9. Phyllis Gordon’s cheetah

Living life in the limelight often entails a flair for the dramatic, and British-American actress Phyllis Gordon was no stranger to this. However, her unconventional choice of pets painted a rather peculiar picture, challenging the limits of eccentricity. One striking example was her pet cheetah, not typically the kind of animal you’d expect to see strolling along the crowded thoroughfares of London. Yet, against all norms, Phyllis opted to do exactly that, transforming an ordinary London shopping street into an impromptu wild safari. This spectacle, while undeniably intriguing, presented a rather disturbing portrayal of animal welfare.

Cheetahs, known to be extremely nervous creatures, thrive in the wild and wide-open plains, far from human hubbub. Their physiology and psychological make-up are simply not designed for the city’s chaos and cacophony. Consequently, parading her pet cheetah amidst the hustle and bustle likely subjected the animal to unnecessary stress and anxiety. This disregard for the animal’s natural instinct and comfort, all for the sake of spectacle, casts a shadow over the otherwise glamorous image of the actress.

Gordon’s audacious antics with her unconventional pets indeed made her a figure of fascination, yet these stories also highlight a sobering aspect of exotic animal ownership. From walking a nervous cheetah down a busy street to the imprudent decision of carrying a monkey in her handbag at a restaurant, her actions served as reminders of the blurred lines between eccentricity and responsibility. As intriguing as these tales may be, they underline the necessity of understanding and respecting the needs and comfort of our animal companions.