by Michael
(London, UK)
I didn’t want to write about this but it kept coming back into my mind. It sounds awful and it is. Big Cat Rescue reported on it and are seeking funds to provide a decent home for these poor cats where they can walk on grass and see the sky! Big Cat Rescue were polite about the person who did this. I don’t feel so inclined.
This person, Chris, loves her servals – shame she treated them as if she hated them. Anyone who could put a wildcat that is used to traveling long distances and energetic through that kind of mental torture for twelve years must surely hate the cats?! The basement measured 12′ x 25′. Oh, I forgot to mention all five cats were declawed too. Not sure if she had it done or if it was done before she bought them but it doesn’t make much difference. If you buy a declawed cat you support declawing. If you rescue a declawed cat you support cats provided you keep the cat well for the life of the cat. Declawing is immoral.
But no she loved them. I just don’t understand it. Or perhaps I do. She bought them from a pet store when they were darling little kittens. Oh she simply couldn’t resist satisfying her selfish desire to own them. It was a case of compulsive purchasing just in the same way you compulsively purchase a new TV.
Chris clearly had no idea about caring for servals. Adult servals are large and a little intimidating to the average person. I should know as I have been in cage with two.
They can hiss aggressively and rightly so. And they spray urine so fast that you can’t get out of the way. This is all normal. I love servals too but I would never consider “owning” one never mind five unless I knew all about “how to”. And how to includes lots of space and a good budget.
Chris wouldn’t be able to compulsively purchase five little servals now as it is banned in the area where she lives (NY – wildcat hybrids above fifth generation are also banned in NY state).
Well, Chris obviously found that caring for servals in her home was too much – surprise. The place must has ponged with cat urine and we all know how hard that is to remove. A servals understandably don’t like to be banged up as full-time indoor cats so they try and escape. Some do escape. As they are frequently declawed escaped servals end up dead, either shot by some scared individual or killed by an animal that has retained its defenses.
So of to the basement they went for ever. Until she became ill and thankfully did the right thing and went about how to have them rescued. Sorry, Chris, to hear about your illness and predicament but you did wrong and you should have rectified it 12 years ago.
There is far too much irresponsible “cat ownership”. It should be called cat caretaking as that phrase focuses on the job at hand and neutralizes the human’s arrogance.
