Cute or Mad?

You decide.

I know there are documented cases of cheetahs being successfully domesticated, but this story still strikes me as slightly nuts.

h/t naked capitalism

Comments

[Stephen]

Utterly mad. No question about it.

[Sir Charles]

As I recall Cheetahs were used as hunting companions by people long ago -- Lions and Tigers not so much.

I don't think this will end well, although the Cheetahs look pretty cool hanging around the house.

There must be some fights about handling litter box duty.

[kathy a.]

nuts. i am a total cat lover, too, but your average 10 lb. housecat can do some damage if something happens that scares them. it is insane to think that large wild animals are safe in a domestic setting. [every so often, a zookeeper winds up sacrificed to insticts, for example.]

[Corvus9]

It depends on the extent to which domestication is a result of people breeding for certain behavioral traits or of animals being raised within, and learning within, a particular environment. Basically, if domestication is nature or nurture. If domestication is mostly the former, yeah, pretty frickin' crazy. If mostly the latter, not really any crazier than keeping a rottweiler or doberman around.

[Crissa]

Cheetah act much more like dogs than cats; their claws aren't as sharp and they're not quite as smart, needing to work in pairs to get things done. They don't rough-house like lions and tigers.

I wouldn't say they're safe, but they're far safer than the lions and tigers, who will need to have their own secured space when older. Lions and tigers might love and respect a human, but they sorta don't seem to know (like little kitties) that humans are more fragile, or forget that easily. Something that may not harm a cat can do severe harm to a human.

But they can and do get socialized so they cannot be in the wild and need to be watched closely by people. It's cute, but... I dunno. I think it's important to learn and be careful with them, and require they be taken care of by people who know the risks and have an extended network that can help them in case of an accident.

They're probably no more dangerous than classic motorcycling or such.

[ballgame]

Interesting points about cheetahs, Sir C and Crissa … didn't know that.

(Don't get me started on murdercycles, Crissa! Someday I'll share a story.)

[kathy a.]

well, see, i think motorcycles are inherently dangerous, too. in both cases, my reasoning is more or less, "what's the worst that can happen if something outside your control goes wrong?" mauling or splat on the highway are both bad outcomes, and neither is merely hypothetical.

sir charles, i thank you for the litter box observation, too!

[Sir Charles]

kathy,

I speak authoritatively from years of experience.

Crissa,

I tend to think that if I popped a cheetah on the nose (or a rotweiller or doberman) there is a decent chance that it would back off.

My sense is that this would not be a percentage move with a lion or tiger.

As for the domestication of the latter, I think Roy (or was it Siegfried) gave us a pretty good demonstration of its hazards.

[oddjob]

If I was going to pick a big cat to live with I would pick a cheetah, but I still don't think this is a good idea. That she has also apparently adopted lions & tigers is beyond daft! (Yes, I realize that if you get them as kittens you can sort of mitigate their inherent wildness and inclination to view you as dinner, but as Sir C. pointed out so well (especially with tigers!) even very, very experienced handlers aren't necessarily safe!

[oddjob]

(I have encountered speculation before that there used to be cheetahs in North America and that they hunted the pronghorn antelope. Have any of the rest of you ever encountered this info?)

[Crissa]

Sir C: You're totally right, they have more of a submissive role. But showing dominance is usually all that's needed. The lions and tigers are just frightfully smart, but socialize to respect their elders.

But they don't seem to notice that they've gotten bigger over time. They remember the size difference when they met you, not current. So they'll act very strangely when confronted with situations.

By no means do I think it's better they be kept alone in cages, tho. Cats, tho they can be independent - and tend to - are animals that do socialize, and need massive inputs of entertainment.

Remember that faux pas that happened with the tigers in Vegas on the stage? She was acting completely appropriate for rescuing another tiger. Unfortunately, that does severe harm to a human. Cats apparently are really paranoid.

...Cheetahs aren't paranoid, they're kinda dumb and cute instead.

[Sir Charles]

Cheetahs are really beautiful -- so sleek and elegant. When my son was little he went to camp a couple of years at the National Zoo. Every morning I used to have to walk by the Cheetah station before dropping him off, which I always enjoyed, especially when they had little cheetahs.

I don't think I'd want one in my house though.

[oddjob]

Of the three I find tigers the most beautiful, but I think it's almost certifiable to keep a tiger as one's pet.

[I deleted the spam comment you just responded to, oddjob. Sorry. —ballgame]

[oddjob]

The vertebrae in a cheetah's spinal column are unusually flexible. That allows them to store up extra mechanical energy between strides when they are running, and that extra stored energy allows them to be the world's fastest runners.

[oddjob]

Cheetahs are the peregrine falcons of the terrestrial mammals.

[kathy a.]

well, i don't think a falcon is a good idea in the home, either, wonderful creatures that they are.

[Crissa]

I have a friend who's mom takes care of a tiger. That tiger wouldn't do anything intentionally to hurt her, it's just so cute seeing them together.

But you won't find me in a room with one. Eesh.