Maul me, baby, one more time?

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is growling at Britney Spears and her plan to use four live cheetahs for her appearance Thursday at MTV's Video Music Awards in New York.

The New York Post reports the spotted cats are supposedly going to be prowling the stage around the scantily-clad popster (and self-proclaimed virgin) as she wails her new hip-hop-flavored tune, "I'm A Slave 4 U," while simulating an orgasm on stage à la Madonna.

While it won't be quite as dramatic as Russell Crowe fending off those striped felines in Gladiator, and the cheetahs won't be harmed (unless you count Britney's singing), PETA believes the use of wild animals for stage trickery is cruel.