# Pet Meerkats



## 4lph4d0g

I was just reading in another thread their that a few ppl on here own meerkats as pets.

First off i am kinda shocked as i never new it was possible to have these as pets. Thats kinda cool learn something new evry day lol.

What they like? Do they make good pets?

What kind off care do they need?

I had a quick search on google about them as pets and found a site saying that they become agressive and stuff as they get older is this true? And they can go insane because they wont be offered enough attention?

I am very cautious about beliving things i read on random websites like that though as it seems to me it was a bit bias and trying to scare ppl. I know next to nothing about them as pets tho so who knows.

Do they need to be kept in pairs as they are sociable animals in the wild or are they ok on their own?

Is their any chance u meerkat owners could post a few pics of yours up in here as i really am intrigued by these animals.

I dont think i would want one as a pet as i dont no anything about them but . I allways like to learn new things about animals anyway


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## Bluejen

What are they like as pets???

hmmm depends how you plan to keep it and how much you value your house lol 

One example is we know someone who came and found his meerkat had managed to remove all the keys from his keyboard!:whistling2::lol2:

Know other ones kept in outdoor enclosures (indoor/outdoor) and they're great.

I've heard enough tales though to know I wouldn't have them personaly lol :bash::whip:


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## Jamie

Now I have that bloody advert tune in my head, "compare the meerkats.com"


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## Nerys

i have meerkats yes.

would i describe them as "pets" ??

no!

not like hamsters, rabbits, cats etc anyway.

i'd have to stick with recommending that firstly yes, keep them in more than ones.. and secondly..don't have them as house pets

mine have free range of a 34t X 18ft garage... they actually spend a lot of downtime denned up with one of the skunks they have pal'd up with.. they do have their own pen in the corner, but only use it to play in, not to live in!

whilst my guys are sociable, and interactive.. there are pics of my female sat on my knee for instance, and we watch meerkat manor together and so on.. they are not pick up and cuddle material in the same way some of the skunks are.

i've hear mixed reports of them as solitary house pets.. mixed from bad to really bad.. i only know of a couple of times were people have had them as "good house pets" 

we don't tend to place meerkats into many homes... many people fail the initial vetting on enclosure and provision for companionship.

(they are fantastic little guys tho, and well worth the effort if you do have the time and space (and money) to get them decent house set up. i just don't feel that a zoozone and a lounge count towards a decent set up!)

hth

Nerys


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## Zoo-Man

Is a garage a suitable environment for meerkats? Don't they need outdoor accomodation? And isn't it unatural for them to live with skunks, which are from a different continent?


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## Nerys

its not the standard sort of garage colin, although it was probably built as one to begin with..

living with skunks, yep, totally unnatural i have to say, and i would not personally recomend going out and getting a meerkat and a skunk and treating them as one.. 

for some reason tho, they actually get on really well, they are fed seperately, and there are things the meerkats will eat that the skunk won't.. (the meerkats don't like cottage cheese, the skunks not too keen on fish..) on the times when i treat them with things

i've no idea why they have taken up with each other in all honesty, sometimes the skunk sleeps in his pen.. or in the meerkats pen (with them under the glider cage).. sometimes he sleeps under the rabbit hutch, and they sleep in the skunks pen.. they are all captive bred animals, from lines of captive bred animals.. they would live in the same area even if they were in seperate pens, if they were going to catch something from each other, they would o so anyway. these ones chose, at times, to sleep in the same den..as long as they all get on and there is no bickering.. then if they want to associate with each other then i cannot see the harm in it..

heres another unnatural one.. the female glider that was born here, has grown up with the meerkats and skunks using under her cage as a dens sometimes.. she is very used to them, and them to her.. i've seen her come down and chat to the meerkats and the skunk when they have been pootling about.. despite the fact both the skunk and meerkats eat mice as part of the diet from time to time, they seem to see the glider as part of the extended family in there too.. i'd not trust them with her without bars inbetween, just in case, but they do definitely all "know" each other..

but then, whats natural.. i have cat that sleep with chickens.. cats that guard rabbits.. rabbits that regard chickens as being "mates".. sometimes animals make bonds that do not involve us and that humans do not dictate.. its part of what makes them all unique eh.

