How to Feed a Cheetah
Cheetahs are the fastest land animal, and they can run up to 70 miles per hour. This big cat is a carnivore, and it eats small and larger mammals. It's difficult to obtain a permit to captivate a cheetah, but some people still have them as pets and zoo's house them as well.
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Instructions
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How to Feed a Cheetah
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Build a large outdoor and indoor enclosing where the cheetah has enough room to exercise and feed. The indoor enclosing should have two doors that slide up and down to close and open. Grow grass and trees and create a pond or stream of fresh water.
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Establish a routine for meal time. Cheetahs eat up to 6 pounds of meat per day so this should be spread out. Make sure you wait 15 to 20 minutes before providing food again.
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Purchase fresh meat. Although cheetahs eat gazelles, impalas, Gnu calves and hares in the wild, zoos feed them a horse-meat mixture. The meat product should contain the following approximate amounts: 58% crude protein, 28% crude fat, 7% total ash, 52 Iu/kg vitamin E, 9.7 Iu/g vitamin A and 2,200 mg/kg taurine. The minerals in the meat should include the following approximate amounts: 1.9% Ca, 10.0 mg/kg Cu, 645.2 mg/kg Fe, 0.08% Mg, 22.6 mg/kg Mn, 1.3% P, 0.4% Na and 127.8 mg/kg Zn.
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Purchase fruit like watermelon. Sometimes cheetahs will eat different types of fruit.
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Create a variety so the cheetah does not become bored. Provide whole or half carcasses at different times during the week.
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When feeding the cheetah, restrict the cat to the outdoor cage by shutting the door connecting to the indoor cage. Open the other door to the indoor cage and place the meat in the room. After you have closed your door and locked it, open the door that connects the indoor room to the outside. This is a safe way for both the cat and the handler.
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Tips & Warnings
Have a veterinarian who specializes in big cats to evaluate the cheetah annually to determine if they are getting enough nutrients--blood tests may be needed.
Cheetahs are wild animals, and they should be treated as such.
Cheetahs are more aggressive during feeding time.
- Photo Credit Made available by www.TigerFriends.com.
