Diablo the Savannah Cat's Story

Diablo is a first-generation (F1) Savannah Cat. A Savannah Cat is a hybrid species resulting from the intentional breeding of an African Serval and a domestic housecat. Diablo was likely purchased as an adolescent from a breeder, and was privately owned. His owners could not manage Diablo’s naturally defiant and aggressive behavior as a house pet, so they surrendered him to an accredited sanctuary in Florida.

In early 2023, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) agreed to take 33 wild cats from the Florida sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). Diablo was one of those cats, and he now lives in his forever home at Freedom Field. He has a standoffish personality, and his care team describes him as grumpy and cautious. He can be difficult and defiant when it is time to take his meds, which the team gives to him through small openings due to his aggressive tendencies. Diablo likes to mark everything in his habitat, including his enrichment toys, a common behavior among wild cats. In the wild, this is how they would claim their territory. Diablo also enjoys lying in his mulch pile or conversing with his neighbors.