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Large Spotted Genet
(Genetta tigrina)

Article By Lynda Watson

There are 10 species of Genets originally from Africa, Arabia, the Near East & Southwest Europe. The two species most commonly available in the US are the Common Small Spotted Genet (Genet Genetta) & the Large Spotted Genet (Genet Tigrina). They all have rows of dark spots or stripes the length of their bodies on a brown or gray background. Their tails are ringed like a raccoon’s, but not as fluffy & are about as long as their bodies. They have a long face with a pointed muzzle, long whiskers, large rounded ears & binocular vision. They have fully retractable claws on five toes on all four feet. They have unique pads on their feet that extend up the back of their legs beyond the part of the foot they walk on. This is particularly exaggerated on their hind feet. The purpose of the unusual pads is for coming down trees head first & they work like a charm.

The first time people see a Genet they spend awhile deciding what they look like. There seems to be a consensus – their body is spotted somewhat like a Cheetah. Their head is a cross between a cat & ferret. Then there is the extra long Raccoon style tail. And to top it off, they are crowned with fox ears, rounded at the tips. When they open their mouth to speak it’s a combination of dog – cat & genet –ees. They have a little Chihuahua bark, when hungry or wanting attention of a specific kind. They purr when seriously content with what is going on, like being rubbed under the chin. They make a little coughing, huffing, clicking or barking sound when they are upset with their situation or afraid. The more upset they get the louder the huff, cough, click until it develops into a little bark.

Genets can not be kept on a wire cage floor without damage to their feet, infection & possible death.

A suggested diet that we feel works well for adult genets is ½ can Alpo Turkey & Giblet Wet Dog Food & 1 mouse at night & 1 mouse in the morning. The mice are not absolutely necessary if you are not breeding mice. For treats they get Apple “Fig Newton” cookies. Pieces of bananas, apples, kiwi, etc are accepted by some of the genets, some of the time as treats. They also like Raspberry “Fig Newtons”. They get one or two cookies a day. Fresh water is always available in a bowl. The only cookies they seem to care for are the bar type cookies filled with fruit filling.

We keep the babies in a small pet taxi with a soft towel as bedding. We set the pet taxi with half of the taxi on a heating pad on low & half off the heating pad so they can get as warm as they need to be. If the room is less than 75F, try the heating pad on medium.

If the babies start huffing, coughing, clicking or barking they are afraid. By 6 weeks they can climb a pants (or bare) leg, shirt & up to a shoulder to perch. They will spend hours riding on a shoulder, given an opportunity. In the car, riding on a shoulder is a genet’s favorite place. On an hour trip in the car they will go to sleep lying across your shoulders.

By 6 weeks of age we allow our babies the run of the house except at night at which time they go in the pet taxi. They generally play where there is human activity or want to climb up & perch on a shoulder for a better view of what’s going on. As babies & juveniles they will always sleep in the same spot & potty in the same spot when they have run of the house. A potted plant is their favorite potty stop. We have had the best luck getting started with the potty box by making it available to them but then moving it to the place they have chosen once we have found it.

By 10 weeks house spiders, the sun coming in a window & hitting the carpet & toes wiggling under the sheet are eagerly pounced upon. Genets will continue with a bottle as a sole source of nourishment for at least 12 weeks & longer. At 12 weeks start trying them on dog food, ground turkey or small pieces of cooked chicken. Try solid food once a week. However, do not be discouraged if they do not eat solid food until 16 weeks or after. They will eat & probably prefer raw chicken but the danger of salmonella when feeding raw chicken is real. Once they start on solid food it can take up to a month to get them totally on solid food & off the bottle. They are very slow to develop in that area. Their mothers would not wean them in the wild until they are at least six months old & often a year, though she would be bringing them prey long before that.

Genets should always be kept on a leash when outside. Like a cat they tae off for a place of safety when startled, then evaluate the situation. That can put them in jeopardy. They can not be kept in a fenced back yard because they can climb anything like a rocket.

Genets will accept & be accepted as household companions with puppies, kittens & ferrets. As they approach adulthood they will see household birds as lunch.

