# Serval / BobCat / Caracal



## NatalieC87

Hello..

I am very interested in buying one or two Serval or Caracal or Bobcat cubs. (or a mixture) 

I have wanted one for a very long time as they are a plausable alternative to a Lion/tiger/leopard.

Does anyone have any information on what obtaining a DWA licence requires? I understand its through the local council but what do they check?

I want to have the serval(s) inside my home with me. I understand that in the UK we have to have a double lock enclosure but surely the Servals will not have to stay in there all the time? :gasp:

Also can anyone point me in the direction of a UK based breeder?

Thank you in advance for any replies. Your help is much appreciated.


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## herp_derp

The basics are that you must show suitable knowledge to keep the animal, and a suitable enclosure to house it, a vet who is willing to treat it, public liability insurance. The enclosure will be inspected by a specialist vet as it's unlikely the council will know the first thing about it.

Check with your local council for annual fees, some are a lot higher than others.

Do you really have the space for a suitable enclosure, they couldn't just live in a house and i'm sure the vet would be expecting them to spend most their time in a zoo-sized and secured enclosure where they have enough space to exercise properly.

With DWA the primary objective is to protect the public


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## NatalieC87

Thank you for your response ....

I have a 'Garden Room' Which is an extension built onto the house but has alot of windows. I was planning on getting an enclosure for that room. I want the Serval to be able to roam the house during the day and perhaps sleep in the enclosure at night. I want to treat the Serval as a normal pet not keep it in a enclosure all the time, from what I have read Servals are very loving and like a lot of attention.

Is it easy to obtain the DWA licence or do the council make you jump through hoops?


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## SuperSpeedyWheels

NatalieC87 said:


> Thank you for your response ....
> 
> I have a 'Garden Room' Which is an extension built onto the house but has alot of windows. I was planning on getting an enclosure for that room. I want the Serval to be able to roam the house during the day and perhaps sleep in the enclosure at night. I want to treat the Serval as a normal pet not keep it in a enclosure all the time, from what I have read Servals are very loving and like a lot of attention.
> 
> Is it easy to obtain the DWA licence or do the council make you jump through hoops?


I thought Servals were generally nocturnal?


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## herp_derp

Being the council it will just depend what the person you are dealing with it like. I don't have DWA at the moment but have made initial enquiries and the person was very helpful but it is clear she has no idea of enclosure requirements or any specifics.

I'd be surprised if a vet would see a family home as a suitable enclosure. A specialist in your area, big cats, is likely to be a zoo vet and will therefore most likely want to see an enclosure where they can run around freely and big enough to reach full speed and really maintain their bodies physique.

I am just guessing, the best option would be to speak to the council first, see what they can tell you then find a vet who would treat them. This vet should then be able to give you good advice about what they would consider a suitable enclosure as it is the vet who has the final say.


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## philipniceguy

I know of 2 private keepers in the uk which keep servals (one of which is on RFUK) but I am 98% sure you will never get a DWAL if you plan to let them roam your house (day or night) and as stated they are nocturnal so likely if allowed they will just find somewere dark and quiet in the house and just sleep. saying that i keep a few nocturnal mammals and since young fed and spend time with them most of the day and now they spend over half the day out no idea how long they up in the night time. As for getting a DWAL its worth asking the council as they will be the ones to deside what they want you to do/have in order to keep DWA


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## NatalieC87

Thank you all for your replies.

I have tried to call the council and the Environmental Officer was unavailable.

So what your saying is that an Indoor closure is a no no? 

Please excuse my naivety but I thought the enclosure was purely to show that the animal has a secure place to sleep and stay while alone?

Also what I mean by 'roam the house' is that I want the serval(s) to be able to have full access of the house when I am home.


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## herp_derp

NatalieC87 said:


> Please excuse my naivety but I thought the enclosure was purely to show that the animal has a secure place to sleep and stay while alone?


No, the enclosure should meet the requirements for the animals welfare, i.e. give it the space required to maintain it's health which in the case of a big cat I expect means run about a bit, your living room is not suitable for that!


