B.C. proposes ban on owning servals, ocelots and other exotic cats

From left to right: A serval, leopard cat and caracal. (SPCA handout image)

The B.C. government has proposed banning the breeding, sale and future ownership of several exotic cat species – including servals, caracals and ocelots.

The proposal would see all non-native and non-domestic cats designated as “controlled alien species” under the province’s Wildlife Act, joining the likes of lions, tigers and jaguars.

The B.C. SPCA has advocated for such a ban for years, calling the practice of keeping exotic cats both inhumane and dangerous.

“These are all wild animals,” said Dr. Sara Dubois, the SPCA’s senior director of animal welfare science and standards. “And so they act like wild animals, even though they’re born in captivity.”

Under the government’s proposal, exotic cats currently kept as pets would be allowed to live out their lives – provided their owners obtain a free permit and meet “basic care and safety requirements.”

For now, there’s no clear indication of how many exotic cats are living in B.C. There are several legal breeders of servals and other species, including on Vancouver Island.

Breeders contacted by CTV News on Tuesday either declined to comment or did not respond in time for publication.

Dubois said even owners with the best of intentions can inadvertently cause suffering to species such as servals, which require highly specialized diets.

Servals seized by the SPCA during the course of cruelty investigations are often found with metabolic bone disease, she said.

The large cats can also cause problems for homeowners – and their neighbours.

“These animals may be really attractive and novel looking, but they are going to be very destructive in a home environment,” Dubois said. “They are unpredictable.”

Escaped servals have made headlines several over the years, in some cases being blamed for killing house pets. That was the case in 2022, when two servals were intentionally let loose in Qualicum Beach.

B.C.’s ban on bigger species was implemented in 2010, after a pet tiger killed a woman in the community of Bridge Lake.

“Before that, we had people walking their tigers beside elementary schools and taking them to birthday parties,” said Dubois. “The same thing is unfortunately happening with these wildcats today.”