Wild caught Genets are fine for breeders but are totally unacceptable as pets. It is very dangerous to buy young wild caught Genets. Importers & brokers who have not raised genets seriously misjudge their age. They regularly judge 10 – 12 week old babies as 6 month old babies as 6 month old babies because they are comparing them with felines –caracals, servils& domestic cats. If they are 10 – 12 weeks they are too young to eat solid food & will not take a bottle. They will die rather than eat. When you complain to the importer – broker that they will not eat, you will be told you have stressed them out & this is all your fault. Many importer-brokers traditionally will not take responsibility for selling animals that are too young to be removed from their mother because they are ignorant of the needs of young genets. If you want a young Genet, buy a domestically bred, bottle fed baby. Save yourself a lot of heartache.

Genets which have been bottle fed as babies but then locked up in a cage & ignored for any length of time do not make good pets. They will no longer tolerate being picked up. Genets that are to be kept as pets, need to be kept as a cherished way & in a cage except at night, if you feel it is necessary. They need to be told firmly but gently early in their life what they are not allowed to do. If they are not allowed on the kitchen counter, never put them on the counter & if they jump up, firmly & sharply tell them “no” & put them down. By 7 weeks they understand & disregard “no”. By 8 weeks they are able to understand & regard “no”, if there is a consequence for disregarding it. A gentle but firm tap on the nose, along with a sharp “no” is plenty of consequence.

If kept as a pet they should be exposed to everything that will be required of them as early as possible. If they are going to have to get along with kids, invite the neighborhood kids over once a week, if you don’t happen to have any of your own. Put them in a pet taxi & take them to the vet so they know who this person is & know what that weird smell is. Let them ride in the car. Let them go downtown (with a collar & leash) & to the shopping mall. By 8 weeks its time to go camping & to the beach & for a paddle boat ride. Everything is possible for the if they are introduced to a wide variety of experiences between the time they are 6 weeks & 24 weeks old. Before 6 weeks they mostly sleep. They are great pets if trained correctly from the beginning & safeguards are made so that if they startle they cannot fly into the face of danger.

Some males need to be neutered by the time they are about a year old to keep the from spraying, but some don’t. Some females will need to be spayed at about 1.5 years to keep them from being nippy every time they come into heat, but some will not. It seems to depend on the individual animal. We suggest not altering the animal unless it proves necessary.

Positives attributes of genets?
MM: They are gorgeous, graceful and powerful animals. Watching a genet climb and leap in its enclosure is amazing.
DF: If gotten when young, and properly handled (meaning bottle fed as long as possible, held CONSTANTLY, given to others to hold as well, CONSTANTLY) you may wind up with a kind and loving pet. ( a little prayer helps to!) They are very curious, neat looking and awe inspiring animals. Behaviorally they are fascinating. Watching their use of their ears, eyes and sense of smell in constant vigilance of their surroundings and everything with in them is an experience not to be missed.
MF: My experience with my genet is very positive for the most part. She was socialized at an early age and was fixed. I believe a combination of this and my prayers have played a great part in my having a genet that enjoys my company, sleeps with me and likes to cuddle. I am able to introduce her to others and she tends to be friendly towards others. Others positive attributes of genets is that they do not smell, at least not in my experience, and they can be taught to use the litter box and they clean themselves like a cat does.

Negatives attributes of genet?
MM: They are very independent. They can be held when they want -- not when you want to hold them. Their bite is extremely painful. Claws are very, very sharp. They are excellent hunters and I would never trust a genet around another animal.
DF: If you choose (as we have) not to have the animal declawed, you could, on occasion, get a nasty scratch. Also sometimes her play may result in a play bite that draws blood. Again, Khira has never been overtly aggressive, but she is a wild animal and must be considered as such. This is NOT A PET FOR SMALL CHILDREN, OR HOMES WITH SMALL CHILDREN.
MF: They are very easily frightened and skittish. If frightened, you better not try to hold them because in their attempt to get away they will shred you. They are independent like a cat and you can't always grab them easily in order to cuddle with them or to move them to another room. It is not like grabbing a dog. They can be temperamental and hissy. They have to be in the mood to be held in order for you to be able to hold them. Another negative is that, because genets are nocturnal, they may wake you up at night if they are in the same room with you. Khira has adapted somewhat to my schedule and often sleeps with me but at times she will begin to play bite me hard and wake me up. She does not know when to stop and its hard to get a good nights rest like this. When she sleeps with me, I enjoy it so much that I refuse to keep her in another room while I sleep. Another negative of genets is that they can see your other small pets as food or something to play with to the point of killing it. They are powerful predators.

