The family who made an African wildcat their pet
HIS natural habitat is the African grasslands, where his long claws and sharp fangs make short work of rodents, flamingos and even young antelope.
But for Anubis, the serval cat, home is a two-bed terrace house in Oldham with a couple and their two young children.
Instead of sleeping under the stars, he curls up on Kelly and Seb Jones’ bed. And prowling his territory has been swapped for walkies (on a lead at all times).
Two weeks ago, the Daily Mail told how a family in Hertfordshire shared their home with a fox they adopted as a cub, but Anubis, who was bought from a breeder in Peterborough earlier this year, is registered as a dangerous wild animal.
Alarmingly – for most people except the Joneses and their children Brandon, ten, and Sienna, four – he is only nine months old and should double in weight over the next year.
‘He has settled into family life really well and despite him being classed as a dangerous animal we let him sleep on our beds,’ said Mrs Jones.
‘Anubis is really chilled out in the evenings and during the day he has his own space in the pen we’ve built him outside. I spend around £20 each week on mice, rabbits and chicks. Anubis will eat the bones and everything.’
He was hand-reared but Mrs Jones admits they were surprised how wild he is.
‘We have to ensure our garden is secure and, if he’s indoors, that no doors are left open, as he is very good at trying to escape,’ she said. ‘The kids aren’t fazed by him at all. home They strange are used animals.’ to us bringing
Their other pets are a Cuvier’s dwarf caiman – a small South American crocodile – and a hairless Sphynx cat. But neither poses as much of a risk as Anubis, who is named after the Egyptian king of the dead. When fully grown he will stand 2ft tall to his shoulder and weigh 40lb.
‘He would attack if he felt under threat,’ said bank worker Mrs Jones, 28. ‘He has huge fangs and claws that would cause some serious damage. At home, I’m his favourite but he has scratched me. Normally if he’s in a bad mood he will just want to be on his own and go to his enclosure. ‘He’ll hiss at us but most of the time it’s just because he’s hungry. He has a huge appetite and we tend to feed him little and often.’ Naturally, having a large wild cat is a bit of a head turner when the family take him out in their car or for walks. Anubis even has his own Instagram page, King Anubis, which is followed by thousands of people who are fascinated by his domestic world every from life. day,’ people ‘ We said receive all Mrs over Jones. messages the ‘He’s very popular and people do get confused. They think we have a leopard living in our house.’ Servals can be affectionate and are normally not aggressive to humans but the couple have had to pay for public liability insurance in case Anubis ever injures a member of the public. But the Joneses are adamant he is worth every penny. ‘He’s definitely worth it,’ said Mrs Jones. ‘Seb absolutely loves him. I don’t think he’d ever attack anyone unless he felt cornered. But if he ever did escape at least we are covered by the insurance.
‘We never leave Anubis with the kids unless me or Seb are present. In the evenings he just wants to curl up next to us and sleep.’
Oldham Council confirmed it had issued a Dangerous Wild Animals Licence to Mr and Mrs Jones. A spokesman said conditions include keeping Anubis in secure accommodation and ensuring he gets adequate exercise.
‘Huge fangs and claws’