As nouns the difference between cheetah and meerkat

is that cheetah is a distinctive member (acinonyx jubatus ) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head; it is native to africa and also credited with being the fastest terrestrial animal while meerkat is suricata suricatta , a small carnivorous mammal of the mongoose family, from the kalahari desert, known for its habit of standing on its hind legs.