Cheetah: Amazing Photos & Interesting Facts Book about Cheetah Cheetahs are mammals. Mammals are animals that have milk which comes out from their bodies to feed their babies. They also have hair or fur. Other examples of mammal are horse, dog, cat, and cow. The word cheetah came from the Hindi word (words being spoken by the people in India) "Chita," which means the "spotted one." Cheetah is a big and tall cat. It is the world's fastest animal that lives in land. It is faster than a horse or even a tiger.