by kay
(lacona, NY, USA)
I was thinking of adopting a serval cat. I do live in north new york i dont know the laws about having a serval cat who could i contact about this?
Kay
Hi Kay, I don’t live in the USA! But I have been involved with the question before. In fact a friend of mine Deborah-Ann Milette keeps a F2 Savannah cat called Motzie. He is a very well known cat. She was recently forced to leave NY and ship her beloved Motzie out of the state because of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). You can read her story here: Jealous Cat Fancier Turns Motzie In As Vicious
So, in answer to your question the people to talk to are the DEC. This is their website: DEC (opens in a new page). As I understand it wild cats and hybrids are banned but that is probably a simplistic answer.
The Feline Conservation Federation (FCF) say this about the Regulations in New York on Wild and Exotic Felines. NY has enacted legislation that prohibits the breeding of wild cats and also bans the purchase and/or sale of wild cats as pets. At the time the law came into force (2005?) the law allowed existing owners to register for a license for 2 years. I suspect that the issuing of licenses to then existing owners would not be renewed once the animals had died.
Certain establishments are allowed to keep wild cats and hybrids such as USDA Class C educational exhibitors.
Wild cat hybrids at or higher than 5th generation are apparently acceptable (marechalcattery.com)
I searched their website for the actual regulations without success (and I search well!). But their page on regulations is here: DEC Regulations — see updates below, please.
I would just ring them! I presume that the regulations I have mentioned cover all of NY state but this needs to be checked.
Update: Click on this: The health code for the city of New York (new window) [update: this link is broken at Nov 2016 – sorry] and
New York State Laws Governing Private Possession of Exotic Animals (new window)
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yes, please contact me, you can use my email address its ok
yzbuyz@hotmail.com
what can be done to change the law, so I can adopt or purchase a f1 or f2 savannah cat does anyone know, is there a group that is pursuing the idea of marching on the capital or getting politician to help, please if there is such a organization to extend our rights , I would like to join, please contact me.
Kimberly. I cannot find a clean answer. Sorry. I am good at searching and neither the DEC nor the internet generally throws up an answer. The best thing is to contact DEC using their contact form and ask the question and at the same time ask them where the bloody hell the information is on their website 😉
Logic dictates that is is forbidden to keep a serval but it may be possible to apply for a license. Logic also dictates that it is not a good idea to keep a serval as a pet despite what some people say. Too many escaped servals (killed). To many rooms ruined with urine 😉 I have been inside an enclosure with a domesticated serval and it is not like being in the company of a domestic cat. The serval will always retain the wild and unlike the domestic cat it is in your face. And they are quite large with big claws etc. And don’t tell me you’d declaw a serval. Bad, very bad.
Hi,
I’m just trying to confirm some information.
I’ve been looking for weeks online to find out whether or not in Buffalo, New York I am able to own a serval.
I’m aware of the F5 rule regarding Savannahs, but nowhere can I find a law or statute that particularly deals with servals, and I’ve gotten conflicting accounts from the DEC.
I was told by one woman that I can own a serval, just not in NYC, and she also harped on the F5 rule for Savannahs. However, I was told by a second woman that I could not own a serval.
I’m so confused, and I know that someone from Rochester commented stating that they were informed they could own a serval. If this is true, it would be amazing if someone could clarify.
I have acrecerage in New york an wanted to have savanah cats, is it at all possible to raise a few for myself! I will be very disappointed if Im not able to do that.Who would know unless I would have to register them.
Why can,t we create jurisdiction for us fanciers of this breed to own an keep as pets not to breed.
Sincerely Eddie Cavallucci