Even though Ann Westendorf keeps a wild animal in her Oxford home, she doesn’t recommend other people own one.
‘Don’t go buy a serval,? she said. ‘They do not make good pets at all.?
That’s why Westendorf is in the process of building a sanctuary for them here in Oxford.
‘It is a beautiful creature that deserves the best it can get,? she said.
Westendorf owns a 14-month-old Serval, a medium-sized wild cat found in most parts of Africa except the very arid desert regions. They prefer the well-watered savannah environments (or grasslands).
Sporting a brownish-yellow (or tawny) coat with black spots, servals are slender creatures with very long legs and resemble small cheetahs.
‘They’re a solitary animal that is very seldom seen (in the wild),? Westendorf said.
When full-grown, a serval’s body-length can reach 27 to 39 inches (not including their legs) with a weight of 20 to 40 pounds. They have the largest ears and longest legs, relative to their body size, in the cat family.
Westendorf’s serval, Marli, came to live with her and her husband, Mike, when he was just five- weeks-old. He was rescued from a breeder getting out of the business.
‘We bottle-fed him everyday,? Westendorf said. ‘I took him everywhere with me for the first 10 months of his life. We tried to get him around as many people as possible.?
Like dogs, servals come when they’re called, play fetch, and love the water.
However, they live longer ? up to 20 years in captivity.
As a result of all the attention he’s been given, Marli is very sociable and friendly around people and other animals. The couple has six other cats and two dogs, all of which are rescues.
This is both a blessing and a curse.
‘My fear was people would see Marli when I was out with him and they would go on-line and get one,? Westendorf said. ‘People see how friendly he is and they think ‘Oh, I want one of those.??
Because Marli is ‘so gentle and tame,? she said, ‘It’s hard to explain why it’s a bad idea to get one.?
‘They should be in the wild,? she said. ‘This beautiful cat has no business being kept in a basement or a little cage.?
Unfortunately, servals are easy to obtain on-line and even available at some pet stores.
To make matters worse, ‘there are no licensing requirements in Michigan for the serval,? Mark said. ‘The bigger cats are all governed under a big cat law, but medium-sized cats are not governed under any Michigan laws right now.?
Because they want to do everything correctly where Marli’s concerned, the couple is in the process of obtaining a license to own a serval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
‘You can own a serval without it, but I think it would be a bad idea,? Westendorf said.
Motivated by emotion and their exotic appearance, she said people often buy servals without researching their extensive needs.
‘It’s quite an undertaking to even think of owning this cat,? explained Westendorf. ‘People bite off more than they can chew with these animals. They’re extremely costly to maintain.?
To keep a serval healthy requires an ‘intense amount of nutritional supplements,? such as calcium, not to mention a constant supply of fresh, raw meat.
‘You have to grind chicken, bone and all, fresh every week,? she said.
Knowing what they can eat is very important because ‘there are so many things that are poisonous to a serval.?
‘A drop of onion will kill them,? Westendorf noted.
Special care must taken to serval-proof a house because they are ‘highly intelligent? creatures that ‘can get into anywhere.?
‘Everything had to have child-proof locks because he can open doors,? Westendorf said. ‘Anything they can get into they will.?
Because servals are ‘incredibly high jumpers? able to leap up to 10 feet in the air, ‘we had to pretty much put away anything of value.?
‘You can’t have anything on your counters. No knickknacks No pictures on the walls,? she explained. ‘You can’t have lamps. Everything’s got to be glued down.?
‘You’ve got to constantly monitor them.?
To own a serval, Westendorf said one must be ready to spend tons of time with it. It’s not a pet you can lock away at home all day and forget about.
‘You have to have so many hours in the day to work with him and handle him to keep him friendly and keep him manageable,? she said. ‘A serval needs his family as much or more than a young child.?
‘I think Marli is what we put into him,? Westendorf said. ‘If you raise them right and you give them the time and socialization they need, they’re going to be a good animal.?
Sadly, what happens with many servals who are easily obtained on-line, their owners don’t spend enough time with them and they become aggressive and antisocial as a result.
‘By the time they’re about a year old, they haven’t spent enough time with them, so they become unmanageable ? people can’t handle them,? Westendorf said.
Instead of a serval, Westendorf recommends people get what’s called a ‘Savannah,? a new and still fairly rare exotic hybrid that’s a cross between an African serval and a domestic cat.
The Savannah makes a much better pet because owners can still enjoy that exotic look without the drawbacks of having a completely wild animal around the house.
Like the serval, Savannahs also exhibit doglike behavior ? coming when called, playing fetch and loving water. Plus, they can be walked on a leash and are much easier to train than servals.
The couple owns a Savannah along with two other hybrid cats.
Westendorf said many people are opposed to the idea of breeding and owning Savannahs and other hybrid cats because they fear for their pets and children.
But like any animal, ‘if you give them the proper socialization, you’re not going to have a problem,? she said.
Also, reputable breeders make it clear to prospective owners that Savannahs are not allowed to roam free outside.
Westendorf is a proponent of the Savannah because it has helped raise awareness about the serval.
‘People didn’t really know anything about them,? she said.
Many breeders donate a portion of their earnings to help protect servals, Westendorf noted.
The serval population in Africa has dwindled due to shrinking natural habitat and people over-hunting the creature for its beautiful fur and meat. Of the 14 subspecies of serval, 13 are listed as threatened and one is labeled endangered.
‘There are a lot of the (wild) cats that are going to be extinct soon,? Mark said. ‘This cat was on the verge of going in that direction too.?
That’s why the couple is working to turn their 11?-acre property into a sanctuary with separate indoor and outdoor facilities for servals, Asian leopards, Geoffroys and Ocelots.
‘In Michigan, there really is nothing set up to handle any of these cats,? Mark said.
Westendorf noted that servals are not the kind of animal that can be easily transplanted from one home to another.
‘They’re kind of a one-family cat,? she said. ‘Who they grow up with is who they’re used to. They’re less likely to be re-homed.?
By building a sanctuary for them, ‘at least they’ll have somewhere to live out the rest of their lives with proper care, vaccinations and nutrition,? Westendorf explained. The couple is currently in the process of applying for the proper licensing to operate a sanctuary.
‘It will probably take a good couple years to get a sanctuary license,? she said. ‘We’re hoping to start building in the fall and keeping working on it so by the time we get it done, hopefully, we’ll have our license.?
For more information about servals visit www.servals.org.