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## azza23

NatalieC87 said:


> Thank you all for your replies.
> 
> I have tried to call the council and the Environmental Officer was unavailable.
> 
> So what your saying is that an Indoor closure is a no no?
> 
> Please excuse my naivety but I thought the enclosure was purely to show that the animal has a secure place to sleep and stay while alone?
> 
> Also what I mean by 'roam the house' is that I want the serval(s) to be able to have full access of the house when I am home.


All though a relitivly small big cat, servals are still pretty dangerous, they are not domesticated and could easily put a adult in hospital, theres no way i would have one free roaming the house. Youll need an aviary type enlclosure in your garden with locks and a seperate cage joined on for cleaning, think of the lion cages at the zoo but a lil smaller.


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## NatalieC87

azza23 said:


> All though a relitivly small big cat, servals are still pretty dangerous, they are not domesticated and could easily put a adult in hospital, theres no way i would have one free roaming the house. Youll need an aviary type enlclosure in your garden with locks and a seperate cage joined on for cleaning, think of the lion cages at the zoo but a lil smaller.


From what I have read or seen they look tame and loving and of course they could turn but so can domesticated dogs that is the risk you take with animals.

Does anyone know a Serval breeder who I contact directly to ask advice?

Thanks


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## azza23

NatalieC87 said:


> From what I have read or seen they look tame and loving and of course they could turn but so can domesticated dogs that is the risk you take with animals.
> 
> Does anyone know a Serval breeder who I contact directly to ask advice?
> 
> Thanks


but dogs have been domesticated for hundreds of years wich means alot, and an adult serval will do more damage to a human than a german sheapard, also ive seen really tame lions on t.v but wouldnt have one in the lounge. Good luck with your application for a D.W.A, but you will never get one if you say your going to keep it in the house.


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## king chameleon

why don't you get one of these instead?

A Beautiful Relationship - Savannah Cat MAGIC and Andreas Stucki. - YouTube

just sayin...:whistling2:


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## CharlieG

Thats a pretty damned cool looking cat tbh!


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## king chameleon

CharlieG said:


> Thats a pretty damned cool looking cat tbh!


I know, they are amazing cats, I'd love to have one or a pair someday...oo:


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## CharlieG

Gotta agree totally....still have this sorta mental 'WOW' going round my head heh


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## herp_derp

Serval cat - a tame wildcat who acted like a domestic cat - YouTube

In this video you can make out more what a suitable enclosure should look like


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## akuma 天

NatalieC87 said:


> Hello..
> 
> I am very interested in buying one or two Serval or Caracal or Bobcat cubs. (or a mixture)
> 
> I have wanted one for a very long time as they are a plausable alternative to a Lion/tiger/leopard.
> 
> Does anyone have any information on what obtaining a DWA licence requires? I understand its through the local council but what do they check?
> 
> I want to have the serval(s) inside my home with me. I understand that in the UK we have to have a double lock enclosure but surely the Servals will not have to stay in there all the time? :gasp:
> 
> Also can anyone point me in the direction of a UK based breeder?
> 
> Thank you in advance for any replies. Your help is much appreciated.


Hi

I was in the same situation as you in that I wanted a Serval but didn't really know where to start when apply for a DWAL. Although I have an extensive knowledge of the animal itself.

As people have said, each council has its own rules regarding DWAL and they can vary wildly so comparing one to another is pointless.

I live in York, and unfortunately for me YCC is run by a backwards commitee of old fuddy duddies and the mere thought of a "wild cat" was enough to drive them into a mad frenzy of panic.

Its didn't matter how well I explained the nature of Servals, showed them videos of how tame they could be trained, or how well my home was suited. All they could think of is the mad Tiger going on a rampage and eating babies. Oh and they charged my £500 for the privledge of saying :censor: NO!

However by comparison some guy in Liverpool got a DWAL to keep 22 crocodiles in his garden shed! (You may have seen this on the TV about 12 months ago).

I would suggest doing what you have done and test the water with your local council BEFORE paying the application fee, otherwise they'll refuse and keep the money and there is nothing you can do about it.

