Maybe I'm lucky in a way because I read IT before seeing it, so it wasn't so much the clown that scared me as much as Paul Bunyan or a leper or the existential crisis of the Dead Lights.
I was still maybe only 12 when I read It, but there were far scarier things than the clowns, hahaha. Watching the mini series afterwards was more fun, imo. :D
I think a cheetah would be my go. Mostly chill, very cute, excellent at sunbathing, could still play with my dog, and very fucking fast sometimes.