meerkats and outdoors, yes, i would prefer them to have some outdoor access at least, at the moment i am working on new ferret pens, once it dries out this year, the plan is to knock a brick out of the garage wall and have access to an outdoor area (yet to built) which both the skunks and meerkats can use.. for the time being things like basking plates and bulbs (and D3 supplement) are used instead.




and incidently colin.. i personally still do not think that a lounge is the right place for a marmoset. which is how you have yours and is a view you know i have expressed before, normally to your displeasure, and i would imagine is the reason for the highly barbed comment about the way i keep my meerkats..  
(though i would never do as you have done, and advocate barring people from forums just because you personally did not like what had been said to you)
with the right provision for basking and warmth, much in the same way as people keep reptiles indoors sucessfully, meerkats can do very well. my main point here, to the original poster, was that i dont think meerkats (or primates, or coatis for that matter!!) make good HOUSE pets..

N


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## Evie

Nerys said:


> and incidently colin.. i personally still do not think that a lounge is the right place for a marmoset. which is how you have yours and is a view you know i have expressed before, normally to your displeasure, and i would imagine is the reason for the highly barbed comment about the way i keep my meerkats..
> 
> N


I have no wish to get involved with a discission about marmosets an how they should or shouldn't be kept because I have no idea or interest, however I don't know where you got the idea from that Colin keeps his marmosets in his lounge. I can assure you that this is not the case. : victory:


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## Razorphade

Evie said:


> I have no wish to get involved with a discission about marmosets an how they should or shouldn't be kept because I have no idea or interest, however I don't know where you got the idea from that Colin keeps his marmosets in his lounge. I can assure you that this is not the case. : victory:


 I think he is just getting all defensive over some constructive criticism, very entertaining actually.


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## Evie

Razorphade said:


> I think he is just getting all defensive over some constructive criticism, very entertaining actually.


How anyone deals with criticism is neither here nor there, I was merely pointing out that there was some incorrect information in the previous post.


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## CE1985F

Nerys said:


> and incidently colin.. i personally still do not think that a lounge is the right place for a marmoset. which is how you have yours and is a view you know i have expressed before, normally to your displeasure, and i would imagine is the reason for the highly barbed comment about the way i keep my meerkats..
> 
> N


I don't have a clue where you get the idea that colin keeps them in the lounge from! I can assure you that this is very unture. :2thumb:


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## CE1985F

Anyway Nerys, were do you get the idea that Colin keeps them in his lounge in a parrot cage?


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## awaywiththestars

I know this thread seems to have gone off course slightly but back to meerkats

If you dont mind me asking how much would a pair set you back? 

They are not somthing i am in any way able to keep at the present but for the future they are on my wish list (wich is by no means practical researched or probably possible lol)


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## farmercoope

Evie said:


> I have no wish to get involved with a discission about marmosets an how they should or shouldn't be kept because I have no idea or interest, however I don't know where you got the idea from that Colin keeps his marmosets in his lounge. I can assure you that this is not the case. : victory:


me too, but i can that its the bedroom:Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## farmercoope

CE1985F said:


> Anyway Nerys, were do you get the idea that Colin keeps them in his lounge in a parrot cage?


a parrot avairy in the spare bedroom would be more apt eh!:lol2:


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## farmercoope

CE1985F said:


> Anyway Nerys, were do you get the idea that Colin keeps them in his lounge in a parrot cage?


psst, where did nerys say he kept them in a parrot cage?


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## Evie

farmercoope said:


> me too, but i can that its the bedroom:Na_Na_Na_Na:


Wrong again pet -


> Bedroom: A room furnished and used for sleeping


Dictionary.com 

Since this room is neither furnished nor used for sleeping it dosn't qualify as a bedroom. It is a room entirely used for accomodating marmosets.


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## farmercoope

Evie said:


> Wrong again pet -
> Dictionary.com
> 
> Since this room is neither furnished nor used for sleeping it dosn't qualify as a bedroom. It is a room entirely used for accomodating marmosets.