Hope this helps.


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## NatalieC87

akuma 天;9361786 said:


> Hi
> 
> I was in the same situation as you in that I wanted a Serval but didn't really know where to start when apply for a DWAL. Although I have an extensive knowledge of the animal itself.
> 
> As people have said, each council has its own rules regarding DWAL and they can vary wildly so comparing one to another is pointless.
> 
> I live in York, and unfortunately for me YCC is run by a backwards commitee of old fuddy duddies and the mere thought of a "wild cat" was enough to drive them into a mad frenzy of panic.
> 
> Its didn't matter how well I explained the nature of Servals, showed them videos of how tame they could be trained, or how well my home was suited. All they could think of is the mad Tiger going on a rampage and eating babies. Oh and they charged my £500 for the privledge of saying :censor: NO!
> 
> However by comparison some guy in Liverpool got a DWAL to keep 22 crocodiles in his garden shed! (You may have seen this on the TV about 12 months ago).
> 
> I would suggest doing what you have done and test the water with your local council BEFORE paying the application fee, otherwise they'll refuse and keep the money and there is nothing you can do about it.
> 
> Hope this helps.


Thank you so much for that reply ... incredibly helpful. 

My council is North Tyneside council so I will see what they say I called 3 times today and the enviromental officer wasnt available  

In my opinion I think certain breeds of dogs are more dangerous than a Serval and they dont need a DWAL its preposterous. 

I have looked at Savannah Cats but I would only want a F1 and you still need a DWAL for that. :gasp: its a joke. 

Never Mind!!


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors

azza23 said:


> but dogs have been domesticated for hundreds of years wich means alot, and an adult serval will do more damage to a human than a german sheapard, also ive seen really tame lions on t.v but wouldnt have one in the lounge. Good luck with your application for a D.W.A, but you will never get one if you say your going to keep it in the house.


forgive me for saying this... you sound like your spouting stuff youve read on the net which isn't helpfull to the OP. 

OP get in touch with someone who keeps asian leopard cats i daresay they will know of someone who keeps other DWA cats and go from there. 

To be fair this is a great forum for some things... but others not so much. 

Find someone whos kept the animals in question : victory:


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## SuperSpeedyWheels

NatalieC87 said:


> Thank you so much for that reply ... incredibly helpful.
> 
> My council is North Tyneside council so I will see what they say I called 3 times today and the enviromental officer wasnt available
> 
> In my opinion I think certain breeds of dogs are more dangerous than a Serval and they dont need a DWAL its preposterous.
> 
> I have looked at Savannah Cats but I would only want a F1 and you still need a DWAL for that. :gasp: its a joke.
> 
> Never Mind!!


But always remember they are on DWA for a reason. I really hope you manage to get one, but as with all DWA, keep your wits about you, it may not kill you as quickly as a DWA snake can but it can still cause massive damage if you catch it on the wrong day. Even 'domesticated' cats go mad at nothing and scratch and bite the hell out of you. A large cat can be just as aggresive and unpredictable. Let us know how it goes and what the plans are : victory:


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## herp_derp

akuma 天;9361786 said:


> Hi
> 
> I was in the same situation as you in that I wanted a Serval but didn't really know where to start when apply for a DWAL. Although I have an extensive knowledge of the animal itself.
> 
> As people have said, each council has its own rules regarding DWAL and they can vary wildly so comparing one to another is pointless.
> 
> I live in York, and unfortunately for me YCC is run by a backwards commitee of old fuddy duddies and the mere thought of a "wild cat" was enough to drive them into a mad frenzy of panic.
> 
> *Its didn't matter how well I explained the nature of Servals, showed them videos of how tame they could be trained, or how well my home was suited.* All they could think of is the mad Tiger going on a rampage and eating babies. Oh and they charged my £500 for the privledge of saying :censor: NO!
> 
> However by comparison some guy in Liverpool got a DWAL to keep 22 crocodiles in his garden shed! (You may have seen this on the TV about 12 months ago).
> 
> I would suggest doing what you have done and test the water with your local council BEFORE paying the application fee, otherwise they'll refuse and keep the money and there is nothing you can do about it.
> 
> Hope this helps.


