Today, British girl Heather Tukey is 23 and lives happily in Beckneham, Kent, with an unusual pet. A few years ago her heart ached when she started working as a part-time seasonal volunteer at the Cheetah Reservation in South Africa.
Yes, they nursed orphaned cheetahs and looked after adults, but they never hid the fact that it was a business. The animals were destined for trophies for wealthy clients — for hunting. And Heather was determined to save at least one.
She launched a campaign on social media and began fundraising. Thanks to her efforts, all the cheetahs were bought and donated to the reserves, and she personally spent 5,000 British pounds to get a little kitten named Teardrop.
Yes, it would not solve the problem of killing big cats for trophies, a lucrative business and very common in South Africa. But Heather couldn’t just turn around and leave after learning the truth, either. So now she has a spotted Teardrop.
Teardrop knows very well who saved her from the fate of becoming a carpet on the floor, she sincerely loves her rescuer. And cuddles up to her at every opportunity, which makes many people jealous of Heather, because with an unusual cat such nice and impressive selfies can’t be taken. But who would know how hard it is to withstand cheetah petting!
Teardrop has a very rough tongue and an irrepressible desire to lick her owner, so Heather endures, endures, and then still escapes from the cat’s embrace. But to sleep in a cuddle with a cheetah is a pleasure, because it purrs great!
