• doctordevice@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    While true, it’s also true that cats of all sizes behave very similarly. Cheetahs are probably the least similar to the other cats.

    If you’ve had pet cats and gotten to know their behavior, it’s remarkable how familiar the behavior of big cats can be.

      • doctordevice@lemmy.ca
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        4 months ago

        This is probably just my layperson showing, but I honestly wouldn’t be all that afraid of a cheetah. If I were in that situation in any other big cat habitat I would be absolutely terrified. Smaller cats like lynx I wouldn’t really be afraid for my life but I would be fearful of attack and injury.

        Cheetah I wouldn’t really feel much fear, more just confusion about what I’m supposed to do. They really don’t have the same cat software that all the others have. Much more chill.

        • CommissarVulpin@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Cheetahs are quite a bit more fragile since they’re optimized for speed. Any injury could hamper their ability to hunt, so as a result they’re more skittish and flighty than the other big cats. In zoos they often raise cheetahs alongside dogs, giving them a service animal of sorts so they are calmer around the weird hairless monkeys and don’t get stressed out as much.