I get the impression you didn't have a suitable enclosure then as I have mentioned a couple of times on this thread. Whether they can be tamed or not they are deemed dangerous and therefore cannot be left to spend most their time roaming freely around a house. Even in the you tube video I posted with a tame cat it still had a large outdoor enclosure. It's as much about the animals welfare as it is about safety. :2wallbang:

I showed my council a video of a guy with a king cobra in a wicker basket kissing it's head but they still refused my application to keep one in a washing basket in my bedroom :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## NatalieC87

SuperSpeedyWheels said:


> But always remember they are on DWA for a reason. I really hope you manage to get one, but as with all DWA, keep your wits about you, it may not kill you as quickly as a DWA snake can but it can still cause massive damage if you catch it on the wrong day. Even 'domesticated' cats go mad at nothing and scratch and bite the hell out of you. A large cat can be just as aggresive and unpredictable. Let us know how it goes and what the plans are : victory:


lol I know Animals are unpredictable regardless if its a normal domesticated cat or dog but it seems servals are pretty loving with their owners. I will let you know honey if I get some good news and a lovely member of reptile forum pm'd me some contact details of a Serval owner so coupled with contacting him and speaking to my council hopefully I will get somewhere.


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## akuma 天

ShaneLuvsMonitors said:


> forgive me for saying this... you sound like your spouting stuff youve read on the net which isn't helpfull to the OP.
> 
> OP get in touch with someone who keeps asian leopard cats i daresay they will know of someone who keeps other DWA cats and go from there.
> 
> To be fair this is a great forum for some things... but others not so much.
> 
> Find someone whos kept the animals in question : victory:


 
I see what you are trying to say, and it makes sense. BUT (isn't there always a but....)

I have personally encountered an angry Rotwieler before, and I can say I was in fear of my life, not that I'd be injured or hurt, but actually dead.

And you don't need a licence for one of them.
(please don't think I am demonising Rotties, I love them, but they are the only angry dog I have encountered so that is my point of reference)

I have seen a video of an angry Serval, now ok it is only a video, but of the two situations one seemed to be dangerous for a few nasty scratches and one seemed to be able to bite my head clean off.

Many countires don't consider Servals as DWA, and I can see why. They are as dangerous as any domesticated dog due to size and power, and if badly trained or poorly kept can turn just as quickly.



barrow_matt said:


> I get the impression you didn't have a suitable enclosure then as I have mentioned a couple of times on this thread. Whether they can be tamed or not they are deemed dangerous and therefore cannot be left to spend most their time roaming freely around a house. Even in the you tube video I posted with a tame cat it still had a large outdoor enclosure. It's as much about the animals welfare as it is about safety. :2wallbang:
> 
> I showed my council a video of a guy with a king cobra in a wicker basket kissing it's head but they still refused my application to keep one in a washing basket in my bedroom :Na_Na_Na_Na:


My application included plans for a full enclosure in my back garden which is sizeable and suitable. But I hadn't had the work done in case I didn't get the licence as it would have been pointlees.

I did state that I would be happy to lock into terms that required the work to be carried out if such licence was granted. But it would be daft to build a large enclosure if they said no anyway, not to mention a waste of money.


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors

akuma 天;9367361 said:


> I see what you are trying to say, and it makes sense. BUT (isn't there always a but....)
> 
> I have personally encountered an angry Rotwieler before, and I can say I was in fear of my life, not that I'd be injured or hurt, but actually dead.
> 
> And you don't need a licence for one of them.
> (please don't think I am demonising Rotties, I love them, but they are the only angry dog I have encountered so that is my point of reference)
> 
> I have seen a video of an angry Serval, now ok it is only a video, but of the two situations one seemed to be dangerous for a few nasty scratches and one seemed to be able to bite my head clean off.
> 
> Many countires don't consider Servals as DWA, and I can see why. They are as dangerous as any domesticated dog due to size and power, and if badly trained or poorly kept can turn just as quickly.
> 
> 
> 
> My application included plans for a full enclosure in my back garden which is sizeable and suitable. But I hadn't had the work done in case I didn't get the licence as it would have been pointlees.
> 
> I did state that I would be happy to lock into terms that required the work to be carried out if such licence was granted. But it would be daft to build a large enclosure if they said no anyway, not to mention a waste of money.


