"He Loves It": Johannesburg Man Makes Morning Coffee for His 15-Year-Old Cheetah Zeus Every Day

• Craig, a Johannesburg man, shares his morning coffee routine with Zeus, a 15-year-old domesticated cheetah living at a certified wildlife sanctuary
• Zeus began demanding coffee after smelling it repeatedly, so Craig started giving him a heavily watered-down, decaffeinated version in a bowl
• At 15, Zeus is considered elderly for a human-raised cheetah, and the video moved many viewers after learning he recently lost his lifelong companion

Craig, a Johannesburg man, has a morning routine like many others. He wakes up, heads to the kitchen, and makes himself a coffee. The only difference is that his companion waiting at the counter is Zeus, a 15-year-old cheetah.

A TikTok clip posted on 12 July 2026 by @zeuszendafriends showed Craig preparing Zeus his own bowl of coffee. The drink is barely recognisable as coffee. It is heavily watered down, decaffeinated, and lightened with milk until it looks almost white. Zeus laps it up from a bowl on the floor, completely at ease in the kitchen, moving around the space as though he owns it. A dog also lives in the home, and Zeus appears entirely unbothered.

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According to the post, Zeus was never offered coffee. He demanded it. A few months ago, he began trying to knock mugs out of people's hands whenever he caught the scent. Rather than risk a broken mug or a mess, Craig decided a tiny, controlled amount was the safer option.

Zeus at 15: An elderly cheetah

Human-raised cheetahs typically live between 12 and 15 years. In the wild, the average lifespan is 8 to 12 years, with cubs facing mortality rates as high as 90% from predators. In captivity, with proper veterinary care, some cheetahs have reached 20 years of age.

At 15, Zeus is already beating the odds. Craig's philosophy, as shared in the caption, is simple:

"A little bit of what you fancy doesn't do you any harm."

The video also carried a quieter sadness. Zeus lost his lifelong companion, Zara, in January 2026. Though he has a large outdoor habitat and the freedom to roam, he now chooses to spend most of his time close to the people he loves. Craig and the team say they treasure every one of these ordinary moments with him.

Mzansi reacts to the cheetah having coffee

Viewers had a lot to say in the comments section on the TikTok page:

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@ALT_CTRL_DELETE wrote:

"Poor creature. I saw how he struggled to lie down and drink his coffee. Old age is cruel. Which god came up with that idea?"

@TheVillainOfTheVillage said:

"This has to be the craziest video I've seen this year."

@Nicckkk added:

"Giving a cheetah caffeine is wild 😂😂😂"

Watch the morning coffee routine that stopped the internet here.

More on SA's wildlife moments

• Briefly News recently reported on outrage after four healthy owls were euthanised at the RandWest SPCA, sparking calls for accountability.
• A toddler's heartbreaking encounter with a vervet monkey over a stolen lollipop left South Africans in stitches.
• SA specialists dropped everything on Mandela Day to save a rescued pangolin, moving many with their dedication.

Source: Briefly News