We are very curious: what does a day with 21 cats look like?
Busy, first of all. But because I love having cats around me, it’s especially cosy and fun! That all starts when I get up in the morning. There are always about ten cats in bed with us and they all want attention right away. Every morning i have to cuddle for at least half an hour before i get out of bed.
After all those cuddles, I take a cup of coffee and first let our Serval Mombasa out with his group of cats. Also the little doors of the stays of the other males are opened so that they can get some fresh air in their outside stay.
And then the “real work” begins. When you have animals you have to take good care of them, so I spend a lot of time on that every day. I scoop out all the litter boxes, clean the whole house and all the rooms, and give the cats food and fresh water. Then I go to my horse or work on our websites.
And how is it when you return home?
Coming home is also a party. I get a warm welcome from all the cats. Navarre (Savannah) usually jumps into my neck immediately and Kismet (also Savannah) crawls into my lap as soon as I sit down. The rest of the cats wait their turn – because they all want a cuddle or a treat.
So your cats listen well?
Yes they do. Look, with 21 cats you have to deal with many different characters. But in general, all my cats are affectionate and friendly. But also very active and above all not easily impressed by anything.
The biggest clown of the bunch, by the way, is Navarre. She is the one who demolishes toilet rolls and bin bags and steals our food. It is never boring in the house with her! But in general all my cats are very relaxed. In bed, they are all fast asleep. And during the day, they all lie in their new cat tree.
What kind of scratching post did you buy?
Well, even better. We got it from Dennis – co-founder of Petrebels! We have a Savannah 200. This is a very large and high scratching post that our cats enjoy immensely. They play and climb in it, but they also often sleep in it. Even our Serval climbs all the way up to the top or crams himself into one of the hammocks, haha. We are really very happy with it!
So in your home, everything revolves around the cats!
Definitely! We now run a professional cattery – CatVision – where we breed Savannahs and Kurilian Bobtails. And the TICA shows we go to with them are also great fun. But we will always have space for refugee cats.
We once started with five shelter cats that had been rescued from a very dirty home. Unfortunately, two of them were sick and we had to let them go. But our three HTK cats Dolcy, Fenix and Nose are still living with us.
And what are the names of the other cats?
I like to give our cats special names. I usually choose a name from a nice film or series. Onze Savannahs heten Cannelle Savannahs Ndidi, Felissavannah Khaleesi, SGC. CatVision Ramsey A Miti, CatVision Vivita Amora, CH. CatVision Akilah Joemana, CatVision Queen Baltimore, SavannahTemple Kismet, CatVision Navarra Hispaania, Classyspots Tamani, Wyldthingz Lord Loki, Alberta Ezra.
Our only Serval is called Mombasa of CatVision and our Kurilian Bobtails are called CH. Alphacat Bahira, Alphacat Gabrialla, Uvertura Krasbob, CH. Xenia Blue Blood, CH. Shonsbob Irtysh and Globe lightning Nazaro.
It’s inevitable: you are a real cat lover
Yes, I can’t imagine life without cats! I grew up with a cat at home and have always had cats myself. And my husband Andy (33) loves them too. Cats give so much love and pleasure!
And you must be very careful of them too?
My life revolves around my cats, so we take a lot of care of them. We even bought our house in Fijnaart especially for our cats. The house is in a quiet village and has enough space for all the cats. There is also plenty of room for the various outdoor areas, as our pedigree cats are not allowed to go outside without supervision. They are too dear to us for that. But in the cat houses, they can safely play outside and enjoy the sunshine in summer.
Do you have any tips lovers of pedigree cats?
The most important thing is that you take good care of your cat, because every species – whether breed or regular housecat – needs good care. They deserve it. And especially a Serval, that breed is absolutely not suitable for everyone. Servals may be felines, but they are not ordinary cats.
Tips from Evelyne for people who want to buy a Serval:
Servals need to be able to go outside but can only do so in a spacious outdoor enclosure or fully enclosed garden. The minimum dimensions of an enclosure for a serval are 25m2 and 2.5 m high with a lock. Because then the Serval cannot escape when you open the door. Important, because Servals are smart and escape easily. I also recommend that the roof of the outdoor enclosure is made of mesh panels and not nets – the latter can easily be bitten through by big cats.
A Serval absolutely cannot be kept in a flat or small house!
Servals need a good and varied fresh diet with vitamins and minerals added (such as Carnizoo). This is important, because poor nutrition leads to bone deformities, pain and disease. Servals eat raw (live is not necessary) day-old chicks, mice, quail, pigeon, chicken, hare and fish, but also meat rolls. We feed meat rolls and combine them with pieces of meat and prey animals.
Servals cannot be left alone for long. So you work all week, have a busy social life and enjoy going on holiday or weekends away? Then a Serval is not for you.
A Serval is very attached to its master and can never be reinstated. So a Serval is for life. So think very carefully before you get one.
Evelyne has 21 cats and is incredibily happy with the cat tree Savannah 200. This extra high scratching post has everything that its active breed cats need. The scratching logs are thick, the hammocks large and sturdy and there is more than enough space for all her cats. And she is also happy with the colour pepper, because it matches her interior perfectly.
Read the story of Bruna and her Ragdoll Nyna
Disclaimer: Petrebels does not consist of veterinarians or behavioral experts: all content, information and tips on this blog are intended to inspire and inform you. Does your cat have complaints or problems and do you have doubts about your cat’s health? Then always go to the vet or a behavioral expert.
