Serval And Maine Coon Hybrid?

[matt1991]

curious if this could work and what it would look like lol i love both breeds due to their size but they have totally different personalities coons being goofy sweet cats vs servals being wild but tamable

if not curious what would be a good mix to breed a serval cat with to make a savannah type hybrid even bigger

 

[mani]

I can see you're really taken with Servals. Servals
Trouble is, as @abyeb pointed out in that thread, Servals are 'exotic pets', which to me is a nice way of saying 'really should be kept in the wild'. It may seem a lovely idea to have a goofy but slightly wild pet, but it seems a lot of trouble to go to when there's no guarantee of the outcome; just mucking around with nature to see what you can come up with.
Also if you don't live in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania or Maine, it's illegal in the US to own one.

 

[Willowy]

This seems like a realistic brief summary of what it takes to keep a serval. Lots of money, for one . Just purchasing a serval costs $4000-$6000, then you need a zoo-quality enclosure which would cost at least that much, and permits, and raw food plus supplements. . .yikes.
About Servals — A1 Savannahs

I don't know if mixing a serval with a large breed would result in a larger hybrid. Genetics are weird and sometimes you don't get what you expect. But usually, if you can think of something, that means someone has aready tried it. Maybe you could try emailing a bunch of Savannah breeders to see if they know anyone who has tried it.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

Not trying to judge, but I always worry a bit about exotic cross breeds. Some people get them for their beautiful wild looks without realizing how much work, training and room they need. My husband and I think Bengals and Savannahs are beautiful but realized after research they were not for us. But then, we're nerds!

 

[matt1991]

i prob would never do this it was just a thought as it would cost a few grand which is much out of my ball park for an animal

was curious what it would look like

Savannah cost like 2 to 3 times what servals cost which is annoying so if i were tog et a cat id prob end up getting a serval over savannah given that or wish i could somehow foster one for a short time

 

[Kieka]

i prob would never do this it was just a thought as it would cost a few grand which is much out of my ball park for an animal

was curious what it would look like

Savannah cost like 2 to 3 times what servals cost which is annoying so if i were tog et a cat id prob end up getting a serval over savannah given that or wish i could somehow foster one for a short time

Servals are wild cats, not pets. I know this website is a little to the extreme but they do have some good points, Servals are Not Pets | Big Cat Rescue

If you are really interested in larger wild cat mix cats, I'd seriously consider finding a rescue like the big cat rescue and volunteering with them to see what it entails.

 

[Willowy]

Apparently Justin Bieber just paid $35,000 for a pair of high-percentage Savannahs! Oh, well, he's rich enough to afford a proper enclosure for them, and a high price tag like that keeps most unprepared people from getting one. But not all, unfortunately :/.

Minnesota doesn't allow exotic ownership by private entities, but you said you live near the ND border. These are the ND requirements for a "large cat or hybrid" (I don't know how many generations down they still consider a hybrid, or if servals count as large cats): cage must be made of laminated glass, sturdy chain-link (at least 12 gauge), or bars, at least 20 feet by 15 feet for one animal, 50% larger per additional animal. Fencing must be attached to cement base. Must have a shift cage at least 8' x 8'. The property/area must have 8 foot high perimeter fencing.
ND - Exotic Pets - Category 3 Species. 48.1-09-06-01. Housing, handling, health, and importation | Animal Legal & Historical Center

That would be quite an investment.

Maybe there's someone in the area who keeps wild cats and you can ask them if you can volunteer to help, see how it goes.

 

[Dacatchair]

There is Savannah and Serval groups on Facebook with lots of information about Servals and the Savannah breed. There used to be quite a few Savannah breeders who set it up so a Mainecoon and Serval could mate, but now it seems Serval Dad to Savannah Mom is the preferred mix. I live with an F6 and F7 Savannah, which means they are 6 or 7 generations removed from their nearest Serval ancestors. They are both a bit quirky, and generally speaking the Savannah breed tends to be active, highly intelligent and social. The more diluted the Serval bloodlines, the less expensive they tend to be, and my F7 and F6 were no more expensive than any other purebred cat. And cats with the more diluted Serval genes are a lot more normal cat than exotic hybrid. To put this in perspective, the average European has about as much Neanderthal DNA as an F6 Savannah has Serval DNA. Personally I would not want the responsibility of making sure a Serval or even a Savannah cat with a lot of Serval in it had what it needed to be happy and healthy. I love my 2, and one is an happy go lucky, easy going snuggle bug with brief spells of the cray cray zoomies, the other is extremely sensitive and intelligent but also very restless and he needs a lot of attention.

 

[basscat]

Servals are wild cats, not pets. I know this website is a little to the extreme but they do have some good points, Servals are Not Pets | Big Cat Rescue

If you are really interested in larger wild cat mix cats, I'd seriously consider finding a rescue like the big cat rescue and volunteering with them to see what it entails.

Do your research on BCR/Carole Baskin prior to volunteering or donating. Simple google search should suffice.
Wild should be used with specific thought to it's direct counterpart...Tame. And neither should be confused with domesticated and/or undomesticated.
A Serval will be extremely high maintenance. Much like a Great Dane and/or many other pets that could best be described as commonly "acceptable". If you've never been around one, yes it would be wise to volunteer at a sanctuary or rescue that cares for Servals prior to getting one.

 

[jefferd18]

I can see you're really taken with Servals. Servals
Trouble is, as @abyeb pointed out in that thread, Servals are 'exotic pets', which to me is a nice way of saying 'really should be kept in the wild'. It may seem a lovely idea to have a goofy but slightly wild pet, but it seems a lot of trouble to go to when there's no guarantee of the outcome; just mucking around with nature to see what you can come up with.
Also if you don't live in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania or Maine, it's illegal in the US to own one.

Servals are the one cat, along with Cheetahs, that do really well as pets. Does that mean that everyone should run out and get one?- no way! I have no objections to anyone owning one of the wild cats as long as they do their homework.

 

[jefferd18]

curious if this could work and what it would look like lol i love both breeds due to their size but they have totally different personalities coons being goofy sweet cats vs servals being wild but tamable

if not curious what would be a good mix to breed a serval cat with to make a savannah type hybrid even bigger

 

[basscat]

Servals are the one cat, along with Cheetahs, that do really well as pets. Does that mean that everyone should run out and get one?- no way! I have no objections to anyone owning one of the wild cats as long as they do their homework.

Amazingly...Mt. Lions may be the best behaved. I'd sure hate to make one mad though

 

[jefferd18]

Amazingly...Mt. Lions may be the best behaved. I'd sure hate to make one mad though

Does he look like he could ever get mad? LOL!

 

[basscat]

View attachment 305840

Does he look like he could ever get mad? LOL!

I think his idea of "wild" is luke warm water in the bathtub. LOL

 

[monsta]

My F1 Savannah turned 8 months old today - weighs 13lb - hes expected to get into very high 20's ( maybe even the 30's) with correct feeding and exercise - amazing cats - super intelligent, very active , very dog like, if your a lazy pet owner then they are def not for you - if you are interact with your cats alot and can spend time with them then this breed could be for you - very loving very loyal - a cat bigger than a maine coon but without all the hair and impressive exotic looks - they have that WOW factor

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

He's beautiful! While I love the look of them, I'm not the right person to have one.