They climb trees to prey on nesting and roosting birds, but much of their food is taken on the ground. At the same time, the body seems to lengthen. Genets can go through any opening the head can enter, because of the slender and loosely jointed body. The diet consists of any small animals that can be captured, including rodents, birds, reptiles, and insects. Genets sometimes take game birds and poultry.
Genets travel alone or in pairs.
They communicate with one another by a variety of vocal, olfactory, and visual signals. Breeding seems to correspond with the wet seasons in both West and East Africa. In Kenya, for example, pregnant and lactating females have been taken in May and from September to December. Gestation periods ranging from 56 to 77 days have been reported. The number of young per litter is one to four, usually two or three.