I think that hormones are a vital part of a cats personality which is also "altered" by surgery. I prefer them the way they are - but what about spraying? So male or female? Does the male spray more than the female, and does the male's smell worse?

Answer

Speaking strictly from the research I've done, the consensus is that spaying or neutering is a must for a pet serval. Your kitty will still have a very individual personality, believe me! Unaltered servals, both male and female, are infamous for spraying constantly. Even some altered servals will do this. Yes, according to the studies I've seen females do spray less....a mere 20 or so times an hour as opposed to more than 40. Based on what I've heard, you would be doing your serval a great disservice to leave him intact. Once he matured he would be destined to spend the rest of his years in an outdoor enclosure - a harsh sentence for a cat accustomed to sleeping on your bed.