Would you want a pet Cheetah?

amberthe bobcat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Messages
4,829
Purraise
18
Location
In the Cougars den
Trust me on the man overpowering a cheetah. I confirmed it with many animal experts and they say the man wins 7 out of 10 times. Sharp claws and teeth doesn't guarentee victory
These are the kind of things that get people into trouble and a wild animal getting abandoned. I don't know who these so called animal experts are, but I doubt if this was based on fact. If you wrestled with a Cheetah that was raised in captivity along with humans, yes, I am sure you could win, because the animal trusts you. But if this was one taken from the wild, there is no way. Let me tell you, sharp claws and teeth do guarentee victory. I wonder if these so called "animal experts" wrestled with a cheetah who was declawed or had its teeth removed. This may also be the case. Let me tell you about the strength of these wild cats. Amber, by all means, is small compared to the much larger wild cats. When mature, she will grow to 30-40 pounds and males about 40-60. Amber is around 21 pounds at the moment, it will take her 3 years to fully mature. As it stands right now, she can actually drag an 8 pound cat carrier with a 12 pound cat inside, across the floor with no problem. Her paws are as wide as a human hand. Imagine that smacking you with huge claws that are more than double the size of a domestic cats claws. Now, I can only imagine the strength of a cheetah. It doesn't mean that I am against anyone owning such an animal, but it is those kind of statements that make people think anyone could own one. This is not so. When people see me with Amber an say "wow, that would be cool to have one. Where did you get her". My reply is no, it is not "cool" and I never tell them where she came from. I also ask people if they have ever owned a domestic cat and for how long. If they say no, I never had one, I tell them never in a million years should you think of owning a cat like Amber. I have lived with cats all 43 years of my life. I never claim to be an expert, but I have a great deal respect for them.
 

sweets

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
1,671
Purraise
1
Location
Living in the land of not enough time
Trust me on the man overpowering a cheetah. I confirmed it with many animal experts and they say the man wins 7 out of 10 times. Sharp claws and teeth doesn't guarentee victory.
Cobra and Spotz, listen to Charmsdad and John. They're the experts on this forum. They both have the experience. If you check out this thread, you'll see Charmsdad with one of his new "kittens"
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37079

and we've all seen pictures of Amber.

Domestication takes generations to accomplish. Not raising a big cat from a kitten.

Sandy

PS...be that as it may, I think the IDEA of having a big cat as a pet is inticing. The reality of it goes in the opposite direction.
 

hell603

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 9, 2001
Messages
4,560
Purraise
3
Location
Central New Jersey
Would I like one YES - but reality dictates that it would NOT be a good idea for the cat nor the potential owner. Too many people dive into this fantacy and learn too late that reality is nothing like their dream. Unfortunately that is how thesebeautiful creatures wind up discarded, dead or in horrible situation.
 

cougar

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2003
Messages
1,409
Purraise
1
Location
Utah, USA
Hmmm.. regarding the human vs. cheetah fight: Do the humans get time to prepare? Any tool? If a stong man got the cat in a headlock, I say he could do away with it right there.
 

mrsd

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
1,515
Purraise
1
Location
USA
I can't run that fast---->"Oh and just in case you forgot, cheetahs are the fastest land animal, capable of running 65 MPH for short distances." But if I could train her to nanny my speeding toddler, I'd consider it.


Nah. Besides, I couldn't afford the food bill.

mrsd
 

spotz

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
1,164
Purraise
3
Location
Florida
Originally Posted by Sweets

Cobra and Spotz, listen to Charmsdad and John. They're the experts on this forum. They both have the experience. If you check out this thread, you'll see Charmsdad with one of his new "kittens"
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37079

and we've all seen pictures of Amber.

Domestication takes generations to accomplish. Not raising a big cat from a kitten.

Sandy

PS...be that as it may, I think the IDEA of having a big cat as a pet is inticing. The reality of it goes in the opposite direction.
Virtually every single animal available for captive ownership, is generations removed from wild.

They are already in the process of domestication.

Thanks for the reminder Sandy about credentials. I believe I have mentioned mine in the past, I don't speak merely from hypothetical. I've been working with these various animals for quite a few years now also.


