Bringing Up Babies

By Kim Barker

A few months ago, I was asked about being involved with helping raise some baby serval cubs that were on the way. My first thought was, "Absolutely!", but then I had to evaluate the time it would take to invest into these little lives so they would grow up to be healthy, well-socialized cats and if I was ready to take that on. That struck me as exactly what it is: a big responsibility and commitment. I decided yes, and realized I had made the right decision the second I held my first two week old serval named Tail (his name is Obi now, and I am one of his adoring adopters). These cubs were born to a rescued serval who arrived already pregnant.

Every Sunday and Wednesday, I show up to help Doug and Mindy with these creatures that I have watched grow to be about 6 months old now. In the beginning, everyone had to be completely clean to handle the babies and had to do so with extra care as serval cubs are very fragile. I remember Doug reading the first draft of the warning notice to me that he planned to put on the front door. This notice informed folks of the rules of the house to protect the new residents, and was an unwritten notice of wrath if the rules were disobeyed. If you were unsure of the rules or were not going to follow them before you walked through the door, you weren't going far (not just for the babies' protection, but your own).

Many a day, I came into the house with Doug and Mindy bleary-eyed from frequent feedings and cleaning. Doug's arms would have these razor like scratches on them from a very exuberant baby serval that just couldn’t get enough formula (usually Sammy or Murphy). You learned quickly that a towel over your hand while feeding was your best friend, as it could keep the scratches down a bit. And Mindy was frazzled and tired as the little ones swarmed her feet as she prepared more formula, but very patient with the babies and those of us who were learning to care for these guys.

With those adorable faces, it didn't take long for every little baby to be sponsored by people eager to help with the new residents. They were impossible to resist. Two of the first ones sponsored were Sammy and William. Sammy was named after Sam lion and William was named after Will tiger, two magnificent older cats who we lost over the summer. The other three were named Murphy, Mojo, and Obi.

Early on, there were a few scary complications. One of the fragile babies, William, had ingested something while still nursing on his mother that made him very ill. Doug rushed him to the vet and was very upset that he had to leave him alone overnight. The sadness could be read all over his face when he returned without him. The vet was certain he wouldn't make it through the night, but he did. In the morning when Doug went to visit him, William had vomited up a small piece of string. We have no idea where it come from. William's recovery was almost immediate.

The babies began to have strange complications when they were about six weeks old. Mojo bounced down from a waist high platform one morning and then began limping. He had broken his leg! When it was Xrayed, the vet said it looked like a metabolic bone disease problem. Some of the cubs in the litter were absolutely fine, and others developed this metabolic bone disease which prevented them from processing vitamin D and calcium to make strong bones they way they should. They were all on the same diet and in the same environment, so we think there might be a genetic factor involved.

These already exceptionally fragile creatures were now even more delicate and handling them felt like handling the most breakable item you can imagine. Obi suffered some back issues due to the metabolic bone disease. While Doug and Mindy were in Africa, Obi was boarded with a veterinarian in Durham to protect him the best way they knew how. I visited him while he was there, and though he was grumpy because he was away from his family and in noticeable discomfort, he welcomed company. While he was there, in a small kennel, he somehow managed to break one of his front legs! Fortunately, it did not need surgery or a cast in order to heal.

He seems to have had the most health issues, and though he still runs a bit like a frog, the littlest serval has one of the biggest hearts (Obi means "heart" from the Igbo tribe in Nigeria). I am happy to say that at this point in their lives their health related problems have been resolved, though we still watch Obi for signs of limping.

In spite of the joy this experience has given me, it has not been without tragedy. We unexpectedly lost Murphy late in the summer. After a visit to the vet where he got anesthesia, he did not recover. The vet believes it was an embolism. It was a devastating loss to those of us who had spent so much time with him. His brothers also sensed the loss and responded noticeably. Even though we only knew him a short time, it was incredibly difficult to say goodbye to an animal and friend who loved life and loved his people. He will be missed for years to come.

They are now long past formula and have been eating chicken, rats, and other meats for quite some time now. Interesting is the only nice word I have for cleaning up mice and rat "leftovers". Cleaning up after them is similar to cleaning up after most animals, but the ammonia smell will knock you over if you're not exactly ready for it (and sometimes even when you are). Ice cubes and other "toys" are excellent distractions while trying to do something when you don't need their "help", and they love to be helpful. To them, ponytails are an unwritten invitation to scale your back. Noses and ears and toes are for biting, or at least nipping. And good luck if you're trying to leave their room. An escape plan is needed for this.

Now that they have gotten older, it's fun to see them play and watch their little personalities grow into big personalities. Sammy is the biggest by far and doesn't seem to know anyone he doesn't immediately love. The difficult part of that is he sometimes shows his love with a monster head-butt and a nip on the nose or ears. Most of us have learned and now take the necessary steps to protect ourselves.

William will greet visitors with a purr and head butt, but he loves his independence. He can get aggravated quickly and is quite vocal about letting you know he's unhappy. Mojo is the sweetheart, clown, and daredevil all wrapped up in a serval shaped package. While healing from his broken leg, he barely slowed at all, and he has a winning disposition. He loves to greet his human friends with a head butt and will snuggle up when he finally wears out, which isn't often. And last, but not least, is little Obi. He may be behind in size, but he makes up for it with heart. He is the first to the food dish and he defends it with gusto! Though he loves his brothers, he is quick to start a tussle and he's gotten very good at holding his own. And he loves his people. He is a sweet, snuggly serval when he finally settles down.

This journey of mine has just begun and has a long way to go. These are messy, feisty, sweet, and smart young servals. I count it an honor and a blessing to be a part of their lives. I'm so looking forward to continuing this journey.