zepo

We received a call from the Humane Society regarding a wild cat that was being kept in a suburban area of Minneapolis. The humane officer had spoken with the owner who would willingly surrender the cat because he was biting his son and girlfriend. At the time of the surrender, Zepo's story was featured in City Pages.

TWS was provided very little information into Zepo’s, a caraval (serval-caracal cross), background. We do know that this man was Zepo’s second owner. The first owner had purchased Zepo from a breeder in northern Minnesota. The man who surrendered Zepo informed us he had no toys or “personal” items to come with because Zepo destroyed everything.

Zepo arrived dealing with a few medical issues, including ear mites and a bacterial infection. At 2-years of age, Zepo weighed a mere 13 pounds and vomited frequently. Zepo’s malnourishment was caused by an intestinal blockage. Zepo underwent emergency surgery to remove the foreign object—a large piece of plastic about 1-inch in diameter which he ingested prior to coming to TWS.

Zepo rebounded nicely from the medical conditions he came with. The next obstacle Zepo faced came when he was introduced to the other servals at TWS. Zepo is a hybrid and looks a little different than the other servals. The other servals did not accept Zepo at first due to his differences. Bosco, a baby serval, did not care about the differences and saw something special in Zepo. The other servals opened up to Zepo when they saw the special bond that developed between him and Bosco. We are happy to report that Zepo is now a full-fledged member of the team. This story of friendship through diversity caught the eye of a National Geographic Kid’s Magazine editor who put their story in the October 2003 issue.

Zepo now shares a habitat with other servals who have whole-heartedly accepted him. He has also completely overcome all the health issues he came to TWS with. Formerly a cautious and apprehensive cat, Zepo has blossomed into a confident and inquisitive soul. We feel so fortunate to be able to provide Zepo a home where he can be wild at heart.