Serval (leptailurus serval)

Serval (leptailurus serval) is a wild cat that naturally lives on almost the entire African continent (with the exception of the Sahara).This is a medium-sized cat (weight can reach up to 20 kg) with a thin, long body with a long neck and small head, as well as large ears and long legs.
Serval is also a cat of amazing beauty. Her whole skin is decorated with black spots, the background is often yellow - golden or brownish, and, although less common, silver or black colors are found.

This is not

a domestic cat. Has a well-developed hunting instincts of a wild cat. She is adapted to live in a large territory, an extremely mobile cat — during the nighttime hunt she can walk several kilometers, and jump up to 3 m from a place. She hunts in the high grass of the African savannah, marshy, mountainous places and forests. Various birds, hares, mice and other rodents, small animals living in swamps and water become food for Serval: fish, frogs, various insects, reptiles, but a small young or very sick antelope can become their prey. Compared to other cats that catch about 10-20% of their chosen victims, Serval is a very effective hunter and catches up to 60% of the selected victims.
For Serval, leopards and other wild cats are dangerous. However, the most dangerous for him is a man, because for hundreds of years they hunted for the serval because of its beautiful skin, although not as valuable as other big cats. In addition, many indigenous tribes hunted him for food.

The first Serval

as a pet and pet was kept by the ancient Egyptians more than 5000 years ago. In Europe, Serval has been known since the Middle Ages. At that time, Europeans were able to bring him and keep him as a pet. And, in spite of the conditions in which he is kept in good condition and in what condition he is in good condition, to this day he has not become completely tamed by a pet, affectionate domestic kitten or plush toy. This is a cat individualist, always emphasizing its wildlife and independence. Thus, Serval is not a good pet, it is not suitable for keeping in the house because of its very mobile nature, the required large areas to run around, constant supervision, especially the large marking of the territory and other strong instincts of the formed cat. Her strong claws and sharp teeth can cause even unintentional serious injuries.

Based on Serval,

when crossing it with a domestic cat and trying to use all the positive qualities of Serval and suppress its shortcomings, after long attempts for the first time in the USA, a domestic cat of a new breed and exotic appearance, called Savannah , was bred. This is a real pet and a real pet cat.