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- Thread starter BusaBret
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yes, it basically is a small cheetah. I got it from a cattery in Florida. You can expect to pay anywhere from 2 grand up to about 4 grand for them, depending on sex, ancestry, markings, etc.
things to consider though:
1) Servals dont generally bother house cats, but if you have a territorial dog, the serval will kill it. They have claws that are about 1 1/2" long, they're ridiculously strong, and they're fast.
2) 1 1/2 inch claws WILL destroy your furniture, don't even bother to fool yourself into thinking they wont. And if you declaw them, they turn into biters....this is fine if you dont mind being bitten by a 42 lb cat. Also, they do NOT use claws when and if they swat at you. They generally keep their claws sheathed unless playing or looking for traction, they kill prey by stinning it wuith a "karate chop" type swat of the paw, then bite it to kill it.
3) You HAVE to get them as kittens. if you don't, they'll never bond with you, and they'll be EXTREMELY difficult to own.
4) be prepared to spend a LOT on vet visits and food. Jobu eats anywhere from 2 - 2 1/2 lbs of raw chicken a day, along with his other food.
5) they need lots of vitamin supplements. For example, he eats caltrate like fat kids eat jelly beans.
6) There are many areas that have restrictions on owning a serval.
7) they have tons of energy. As an adult, they're like a 6 yr old kid after a case of Mountain Dew and a few hits off the crack pipe. A 3 month old serval kitten has all the destructive urges of a 6 week old domestic kitten. The difference is that a 3 month old serval is already upwards of 18-20 lbs. See #2.
8) i would SERIOUSLY recommend not getting one unless you have pretty extensive experience in understanding cats - their moods, what their body language is telling you, etc. Example: Jobu likes to greet people he knows by growling at them, hissing at them, and running at them and trying to jump OVER them. They can jump up to 10 ft in the air, and are capable of pouncing on a mouse in pitch darkness (finding it by their hearing, which is believed to be about 3-5x as good as a domestic housecat) from about 20 ft away.
9) they're substantially smarter than a house cat (not saying much, I know) and it's generally agreed that they are smarter than dogs. This means that they get bored easy, and get into EVERYTHING.
10) yes, they WILL use a litterbox. it has to be a bit bigger than your standard cat litter box, though. think small sand box, and you get the idea.
Hope that helps. Any more questions, PM me.
things to consider though:
1) Servals dont generally bother house cats, but if you have a territorial dog, the serval will kill it. They have claws that are about 1 1/2" long, they're ridiculously strong, and they're fast.
2) 1 1/2 inch claws WILL destroy your furniture, don't even bother to fool yourself into thinking they wont. And if you declaw them, they turn into biters....this is fine if you dont mind being bitten by a 42 lb cat. Also, they do NOT use claws when and if they swat at you. They generally keep their claws sheathed unless playing or looking for traction, they kill prey by stinning it wuith a "karate chop" type swat of the paw, then bite it to kill it.
3) You HAVE to get them as kittens. if you don't, they'll never bond with you, and they'll be EXTREMELY difficult to own.
4) be prepared to spend a LOT on vet visits and food. Jobu eats anywhere from 2 - 2 1/2 lbs of raw chicken a day, along with his other food.
5) they need lots of vitamin supplements. For example, he eats caltrate like fat kids eat jelly beans.
6) There are many areas that have restrictions on owning a serval.
7) they have tons of energy. As an adult, they're like a 6 yr old kid after a case of Mountain Dew and a few hits off the crack pipe. A 3 month old serval kitten has all the destructive urges of a 6 week old domestic kitten. The difference is that a 3 month old serval is already upwards of 18-20 lbs. See #2.
8) i would SERIOUSLY recommend not getting one unless you have pretty extensive experience in understanding cats - their moods, what their body language is telling you, etc. Example: Jobu likes to greet people he knows by growling at them, hissing at them, and running at them and trying to jump OVER them. They can jump up to 10 ft in the air, and are capable of pouncing on a mouse in pitch darkness (finding it by their hearing, which is believed to be about 3-5x as good as a domestic housecat) from about 20 ft away.
9) they're substantially smarter than a house cat (not saying much, I know) and it's generally agreed that they are smarter than dogs. This means that they get bored easy, and get into EVERYTHING.
10) yes, they WILL use a litterbox. it has to be a bit bigger than your standard cat litter box, though. think small sand box, and you get the idea.
Hope that helps. Any more questions, PM me.
Thanks alot! I have already been doing some research on the net. Was the place in Florida Arnold's Exotics in Okeechobee by any chance? From what I have read so far they all say exactly what you did. We will do a lot of research and check local regs before contacting breeders. Thanks again.
This is one of my Beasts,145 lbs
Great Pic. I had a tan one before the boxer I have now.(BusaBill @ May 27 2007,09:16) This is Khan, a Chinese Shar Pei...he's not very smart but very loveable.
This is Tank, a Chow-Chow...
...and this is Savannah, an African Sulcatta Tortoise sleeping amongst the dogs toys.
They are great dogs.....and yea not much smarter than a rock.