Anecdotes/stories regarding your experience with genets?
MM: Gianna was a bottle fed baby that I though was receiving lots of love and attention -- but obviously not enough. I can no longer pick her up and bring her to shows. But I love sitting back and watching her move around in her enclosure. She can easily leap up to her 5 foot high shelf. She can climb a 7 foot cat tower in seconds.
DF: We purchased Khira when she was 2 weeks old, driving a total of 1300 miles so as to avoid her being traumatized by being shipped. She took almost a month longer than her siblings to be weaned, but Martha and I believe this extra time allowed us to bond even closer to Khira. Probably the funniest thing that ever happened with Khira was one time when we brought her to a local pet store. Khira was happily leaping from one persons shoulder to another, checking everyone out, occasionally rubbing up against them in a scenting type of fashion. Suddenly she lept onto someone who was completely unaware of her being there. You should have heard the scream this guy let fly out of his mouth! All the while Khira calmly stayed on his shoulder. He was screaming "...get it off, get it off..what is it?" As soon as he found out he pet her, but was beet red as well.
MF: Khira enjoys sitting on my shoulders or against my head at night while I st on the couch and read or watch tv. She also likes to chase my feet and bite them as I walk from one place to another. I have to wear socks all the time and even then it can hurt a lot if I don't walk cautiously.

What is their average life span?
M: I've read as much as 20 years and as little as 7. I do not know the true average but I hope its closer to 20 years.

How well do they interact with people?
MM: It is extremely important to socialize a young genet, but most (as adults) will prefer just one person.
DF: When someone first comes to our home, she may be a bit skittish. But if the person is there any longer than 5 minutes, it is not uncommon for Khira to wind up climbing their pant leg or leaping up to their shoulder. Again, we began socializing Khira from moment one.
MF: They can interact well with others if you socialize them young and continue to introduce them to new people often. You should always keep an eye on them, though, because if the person makes a mistake like trying to grab the genet or touch them while they are in their territory or while they are messing with something they don't want taken from them, the genet may hiss, growl, or even bite. Genets are very territorial and they get protective of things they want when they think someone will try to take it away from them.

How easily do they train?
MM: I feel they are too independent to actually train.
DF: Well she doesn't sit on "command" if that is what you are asking. But she does know her name and for the most part comes when she is called.
MF: Depends on what training you are talking about. I had no problem training her to use the litter box as a baby. I would stimulate her over the litter box and when she no longer needed stimulating, she already associated the litter box with going to the bathroom. I do use newspaper in her box because they love to pee on paper, even if it is not in the litter box (beware). As for other training, I have not been successful in training her, not that I have tried very hard. However, she has not learned that persistent play biting of mom at night will not result in play but in being put in the cage. You would think she'd get the message after a while but she still doesn't get it.

What size and type of enclosure do they need?
MM: As large an enclosure as possible. My Gianna has her own small room (6' x 6'). She has cat climbing towers and a high shelf by a window (where she loves to sun herself). Some people keep their genets in a large cat cage, but they should be let out during the day (in an escape proof room) for exercise and freedom.
DF: Based on their climbing and leaping ability, one as large as possible! Our entire home serves as Khira's cage although there is a 20'x10x8' cage in the back yard that the state made us put up.
MF: As much as possible. Khira does not live in the cage. She has free roam of most of the house. For the most part, she is in our bedroom while we sleep and for most of the day. She wakes up in the evening and comes out to the living area. At bedtime, she goes back into the bedroom. The only time she spends in a cage is during transporting her or if she starts biting me at night and does not stop. I built her a cage outside before I bought her that is about 7 feet high x 8 feet wide x 8 feet deep but she never goes in there. I have a 2 story ferret cage I used to put her in at night if she misbehaved at night. The cage I now put her in is a 1 story ferret cage but I only leave her there for a limited amount of time and is inadequate for a genet to live in.