Spotz
 

spotz

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
1,164
Purraise
3
Location
Florida
Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

Trust me on the man overpowering a cheetah. I confirmed it with many animal experts and they say the man wins 7 out of 10 times. Sharp claws and teeth doesn't guarentee victory
These are the kind of things that get people into trouble and a wild animal getting abandoned. I don't know who these so called animal experts are, but I doubt if this was based on fact. If you wrestled with a Cheetah that was raised in captivity along with humans, yes, I am sure you could win, because the animal trusts you. But if this was one taken from the wild, there is no way. Let me tell you, sharp claws and teeth do guarentee victory. I wonder if these so called "animal experts" wrestled with a cheetah who was declawed or had its teeth removed. This may also be the case. Let me tell you about the strength of these wild cats. Amber, by all means, is small compared to the much larger wild cats. When mature, she will grow to 30-40 pounds and males about 40-60. Amber is around 21 pounds at the moment, it will take her 3 years to fully mature. As it stands right now, she can actually drag an 8 pound cat carrier with a 12 pound cat inside, across the floor with no problem. Her paws are as wide as a human hand. Imagine that smacking you with huge claws that are more than double the size of a domestic cats claws. Now, I can only imagine the strength of a cheetah. It doesn't mean that I am against anyone owning such an animal, but it is those kind of statements that make people think anyone could own one. This is not so. When people see me with Amber an say "wow, that would be cool to have one. Where did you get her". My reply is no, it is not "cool" and I never tell them where she came from. I also ask people if they have ever owned a domestic cat and for how long. If they say no, I never had one, I tell them never in a million years should you think of owning a cat like Amber. I have lived with cats all 43 years of my life. I never claim to be an expert, but I have a great deal respect for them.
Thanks John. Very true.

Suffice to say, a person will not win a battle with even a domesticated bobcat, not hand to hand. Based on experience, not theory.

My statments regarding Cheetahs are also based on experience. My information is based on personal experience with Cheetahs, or those of the friends I have that own them. I have seen the scars.

Spotz
 

ilovecats

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
2,840
Purraise
2
Location
somewhere
Because cheetahs are wild, and quite large, I think it would be crule to keep one in a domistic household. Simple as that. But, still, in wildlife cheetahs are awesome!
 

spotz

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
1,164
Purraise
3
Location
Florida
Originally Posted by Cobra

Trust me on the man overpowering a cheetah. I confirmed it with many animal experts and they say the man wins 7 out of 10 times. Sharp claws and teeth doesn't guarentee victory.

That has nothing to do with it really. No matter how tame or domestic an animal can become, you have to take the effort to take care of it. It angers me to see people get exotic animals and not seeing the hardships of training. They then leave them in testing labs and what not. That is why people are so against exotic "wild" animals, and they have good reason to. But I know I will if I ever get one know how to train such animals, and train him right. Not abandon them like other do.
Glad to hear you will seek first hand experience. Any non-domestic felid is a tremendous responsibility. Domestics pale in comparison. A desire to learn as much as you can instead of diving in head first, is a mandatory requirement.

Spotz
PS Where do you live?
 

amberthe bobcat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Messages
4,829
Purraise
18
Location
In the Cougars den
Suffice to say, a person will not win a battle with even a domesticated bobcat, not hand to hand. Based on experience, not theory.

I couldn't agree with this more. Let me tell you, I have seen this with Amber. My first experience was with a new toy we had gotten her. It was a ball that had a feather on it. Well, she ran off with it, but when I went to get it from her, she was in no way going to let me have it. It wasn't that she would run away, she stood her ground and wanted to fight. But, she wasn't angry at me, it was the toy that set her off. The feather made her think she had prey in her mouth. This incident did not bother me, because I understand her and why she did what she did. So, she no longer gets that type of toy. A bobcat in the wild can be quite fierce. However, Amber is very loving. Her favorite thing to do is jump on my back, puts her rear on the back of my head and dangles both back legs around the sides of my neck and the lies down. All the while her 6 inch tail whips around hitting me in the back of the head. She also likes to put her front paw in my hand, like she is holding my hand and then grooms my arm.
Sandy, thank you for the compliment, but I am no expert, just did my homework before ever considering brining a bobcat in my home and I am still doing my homeowrk. Feeding these cats the proper diet is another issue for their good health. Spotz helped me to find a good vitamin supplement for her, even though we found a new one that she actually likes, so I know he knows what he is talking about.
Cougar, I doubt even a so called "strong man" could get a cheetah in a head lock, only if the animal let him.
 

yayi

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Oct 9, 2003
Messages
12,110
Purraise
91
Location
W/ the best cats
Would I like to have a cheetah as a pet? Nope, unless I am Tarzan and even then I would consider this beautiful cat my wild brother or sister deserving of my love and respect!
 

qgirl692003

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
15
Purraise
0
Location
Michigan
Would I have a Cheetah....Yes if I had the time and money to invest into it, I think it would be a great addition to my family! With any wild animal, they are still a wild animal, no matter if they are lounging on your leather couch, or they are in the woods. I agree with amber that if you consider any wild animal, get them from a breeder and definatly research and know what you are getting into! If you take one on, you should be taking that animal on for the rest of its life!
 

sweets

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
1,671
Purraise
1
Location
Living in the land of not enough time
Originally Posted by Spotz

Thanks for the reminder Sandy about credentials. I believe I have mentioned mine in the past, I don't speak merely from hypothetical. I've been working with these various animals for quite a few years now also.


