Serval owner says regulation and permitting for exotic cats is needed, not a full-on ban

A serval owner and Bengal and Savannah cat breeder in B.C.'s Central Okanagan is raising concerns about the province's proposal to ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including servals, ocelots and European wildcats.

In a news release on Tuesday, the province said the animals would be designated as "controlled alien species," a long list that includes, but is not limited to, animals like giraffes, hyenas, jaguars and polar bears.

But Sonu De'cruze said it would be more appropriate to regulate breeders and owners and require permits rather than ban exotic cats altogether.

De'cruze owns an eight-year-old serval named Uzi, who she described as "lovely," but who needs a lot of work.

She's spent thousands of dollars on enclosures, both indoors and outside, so that Uzi can roam around. She changes up his environment regularly to combat boredom, and he has a giant cat wheel to walk on — like people walking on a treadmill, De'cruze said.

She also doles out about $700 every month on food: a kibble mixture, raw meat and vitamins and supplements.

"We've had to be very particular about his diet from when he was quite young, making sure that he was getting all of the proper nutrition," she said.

De'cruze is committed to owning her serval, so much so that she doesn't take vacations, and when she and her husband have to leave for emergencies, there are a select few people they call to care for Uzi.

It's a lot.

And it's something De'cruze realizes isn't for everyone, and said it probably shouldn't be.

But, she said, a ban on the cats altogether may be too hasty.

She worries the ban will force breeders and owners "underground," and that these cats won't receive proper care because owners will be afraid to take them to the vet.

"It's just gonna be worse for these cats, if people are being forced to kind of do everything in secret."

De'cruze also breeds Bengal and Savannah cats. While neither breed was specifically mentioned in the province's release, they're often lumped in with the ones that were.

Not only is she concerned she won't be able to own servals in the future, but she's also concerned for her business.

"I'm kind of just sitting in limbo at this point, waiting to see what happens."

B.C. exotic cat breeder Catherine Joyal said in an email to CBC News that she is heartbroken by the proposal of this ban.

"It's a sad situation," Joyal said. "I understand the need for regulation, but I wish the focus were on education and responsible ownership, not on punishing the animals themselves."

She agreed with De'cruze that exotic cat ownership is not for everyone.

"When raised properly, they can become affectionate, loyal, and truly extraordinary companions."

Lawyer Rebeka Breder, who specializes in animal law, said that while she understands why someone would want to own an exotic cat, "there's absolutely no need whatsoever."

"The bottom line is that they suffer in captivity," she said. "When an exotic animal, when a wild animal or an animal that's supposed to be wild still has in his genes and instincts to travel hundreds of kilometres and to have a wide territory and to have a wide variety of different things that they eat, their welfare needs simply cannot be met in a home environment."

Breder wants to see the ban extended to other animals, like boa constrictors.

The B.C. SPCA has been an open supporter of a ban on exotic cats, encouraging British Columbians to sign their petition calling for the regulation of all exotic animals.

The organization said the cats are a public safety risk.

Two servals escaped from a breeder on Vancouver Island in 2022, and killed a domestic cat and multiple domestic ducks before they were captured, the organization said.

"People were really scared," B.C. SPCA chief scientific officer Sara Dubois told CBC News. "They didn't want their kids walking to the school bus because again, these are 40-pound, large, lanky animals, and they could be defensively aggressive."

De'cruze thinks the ban proposal stems from when, in 2019, the SPCA seized 13 servals from a breeder near Kamloops, B.C., after they were found living in "horrific conditions." At the time, the SPCA said that the idea of these cats living in captivity was "disturbing enough," let alone in substandard conditions.

On July 9, the SPCA confirmed in an email to CBC News that no charges were ever submitted in that case.

"The people that actually caused the problem in the first place are walking free," De'cruze said. "Now everybody else is just getting penalized."

De'cruze hopes a little more consideration goes into the ban.

While current owners would be able to keep their cats until their deaths as long as they apply for free permits, De'cruze does hope that when Uzi passes, she may be able to get another serval.

"We would like to have the option to have another one if, at that time in our life, we know that we'll be able to provide the same level of care that we provided for our cat, Uzi."