What do you feed them?
MM: Mazuri Exotic Feline diet is excellent. Gianna also will eat bananas.
DF: as an adult she eats cooked chicken, turkey and ground turkey with the occasional live mouse. As she has gotten older Khira has developed a real love for mazuri Felione Diet. It is a very high quality diet and provides the roughage for her teeth that she needs.
MF: Khira now eats mostly Mazuri Exotic Small Feline Diet which I have to special order. Her main diet used to be mostly cooked chicken and raw ground turkey. She now prefers the Mazuri and only gets chicken and turkey on occasion. she also gets the occasional live mouse, crickets and meal worms as treats. She does not like fruits or vegetables but some genets do.

How destructive are they for an average household (gnawing, climbing, etc.)?
MM: Gianna destroys all her toys and beds. But I keep replacing them!
DF: Not at all, outside of the very occasional misuse of a piece of paper or the occasional scenting of a shirt or two.
MF: I have not had problems with Khira being destructive. She has knocked a few things down but not much and only once did she break something because she knocked it over. She does not chew furniture, etc. She does steal small items to play with them but it has not been a problem and is not as bad as when ferrets steal. Genets do climb up on just about anything but again Khira has not been destructive.

Are there any problems associated with their nails?
MM: Nails are "razor sharp"! Many people have their genets declawed because of this. So far I've been careful and have not had an incident with her claws.
DF: None!
MF: The nails are semi-retractable, therefore, sometimes they will get in the way. For example, you may try to grab a genet and end up shredded because it is trying to get away. My genet has pawed at me a few times in order to move my hand or to wake me up and I ended up with some minor scratches. However, genets do not use their claws as a weapon the way cats do. Another thing is that Khira often jumps on me and in the process I sometimes get scratched. She likes to ride on my shoulder.

Do they have scent glands or an offensive smell?
MM: No odor.
DF: They do posses scent glands but for the most part she has more of a perfumey smell, especially towards her rear legs and side.
MF: Khira does not smell bad at all. She has a very slight musky scent towards her back but it is not unpleasant. The only time Khira's scent has been unpleasant is when she has sprayed. She has only done that twice. Once when she was very scared and once to mark me. I think I had put on a strong-scented product on my hair and I guess she decided she needed to mark me. In both cases, I was able to wash away the smell without any problems.

How messy are their dropping and can they be litter trained?
MM: Droppings are hard and firm. Most genets will use a litter box -- but since they don't cover their droppings (as a cat would), it is quite smelly.
DF: As a kit we stimulated Khira (rubbed her genitals with a wet rag to induce peeing and pooping) over newspaper and now the only place she'll go to the bathroom is on one of the many litter boxes scattered across the house that is supplied with newspaper. Her waste has no discernable scent.
MF: Khira is litter trained as I explained previously. It was easy to train her as a baby by stimulating her over the litter box. When she no longer needed stimulating, she went to the litter box on her own. There droppings are only as stinky and messy as what you feed them. Khira's poop is less smelly and more solid now that she is on the Mazuri diet. Before, her poop was a little soft and smellier but it was not overwhelmingly smelly. I will warn you though, genets will pee on papers that are left lying around, no matter how well litter trained they are. Also, sometimes they like to pee on things in order to mark them and may poop on things to mark them as well. Khira has pooped on things when we are in a new environment.

What vaccinations/vet care should be expected?
MM: I feel all animals should have a yearly vet check. I am told neutered/spayed genets will be better pets than those left intact. Vaccines: FVRCP, Rabies and DHLP are recommended.
MF: Some recommend rabies. Khira did not get rabies shots because it was optional and not found to be necessary. She did get vaccinated for feline distemper and Clamydia (not sure of spelling) at 11 1/2 weeks old, per my vets recommendation. Some genet owners choose not to vaccinate their genets and it is a good idea to discuss advantages and possible risks with a qualified vet.