I dont see how thats relevant to my post... 

But yeah we get it dogs can be dangerous animals... but so are cars so are people... 

Again someone whos got relevant experience directly with the animals in question will be infinetly more helpfull than someone whos just read books/seen videos on the internet. 

im hopefully getting a pyranean mountain dog next year... so im going to spend time with the parents and get used to the breed. 

Exactly what the OP should be doing with a cerval.


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## 5plusmany

I'm sure I read somewhere that Servals have a long history of being kept as pets, dating back to egyptian times. Of course, that doesn't make them ' domesticated', but could be worth researching this and mentioning in your DWAL application..?
Best of luck


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## spinnin_tom

i think people have kept servals as pets, there are plenty of videos on the net of them acting how my tabby acts all the time.. they seem like they change very quickly.

i think a Savannah cat would be an easier cheaper and more loving option, as you don't need to apply for the licence, you don't need to faf with a large enclosure so you can have them in your house


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## Chris Newman

spinnin_tom said:


> i think a Savannah cat would be an easier cheaper and more loving option, as you don't need to apply for the licence, you don't need to faf with a large enclosure so you can have them in your house


Savannah cats require licensing under the DWAA


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## spinnin_tom

Chris Newman said:


> Savannah cats require licensing under the DWAA


well that's my plan out of the window.
i thought they were essentially domesticated


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## Chris Newman

spinnin_tom said:


> well that's my plan out of the window.
> i thought they were essentially domesticated


They are a hybrid so require licensing until they they reach about F3 generation.


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## DanielF

SuperSpeedyWheels said:


> *But always remember they are on the DWA for a reason.* I really hope you manage to get one, but as with all DWA, keep your wits about you, it may not kill you as quickly as a DWA snake can but it can still cause massive damage if you catch it on the wrong day. Even 'domesticated' cats go mad at nothing and scratch and bite the hell out of you. A large cat can be just as aggresive and unpredictable. Let us know how it goes and what the plans are : victory:


Lots of the animals on the DWA are on there for crappy reasons, I can't own a Chinese alligator without a DWA yet I can own Crocodile monitors, Nile monitors ect without one. :whip:


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## Chris Newman

DanielF said:


> Lots of the animals on the DWA are on there for crappy reasons, I can't own a Chinese alligator without a DWA yet I can own Crocodile monitors, Nile monitors ect without one. :whip:


In principle the DWAA is a good idea and I suport it, in practice its a dismal failure and I am fast comming to the conclusion should be scraped....


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## Disgruntled

I think that it should be centralised as a department somewhere that deals with the whole of the Uk so that it costs the same and uses the same people to check would be keepers out. That way there would be dedicated vets that are not simply pulled out of their day jobs to spec out enclosures and councils would not be able to carry on the way some of them do at present. :whistling2:


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## Disgruntled

Just checked the price of a license in cambridgeshire for 2012 and its £57 plus vets time fee. Seems very cheap.....:gasp: Won't be getting my bigger cat in 2012 though sadly.. I have to build a bespoke weathering/mews for my harris hawk as she is living in a stable at the moment (a very nice one, but I'd like her nearer the house)..


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## exoticcat

*Keeping Servals as pets*

I have a Serval, he is very domesticated but he does live in an enclosure outside. My best sugestion to you knowing the breed is that you should have a choice of both indoor and outdoor enclosure. Perhaps have access from the house to the outside enclosure so that he/she has the choice to be in either. Servals do domesticate very well if aquired as a cub. Any DWA must be taken very seriously at all times, I do not know of any serious attacks on humans from a Serval. 

Good Luck


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