scientists have identified 14 species of this breed, first of all, distinguishing each in color. And the breeders, having done a fair amount of work, were able to tame some species, and so, thanks to them, servals appeared who can live at home.

Standard external differences

In addition to the color, the serval is significantly distinguished by several significant factors - the unique grace and predatory appearance.This is the merit of nature, which tried to help Serval hunt successfully in order to survive in difficult conditions.

The standards of this breed are not fully established, but the main description has already been worked out and taken into account.

Serval is ranked among cats that have medium size, although some breeders claim that they are almost giants compared to other domestic cats. The length of the body can vary in such sizes: from 58 to 95 cm. It weighs an average of 16-18 kg.

Breed standards:

1. The head is small.
2. The eyes are almond-shaped, but only from below. In the upper eyelid, they have a boomerang-like shape.
3. Ears disproportionately to the body are very large, set high to respond perfectly to the slightest movement in the grass or on the tree. Inside they are heavily pubescent; on the outside, white and black stripes are clearly visible.
4. The nose and nose are quite wide.
5. The tail should not interfere while this predator is waiting for prey, therefore it is short, approximately from 20 to 45 cm, but thick.
6. Paws are long, especially noticeable due to the ratio of body size and limbs. It is the paws that make the animal 20 cm taller.And again, this is due to the fact that it was more convenient to hunt in the tall grass and quickly notice the future dinner. Rear longer than the front.
7. Vibrissae are a must, besides, they must be long and dense, pads are pronounced.

In healthy servals, the coat is shiny and thick, very delicate. Mostly these animals are born with a golden-brown color, but there are colors from light sand to red with brown shades. Color varies due to geographical location:

• if they are forest representatives, their wool is darker;
• steppe residents often have very large spots, and lighter wool.

The chest, abdomen and muzzle have areas lighter than in other places, they are almost white. But the most striking thing is the black spots that harmoniously turn into stripes on the back.

Nature endowed the serval with a freedom-loving disposition

Serval owners will have to agree that the genes of wild ancestors can manifest at any time, otherwise you will not be able to make friends with your pet. It must be remembered that the hunting instincts can make the recently rested serval jump to a 3-meter height to catch a flying bird. Run it does not need.But indoors, he will not give up his habit, and will conquer every high-rise. As a result, chandeliers, curtains, paintings, etc. can become useless.

They are very playful and mobile, and they cannot often be forbidden to be in motion. With such long legs, the cat can reach speeds of up to 80 km / h.

Servals should always know what is happening in their territory, therefore in the house every room, all closets, even closed ones, should be examined. They are very friendly, however, bringing them up, you have to show maximum patience.

Basically, the serval still appears in the house as a small kitten, and he immediately begins to gnaw at everything, not distinguishing whether this is a valuable thing or a piece of paper. Breeders advise with a kitten to buy a special cat spray, it will prevent a dangerous situation if the baby gets to the wiring.

The action will be a failure if you try to scream or punish a kitten, he can harbor a resentment forever. Professionals advise a more effective means - by saying the command “no”, pour the water on the naughty boy with a spray gun. It is not recommended to allow him to bite the hands or feet of the owners while playing with a small pet, as he will perceive them all his life as elements of the game, attacking, biting and scratching even in adulthood.

If there is a need to teach to the leash, it is desirable to do it at an early age. On the street, where there are a lot of strangers, unfamiliar smells and strangers, the owner should be a protector and a true friend for the kitten - this way you can gain the trust of a serval for life.

Health must be strong

In small kittens the bones are not yet strong, but it is already very interesting to jump from a great height. Therefore it is necessary to make sure that the pet does not break the limbs at a young age.

Serval may have intestinal problems. Therefore, if diarrhea has occurred, you will need to immediately go to a veterinary clinic.

The health of this breed is different fortress, but vaccination for prevention is necessary. However, the owners must clearly remember that the vaccine, which contains active viruses, is of vital importance to this breed.

Serval is still a wild animal, so it marks its territory endlessly. According to statistics, this procedure can occur more than 50 times per hour. Everything would be fine, but the smell is established durable, and get rid of it is not easy. In this case, there is a solution - it is sterilization.For cats, it can be done at 8 months of age, cats per year.

At home, Serval lives much longer!

Caring for a cat is simple. To go for a walk, and at a young age it is desirable to feed from the hands so that the kitten perceives the owner as friendly.

Feed should, given the predatory disposition, meat and offal, eggs. He will not refuse from rodents and birds. Daily meat demand - up to 0.5 kg. Be sure to make sure that the water was in large quantities. Supplement the diet should be vitamin complexes.

Video: home serval