Having a cheetah as a pet in the house? Does it sound scary to you? But for a family in South Africa, one cheetah is treated as a VIP (Very Important Person) in the house.
The big cheetah is named Jolie, after the film star Angelina Jolie. She can often be found eating from the kitchen table, taking a short sleep on the sofa, or even sleeping on Lucy and Jeff’s bed. The big cat also sleeps and plays with the Browns’ other pet, the more usual one — a sheepdog (牧羊犬).
Having a cheetah as a pet is unusual. At first, Mrs Brown wasn’t willing to keep a cheetah as a pet. She said, “ But we are now happy that we did it — she is part of the family.”
Just like her name, four-year-old Jolie has achieved a celebrity status (名人地位) in the Browns’ hometown. Fans often come to their home to take pictures of her.
However, a cheetah is always a cheetah. “She makes a lot of mess in the house, urinating (小便) everywhere and chewing everything. It’s her wild instincts (本能),” said Mrs Brown.
There might be some problems of having a cheetah as a pet in the house, but some unusual fun must also be waiting ahead.