At what age would it be best to get one?
MM: A bottle baby from a good breeder can be purchased at about 4 weeks -- if you know how to bottle and stimulate the genet. By 8 to 10 weeks they begin to eat and go to the bathroom on their own.
DF: As young as possible! We got Khira at 2 weeks old and she has been nothing but an incredibly lovable, handle able and most importantly tame pet.
MF: Early is best. You want the genet to still be on the bottle in order to develop more of a bond. However, make sure the genet is healthy, you follow proper bottle-feeding instructions, and do not suddenly change their formula. You want to know what you are doing in order to ensure the well being of your genet.

Other Consideration for owners of a genet?
MM: As with most exotics, you will need to make sure a genet is a legal animal in your state, county and city/town -- please get this in writing from your city official! Many cities are banning more and more exotics. Make sure you can find a vet willing to care for your genet.
DF: Get as educated about the animal as you can BEFORE YOU PURCHASE them! Find a vet in your area that can or has already treated them! Be responsible, these are definitely NOT the kind of animal you can purchase and just put in a cage! If you are a collector (meaning you own like 10 to 20 animals or more at a time) do the animal a favor and pass on Genets. Khira is the queen here and she knows it. She also deserves nothing less for all of the joy that she has brought to Martha and Myself's lives.
MF: Check on the possibility of allergies, comparability with your other pets and family members. As I mentioned before, genets may see your other pets as prey or as a play toy that they may accidentally injure or even kill. Don't be fooled by the fact that your genet grew up with this other pet. My genet grew up with ferrets and still loves ferrets but the moment one of my ferrets got old and sick, she became aggressive towards her and attacked her. I had to keep them apart and even then, it was not good enough. I had my ferret in her cage where I thought she would be safe but my genet was able to pull the ferrets body out of the cage, leaving her to hang by the neck on the side of the cage. I thought my ferret was safe and I would never have thought what happened was possible but it happened and I live with the visual horror and pain every day of my life. The genet was just being a genet but I hope my horrible experience can help you protect your pets better. Consider also the size of your home. I live in a small home and did not have a way of separating my ferrets from the genet other than via a cage. If I had had more room I could have moved the ferrets into a different room. Now I have had to get creative in creating a barrier that prevents my one remaining ferret from suffering the same fate as my other ferret, if Khira should ever decide she wants to attack my remaining ferret. As for compatibility with other family members, make sure your family members are not allergic to genets. Also, I do not recommend families to own a genet if they have small children.

What personal traits should someone keeping them have?
MM: A person should have great patience and be willing to have an animal that may not be very cuddly and affectionate.
DF: See above, but nothing less than a real animal person who is willing to go the extra mile to do what's necessary to have a happy, loveable, and healthy exotic pet.
MF: I am not sure it is a question of personality but more about what you want, what you expect in a pet and what your lifestyle is. In order to have a genet, you need to understand and accept the fact that genets are not like dogs. Dogs are easy to control and they tend to be affectionate. Genets are more similar to cats in that they are more independent and can be aloof. They want things their own way and you cannot just grab them and cuddle with them whenever you want. They may or may not come to you when you call them. They call the shots. If you cannot live with this, a genet is not for you. Also, if you get upset over getting scratched and bitten, a genet is probably not a good idea. Genets will accidentally scratch you on a frequent basis if you interact with them at all. Khira often jumps on me and I get scratched. I always have scratches on me but I do not mind. They don't tend to hurt much except as she is doing it. Its part of genet ownership. Biting also comes with the territory because they may want to play bite, just as cats do and sometimes it hurts. If you want a pet you can take outdoors and show off, genets are not a good idea. They are easily frightened and may run away or get injured in an attempt to run away. A harness is no guarantee that you will be able to hold on to your genet. If you don't have enough money to purchase quality food for your genet and take it to a qualified vet, do not get a genet. It will not be fair to the animal. If you do not have time to spend with the animal, do not get a genet. I believe that it is very important to spend plenty of time with your genet if it is going to remain a friendly and socialized animal. Not giving it proper attention can result in the animal being less tolerant of humans and become aggressive towards them. They tend to get hissy and territorial even when you provide them with plenty of attention, imagine what it would be without it.