Spotz
AmbertheBobcat:
Spotz helped me to find a good vitamin supplement for her, even though we found a new one that she actually likes, so I know he knows what he is talking about.

Spotz, I apologize. I must have missed that thread. I will add you to my list of "people to ask".


Sandy
 

spotz

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
1,164
Purraise
3
Location
Florida
Originally Posted by Sweets

AmbertheBobcat:
Spotz helped me to find a good vitamin supplement for her, even though we found a new one that she actually likes, so I know he knows what he is talking about.

Spotz, I apologize. I must have missed that thread. I will add you to my list of "people to ask".


Sandy
No offense taken Sandy, I know you meant well


Spotz
 

spotz

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
1,164
Purraise
3
Location
Florida
Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

Suffice to say, a person will not win a battle with even a domesticated bobcat, not hand to hand. Based on experience, not theory.

I couldn't agree with this more. Let me tell you, I have seen this with Amber. My first experience was with a new toy we had gotten her. It was a ball that had a feather on it. Well, she ran off with it, but when I went to get it from her, she was in no way going to let me have it. It wasn't that she would run away, she stood her ground and wanted to fight. But, she wasn't angry at me, it was the toy that set her off. The feather made her think she had prey in her mouth. This incident did not bother me, because I understand her and why she did what she did. So, she no longer gets that type of toy. A bobcat in the wild can be quite fierce. However, Amber is very loving. Her favorite thing to do is jump on my back, puts her rear on the back of my head and dangles both back legs around the sides of my neck and the lies down. All the while her 6 inch tail whips around hitting me in the back of the head. She also likes to put her front paw in my hand, like she is holding my hand and then grooms my arm.
Sandy, thank you for the compliment, but I am no expert, just did my homework before ever considering brining a bobcat in my home and I am still doing my homeowrk. Feeding these cats the proper diet is another issue for their good health. Spotz helped me to find a good vitamin supplement for her, even though we found a new one that she actually likes, so I know he knows what he is talking about.
Cougar, I doubt even a so called "strong man" could get a cheetah in a head lock, only if the animal let him.
Hey John...

What are you using for Amber now?

Spotz
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #36

cobra

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 15, 2004
Messages
38
Purraise
1
Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

Trust me on the man overpowering a cheetah. I confirmed it with many animal experts and they say the man wins 7 out of 10 times. Sharp claws and teeth doesn't guarentee victory
These are the kind of things that get people into trouble and a wild animal getting abandoned. I don't know who these so called animal experts are, but I doubt if this was based on fact. If you wrestled with a Cheetah that was raised in captivity along with humans, yes, I am sure you could win, because the animal trusts you. But if this was one taken from the wild, there is no way. Let me tell you, sharp claws and teeth do guarentee victory. I wonder if these so called "animal experts" wrestled with a cheetah who was declawed or had its teeth removed. This may also be the case. Let me tell you about the strength of these wild cats. Amber, by all means, is small compared to the much larger wild cats. When mature, she will grow to 30-40 pounds and males about 40-60. Amber is around 21 pounds at the moment, it will take her 3 years to fully mature. As it stands right now, she can actually drag an 8 pound cat carrier with a 12 pound cat inside, across the floor with no problem. Her paws are as wide as a human hand. Imagine that smacking you with huge claws that are more than double the size of a domestic cats claws. Now, I can only imagine the strength of a cheetah. It doesn't mean that I am against anyone owning such an animal, but it is those kind of statements that make people think anyone could own one. This is not so. When people see me with Amber an say "wow, that would be cool to have one. Where did you get her". My reply is no, it is not "cool" and I never tell them where she came from. I also ask people if they have ever owned a domestic cat and for how long. If they say no, I never had one, I tell them never in a million years should you think of owning a cat like Amber. I have lived with cats all 43 years of my life. I never claim to be an expert, but I have a great deal respect for them.
Cheetahs are built very different than other cats. The whole of a cheetah's body is built for pure speed, not pure power. Cheetahs body is long, but very lean. Cheetahs are not meant to fight, they instead usally run.

