Pet Cheetahs are one of the exotic animals which have been kept as pets for over five thousand years dating back to Ancient Egyptian civilization. Initially they were used for hunting. Scientifically known as Acinonyx Jubatus, they are the fastest of the wild cats and also amongst animals in general but aren’t good at climbing trees like other cats.
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An In Depth Look at Pet Cheetahs
Cheetahs are capable of reaching a speed of seventy miles per hour. And within merely three seconds they can accelerate from zero mph to seventy mph.
The length of the cheetah’s body ranges from forty five to fifty five inches and their weight ranges from ninety to one hundred and forty pounds.
They originated from Africa, and can be found in other parts of the world such as Central Asia and Iran. They have an elongated body with a small head and narrow waist, which facilitates their fantastic aerodynamics.
A Good Grip for Fast Pursuits
Cheetahs have semi retractable blunt claws which help them to get a good grip during fast pursuits. The color of their coarse fur is tan with small black spots. A rare kind of cheetah known as the King Cheetah is larger in size with big merging spots.
Its thirty three inch long tail is encircled with five to six black circles and it helps in taking sharp turns as it acts like a rudder.
Black lines which start from its eyes and run along the sides of the nose towards the mouth are called tear marks. These lines enable them to see long distances and minimize the glare of the sun.
Pet Cheetahs Can Be Trained
Pet Cheetahs can be trained very easily and they are also very caring animals. They make noises such as chirps, yowls, yips, growls and hisses and their purr is very deafening.
But they do not have the ability to roar like other big cats and they are also diurnal, where as others are nocturnal. They are carnivorous animals and hunt for small mammals and the young of larger mammals.
Cheetahs hunt when it isn’t hot, like at dawn and dusk. They also do not go after animals which they cannot get hold of easily and they hunt not by smell but by vision. Nearly fifty percent of attempts end in failure as they give up fast.
They Generate Immense Heat
One of the reasons they give up is the immense heat which they generate while running, which can be serious for the animal. They rest for at least half an hour after an intense chase. They also have the ability to make the sounds of some birds, in order to catch them.
Cheetahs always have eyes for the animal which is separated from its herd. It chases the animal and then trips it. After the animal falls, it suffocates the animal by biting underneath the throat as it does not have the strength to break the neck.
For some reason they do not hunt weak and old animals. During high speed chases, cheetahs can get adequate oxygen with the help of their big nostrils.
They also have an enlarged heart and lungs which utilize the oxygen to the maximum by increasing their respiratory rate while running.
They Are An Endangered Species
Cheetahs also fall under the category of endangered species which makes pet cheetahs hard to come by. Many organizations and acts have been implemented to conserve them.
One of the reasons for their endangerment is that they are environmentally sensitive and are the most vulnerable.
When pet cheetahs are held in captivity, they should be provided with their natural habitat. Studies have shown that there is a lack of genetic diversity in cheetahs which are held in captivity. They don’t reproduce regularly like other felines and find it difficult to breed.
A pet cheetahs lifespan also decreases and their rate of survival is low. In residential areas, they have been killed by poachers on a large scale in order to protect cattle.
Such farmers are now being provided with dogs that can guard the livestock and scare away the wild cheetahs. It has also been hunted for its fur with it's beautiful pattern.
Pet Cheetahs Are Not Easy to Get
To obtain a permit to keep pet cheetahs is not only a big problem for individual owners but also for big zoos. People who have a passion for cheetahs and haven’t got the permission to own them can still donate generously to conserve the species.
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