Meerkats as pets

Unfortunately unwanted animals is a huge problem and can't believe the irresponsibility of people and how they ccan just dump or ill treat unwanted animals! A ban for life from all animal keeping would be my ideal for them!

I myself only have a few tropical fish (these can be time consuming just 12 of them!) although I would love loads of animals I do not have the time to put into them and I am to much of a softie:)

Stories like killer chipmunks Mum attacked by killer chipmunk | The Sun |News and unwanted ninja terrapins Red-eared Terrapin makes you wonder what effect animals like meerkats would have on our wildlife if they escaped or were dumped or if they could adapt!

Not being an expert in any shape or form surely meerkats kept alone in a home environment if unwanted could not intergrate into a group in a zoo setting very easily? I may be wrong but what concerns me is there future if the there is a flood of them being kept and then later unwanted.

As for the guinea pigs noooooooooooo! To me that would be equally awful as they are my favourite 'domestic' pets, I had two and Angel lived to the ripe old age of 7 before we had to have him put down! Another really social animal when he was in his hutch it was in the front garden as in the mornings and afternoons when he was not in his run, schoolchildren used to passby and call him and he would come out and squeak back to them :)
 
The most content seeming meerkat I've ever seen was Mia at Cardiff reptile centre, the owners pet. She was just allowed to wander around the shop and meet all the public. She was by herself but she obviously loved the company of people. And don't say she can't be happy because she's alone, I bet loads of you have single dogs, and the amount of attention she got from people was great.
And those meerkat adverts are pretty epic! However, having said all of the above, I do think it's annoying that people seem to think that they can just have a meerkat and leave it in a hutch like a rabbit. But then my aunty still wants a chimp as a relic from PG tips :rolleyes:
 
I think keeping meerkats in a rabbit cage or even run is not right. But the enclosure for meerkats in zoos arnt that massive so someone could build one easily in their garden
 
i think i was a bit hasty to suggest exotic pets should be banned. the problem is that the majority of exotics are kept in unsuitable conditions by people who don't really understand their needs. i don't have a problem with people who keep them properly.

i guess the solution would be stricter controls and regulation of the pet trade as a whole. but even then there is bound to be unscrupulous people willing to sell animals to anyone.
 
Theloderma said:
Appreciate what your saying karenZoo but you could say the same about any pet, exotic or otherwise.
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I don't think that cats and dogs should be allowed as pets. I love seeing wild animals and going to zoos but always found our furry friends to be rather disgusting. And as you say plenty of them are not treated well.

Dons flak jacket and runs for cover.:)
 
I discussed this exact topic in another thread and totally agree that its deffinately not the right thing to do. I have seen them advertised on the website 'preloved' and get so angry. These animals are highly social animals and live in fairly large groups with a large enclosure where they can dig and display their natural behaviour. Most keepers are probably not enthusiasts and have done little research on the species. There is more to these animals than meets the eye.
Pt123 said:
Work is needed to educate people and to show some them that they can not provide for certain species in the hope that perhaps they can be discouraged from taking on animals like Meerkats.
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If the keeper can provide the adequate facilities and have knowledge on the keeping of meerkats then fair enough and as agreed with pt123, education is a must. And pt123 also has a very good point about not putting a ban on keeping exotic animals, it will make things worse and harder to control.
 
i hate it when people tar people with the same brush there are many private keepers that manage to breed animals that many zoos dont achieve, there are many keepers that keep exotics in larger enclosures than zoos and there are many private keepers that have helped zoos with diets of animals and other husbandry needs.
zoos and private keepers work together alot more than many people think :)
i keep meerkats and yes i agree exotics in petshops is VERY wrong as they could be sold to anyone who buys one on a whim, but i keep a group and hate people that keep social animals on their own i would never do this as a human cannot provide an animal what another of its species could.
They have a large enclosure and many private keepers keep them in large open enclosures much like you see at most zoos or in large aviarys with glass roofs so they can still bask ..... i have never seen a meerkat in a rabbit hutch or cage and if people did that is very wrong of them.
point is yes people do keep exotic animals and as with everything you will always get stupid people keeping animals without knowing their ideal husbandry, private keepers can and will continue to keep, breed and house exotic animals and in some cases will do this better than some zoos.
stu
 
Deffinately Stu! as I said, if keepers have the knowledge and facilities then there isn't really any difference from a zoo keeping them, if anything it is probably less stressful for the animal in a quieter environment. Its the incompetant people that I have a problem with. I have seen pictures of meerkats being kept in unsuitable enclosures with just one or two of them where they are unable to build the social dinamics as they would in a bigger group. I have grown to love meerkats even more due to my 3 weeks work experience at Battersea Park Children's Zoo. Stu, if you have any pics of your Meerkats I would love to see them, I think they are fascinating animals!
 
While on my recent visit to Twycross I noticed the immediate response by children to Meerkats was "Oh look, they look like the ones out of the advert" or "They are so cute, I want to take one home" It comes as no surprise to me that they are on the rise as pets. Obviously they are not for the unexperienced keeper, maybe zoos need to display more information on this issue. Lots of zoos tend to display information like "these do not make good pets" It wouldn't hurt to educate the guests on meerkats too.
 
pet meerkats

Hi everyone,

I have pet meerkats (and I AM a very responsible keeper). I heartily discourage people from buying them, they are very tricky pets, very bright, need expert care and can bite badly. However, I love mine to bits and would never want to be without them. If you want to know what it's like to live with meerkats, see my site Jack and Mila, Meerkats in the House.

Laura
 
That's a fantastic site you have there, very well presented and its great for parents and children to have a look at. When I have the time I will have a good read of it.
 
It probably says on the site, but where did you get them from originally?
 
I feel a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to this topic. I keep a 'pet' skunk but i really wish there was some form of licensing. My Skunk has an enclosure at work and at home. I’m not against unusual pets, I am against wild animals that until recently came under a DWA now being kept in bedrooms and crates. They were on the DWA for a reason. I also deal with the other side of the coin, I take in the 'exotics' that people have bought on a whim. I guarantee in the next 12 - 18 months rescue centers will be over flowing with Skunks (which are very commonly kept), Meerkats, raccoons and Coatis. I never understood how a zoo needs licenses, enclosures designed for the animals needs, social structures appropriate to the species held, and yet Joe bloggs up the road can go and buy the same animal and keep it like a rabbit!
 
Zambar said:
What's going on there is '101 Dalamations Effect'; where a film, show, advert, anything that features a cute or small animal will lead to demand in them as pets with people not realising the responsibility. It's happened with terrapins and TMNTs, clownfish and Finding Nemo, etc.
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That is exactly why I had asked about Meerkats. They had already become popular through several wildlife Documentaries, starting with 'Meerkats United' about 20 years ago- the first time this species had been brought to an international audience( and then again more recently with a whole series 'Meerkat Manor' which I don't think could sustain itself really and was boring). I think those original Meerkat films was what spawned the Meerkat displays in so many zoos as people were fascinated by them. Now the ' Compare the Meerkat.com' adverts have created another, even bigger, round of 'Meerkat Mania' too. I can imagine this has also created a demand for them as pets, however unsuitable they are.
 
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Meerkat fans would be far better off buying the cuddly toy meerkats that the shops are full of now .
 
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