RANGE | It is rare in North Africa and the Sahel, but widespread in wetter habitats throughout sub-Saharan countries. They are absent from the central tropical rainforests and the deserts in the north and south west.

FUN FACTS | Servals are very shy small cats found in Africa, most closely related to the caracal. Small cats can purr but nor roar. Servals have very tall legs- the longest legs proportionately to their body size of all cats. These long legs raise the cats’ body above water as they stand in ponds and watering holes to catch fish. These long legs also enable them to leap 6-8 feet into the air to capture a bird flying low. Servals have the largest ears for the size of their body so can hunt for rodents in the grass by using their hearing, locating it in the grass or underground. Instead of using speed to chase down their prey, like a serval, servals are primarily ambush predators and use those long legs to leap, grab birds in the air or grab a mouse from an underground burrow. Servals are generalists, meaning they do not specialize in just one kind of prey. They are such incredibly adaptable hunters that they are more successful than most predators.

In the year 2000, a zoo welcomed a big litter of serval kittens, but were not able to keep them all. That’s lucky for us, because one of those kittens came to us and we have loved having Savannah living with us all these years!

Savannah is the ultimate princess- true to her serval nature. She LOVES to go on long walks and she gets annoyed when the alpacas follow her. When she was younger, she loved to play in forts made from blankets and rugs. She is now more likely to be found lying on the platform we made for her with old firehose, soaking up the sun. She is still playful, though! This cat still loves a good box—guess some things are universal! If she fits, she sits. She also loves wrestling with large stuffed animals and carrying them away.

SPECIAL NEEDS | She just turned 20 in June of 2020 so we are definitely seeing signs of advancing arthritis. We will continue to keep her comfortable with a variety of supplements and medications.

Savannah LOVES giant stuffed animals—the bigger, the better. She lays against them, and on them, and just purrs. She also loves thick dog beds placed on her firehose hammock for extra padding. She enjoys tubes and toys that enable her to reach her paws in to grab a treat or toy, a very natural serval behavior—like a whack-a-mole game for cats!