The size of a cheetah is similar to a cougar for example. If you compare a 125 pound cheetah to a 125 cougar, there is a BIG difference. Cheetahs are very lean, and cougars are very buff looking. A cougar of 125 would probably beat most humans, unless he was the size of a sumo wrestler or very or a master martial artist unless he had a weapon. A cheetah on the other hand would not have the same result.

And as far as strenght goes, humans limb strenght is very high. Great apes (including humans) are much stronger than animals around the same size. Our bite force is relitively large too, over 200 pounds of force when a cougar is 300 pounds (some humans gotten over 600-900 pounds).

I've heard someone say that they knew someone who had a cheetah and got a few cuts. I wouldn't doubt. I've even gotten a couple scratch marks on my hand by my domestic cat before while playing. It doesn't mean my cat can beat me (Rocky is who I am talking about, and he hasn't returned home yet.
).

Oh, and a couple years ago I used to work on a team that teaches captive tigers how to hunt. So I'm not just saying this because that is what I think, or just talked to animal experts. I know a great deal about animals belonging to the order Carnivora.
 

charmsdad

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Messages
604
Purraise
1
And as far as strenght goes, humans limb strenght is very high. Great apes (including humans) are much stronger than animals around the same size. Our bite force is relitively large too, over 200 pounds of force when a cougar is 300 pounds (some humans gotten over 600-900 pounds).
Where did you hear this???? This is so far from true (and so easily checked) it's unbelievable you'd even say it. Humans are remarkably weak for their weight when compared to other similar sized animals. Wolf bite strength is in excess of 1200 lbs/in with domestic dogs running over 900 for German Shepards. Having been in the position on multiple occasions to need to subdue adult wolves and large dogs I can tell you I could not do it safely without supporting equipment, and a large animal requires multiple people working as a team. Big cats are even stronger for their weight with a bite strength a bit less than wolves and varies by species but is still much greater than humans. A young gorilla has roughly 9 times the arm strength of a similar sized adult human and 4 times the bite strength, and a 150 lb Orangutan can easily pop a coconut with one hand.

Humans are NOT great apes, they are a completely separate class of primates (the sole surviving species of humanoid). Great apes are chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos.

Cheetahs, like all cats, are remarkably strong for their weight. While you might be able to knock one over the result would be making it mad, not subduing it. You started with claiming an average sized man could "easily" overpower a cheetah, then later claimed he could 7 out of 10 times. You've greatly contradicted yourself here, and even if it was true it would only take one of those 3 out of 10 times for the cheetah to inflict serious wounds - which they will when they're cornered and feel threatened. The reality is a human without equipment or support can not reliably or readily overpower a cheetah. While they may not be as agressive as some other cats, there is still a risk. In addition, cheetahs have a the notorious history of becoming quite frail when kept in captivity, particularly when not kept in a sufficiently sized environment or where climate conditions are unfavorable (read "cold".)

Oh, and a couple years ago I used to work on a team that teaches captive tigers how to hunt. So I'm not just saying this because that is what I beleive, or just talked to animal experts.
Interesting claim since the very few documented efforts to do this have been in India or Asia and mostly unsuccessful.
 

charmsdad

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Messages
604
Purraise
1
By the way, getting any cat in a head lock just means they have full access to your back with their claws.
 

spotz

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
1,164
Purraise
3
Location
Florida
Originally Posted by Cobra

Cheetahs are built very different than other cats. The whole of a cheetah's body is built for pure speed, not pure power. Cheetahs body is long, but very lean. Cheetahs are not meant to fight, they instead usally run.

The size of a cheetah is similar to a cougar for example. If you compare a 125 pound cheetah to a 125 cougar, there is a BIG difference. Cheetahs are very lean, and cougars are very buff looking. A cougar of 125 would probably beat most humans, unless he was the size of a sumo wrestler or very or a master martial artist unless he had a weapon. A cheetah on the other hand would not have the same result.

And as far as strenght goes, humans limb strenght is very high. Great apes (including humans) are much stronger than animals around the same size. Our bite force is relitively large too, over 200 pounds of force when a cougar is 300 pounds (some humans gotten over 600-900 pounds).

I've heard someone say that they knew someone who had a cheetah and got a few cuts. I wouldn't doubt. I've even gotten a couple scratch marks on my hand by my domestic cat before while playing. It doesn't mean my cat can beat me (Rocky is who I am talking about, and he hasn't returned home yet.
).

