Exotic Big Cat Meets its End in Canada

If you're a pet lover with a tender heart you may want to look away. An escaped exotic African cat was unfortunately struck by a vehicle last Sunday night near Otter Point, Canada. The animal had been keeping locals on edge after it was spotted in the Sook area earlier this weekend, as it was far larger than your average house cat.

That's because the cat in question was a relatively large serval cat - a rare breed of mid-sized African feline that boasts a name that is actually derived from a conjuncture of the Portuguese words for "wolf" and "deer."

And the name is no mistake. The serval is an exceptionally unusual big cat. Smaller than a tiger or leopard, the serval is still much larger than your average house cat, growing up to 3 feet long and more than 2 feet tall. The slender and graceful animal boasts a small, tabby-like face and big ears, with its long and powerful legs supporting an up to 40-pound body.

However, compared to most big cats, the serval is considered a calm and easily domesticated animal, with many exotic animal breeders specializing in rearing and training these cats to make stunning (and expensive, at about $8,000) house cats.

The savannah cat, a cross between smaller domestic felines and the serval, is much more common, but it's not illegal to own one of the original African predators in many parts of Canada.

"These are pets - they're very friendly and affectionate cats," Doug Nelson, a Nanaimo cat breeder told the Times Colonist on Monday. "They're a non-aggressive cat, but that changes if they're out and they're scared and they're threatened."

However, according to Don Brown, chief bylaw officer with the Capital Regional District, the serval who unfortunately met its end on a busy road was declawed.

"Kinda shocking when it jumped out in front of the truck!" Peter Henry, the Sook resident who hit the poor animal said on social media before reporting the incident, according to The Province.

Nelson suspects that the deceased cat was the same serval that the SPCA had to retrieve back in August, when it escaped from its home and had to be tracked for several weeks. The breeder added that he sells all his cats with a tracking collar, but these kind of tragedies can still happen if an owner is careless.

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