Oh, and a couple years ago I used to work on a team that teaches captive tigers how to hunt. So I'm not just saying this because that is what I think, or just talked to animal experts. I know a great deal about animals belonging to the order Carnivora.
Thanks for a brief outline of your experiences.

I will answer one last time, and then no longer participate in this thread.

I would heavily quetion your sources, as this information is very questionable.

Moving on...

Since you are highly familiar with the order Carnivora, then I will take it that you are totally familiar with the Family Felidae. More specifically the Sub-Family Acinonychinae, of which Cheetahs are the sole member.

Domestic cats, and non-domestic cats which can purr, are in the Sub-Family Felinae.

The larger Non-Domestic Felids, mainly the cats that can roar, are in the Sub-Family Pantherinae.

My point here, is that taxonomic classification is based on genetics, and physical traits.

Cheetahs are in a Sub-Family of their own. Meaning that they differ significantly, both genetically and physically from all other Felids.

Comparisons of a cheetah to any other felid can only be done on a very general level. Cheetahs are cats.

Cheetahs do not have retractable claws, and they also have a dew claw similar in function to the big claw on a velociraptor (remember Jurassic Park) They use this claw to rip prey open, and to defend themselves very effectively.

As sprinters, their build may be light, but it is by no means small. Their legs are composed of muscles with a high density of fast twitch muscles, their reaction time is very fast indeed, not to mention the strength they have.

Now, let me shift to a different Order...The Order Primates, specifically the Family Hominadea. This family is composed of the Great Apes, including Humans.

Chimpanzees are the smallest member of the Family. They are many times stronger than most humans. Literally able to break a full grown man in half. Chimpanzees have only one universally recognized predator, the Leopard.

Lets say for comparison sake, that a leopard is twice as powerful as a cheetah, and that a chimp is twice as powerful as a human. Reduce the equation and now Human and Cheetah are on a level playing field. However, then you address the issue that the Cat is the predator, and the Human is the prey...and you come to a startling reality.

An unarmed, physically fit, man will rarely, if ever overpower the predator. Let me put it another way, 9 out of 10 times the cheetah will win.

A relationship based on the ability to dominate an animal is a relationship founded on fear. Any relationship with a predator founded on fear, is a relationship doomed to end horribly. There can be no trust in a relationship such as this. It is a high stress relationship, one which nobody involved leaves happy.

A relationship based on domestication and training, is a relationship based and founded on trust. Trust is the only way to interact with these animals, and it is the only way they will interact with you. You trust him to not kill you given the chance. And he trusts you do everything in your power to make sure that he lives a long, healthy, and happy life.


The opinion of this expert, is that this topic of discussion would've been much better placed in the IMO forum, given the gravity of the current focus of the thread. The matter being discussed, is no longer the novel concept of owning a Cheetah. The matter being discussed now, is the barbic concept of being able to dominate an animal into submission through sheer force.

I have participated long enough in this thread, My intentions were amiable initially. However the further into this I get, the more I wonder if those intentions were misguided. I wish no further part in discussing the ability to use brutality to dominate an animal.

I support responsible ownership of all animals. Responsible ownership requires that an owner must understand any animals under his care, and must be able to provide for their needs. Responsible ownership has absolutely nothing to do with the ability of the owner to force his animals to do anything by the use of brute force.

I see nothing further to be gained from the discussion at hand.

My participation in this thread stops now.

Spotz
 

amberthe bobcat

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 17, 2003
Messages
4,829
Purraise
18
Location
In the Cougars den
Hmmm, I guess nothing else needs to be said here
Actually, the part about a human's bite strength being not a great deal lower than a cougar had me shaking my head. Amber has such a powerful jaw that she chews chicken bones up like crackers. Now, I have never tried it, but I am not to sure how many people can just chew up a chicken bone like that. Maybe we could, but no longer do, since we eat so much processed food now. I don't know how many humans can actually get down on all fours and drag something in their mouth that is equal or greater to their own weight. Since I am 6'3" and weigh 205, I don't think it could be done. I don't want to try, I am sure I would break my teeth

As for the new supplement Spotz, I now use WildTrax. Bobcat and Lynx seem to like this more than others. Some owners have reported that their bobcats and lynx like it so much, that they rub their cheeks in it. I don't know why this is, must be something in it that they really like. Amber doesn't go crazy like that, but she seems to like her food better with the WildTrax than the other. I still use the other brands calcium powder for when I feed Amber meat without the bone.
 
Top