Colin actually stated to me not too long back on msn it was in the spare bedroom, so :Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## Evie

farmercoope said:


> Colin actually stated to me not too long back on msn it was in the spare bedroom, so :Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na::Na_Na_Na_Na:


It could be used as a spare bedroom but you are creating the impression that they are in a little cage in a room and that simply is not the case. The 'cage' completely fills the room from wall to wall and it isn't a small box room either. I was very surprised when I saw it - it isn't the kind of thing you would imagine really. Like I said, I know nothing about primates and am not really that interested. You and he can debate the rights and wrongs of the enclosure to your hearts content, I have no desire to get involved, but people seem to be going out of their way to suggest that it is something it isn't.


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## farmercoope

farmercoope said:


> a parrot avairy





Evie said:


> It could be used as a spare bedroom but you are creating the impression that they are in a little cage in a room and that simply is not the case.


Oh yes, i can really see that i am saying there in a little cage in a room, hmmm... LOL:eek4:


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## Evie

farmercoope said:


> Oh yes, i can really see that i am saying there in a little cage in a room, hmmm... LOL:eek4:


Well..................fine then :lol2:

So, meercats..............


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## farmercoope

cute aint they:lol2:


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## Evie

farmercoope said:


> cute aint they:lol2:


 I can't get enough of 'em :lol2:


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## farmercoope

compare the meerkat DOT com


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## Evie

farmercoope said:


> compare the meerkat DOT com


 But what are meercats comparable to? Cats? Meers (whatever they are)?


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## farmercoope

Well i find if you really think about it, theres a few select species of west mountain lion that sightly resemble cats, and one of my aunts said her name was Mia, so i suppose you could say, they are comparible to west mountain lion, could you not!


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## Evie

farmercoope said:


> Well i find if you really think about it, theres a few select species of west mountain lion that sightly resemble cats, and one of my aunts said her name was Mia, so i suppose you could say, they are comparible to west mountain lion, could you not!


So what you are saying is that your aunt Mia is an obscure species of mountain lion and therefore meercats are like aunties?


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## farmercoope

Hmm, well what i was actually trying to put across was that my aunty, who is called Lionnee West, lives in the mountains drinking the finest herbal tea, one grew a few cat like whiskers


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## 4lph4d0g

Thanks for runing my thread


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## farmercoope

4lph4d0g said:


> Thanks for runing my thread


it needed a bit of exercise:lol2:


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## Evie

farmercoope said:


> it needed a bit of exercise:lol2:


:lol2::lol2:

Sorry 4lph4d0g


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## 4lph4d0g

lol its cool i was only joking. Got alot off helpfull info on the 1st page.


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## 4lph4d0g

ahhh i have just seen my spelling mistake their haha. Was a bit puzzled at the exercise comment aswell haha. Oops lol.


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## Zoo-Man

For the record, my marmosets have, as has been stated, an entire large room for themselves! The aviary that they are in is made of alumium framed high gauge mesh panels which cover the whole room! One friend who has seen it said he had seen smaller Marmoset enclosures in zoos! Far from a parrot cage in the lounge eh!

As with Nerys & her Meerkats, I would like an outdoor run to be added on to my Marmoset's aviary, but at the moment, with the area we currently live in, I would not do it due to security reasons. However, there is good reason that soon enough, we will be able to move house to a nicer area with a larger garden, & provisions for an outdoor Marmoset enclosure.


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## fenwoman

farmercoope said:


> it needed a bit of exercise:lol2:


You are getting confused, he said 'runing' not 'running' so I'm assuming he meant, getting all pyschic and reading rune stones to see if they could tell him whether he would own meerkats in the future.


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## farmercoope

fenwoman said:


> You are getting confused, he said 'runing' not 'running' so I'm assuming he meant, getting all pyschic and reading rune stones to see if they could tell him whether he would own meerkats in the future.


argh dam, i didnt know whether he had an accent or not, pssht


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## Zoo-Man

Zoo-Man said:


> For the record, my marmosets have, as has been stated, an entire large room for themselves! The aviary that they are in is made of alumium framed high gauge mesh panels which cover the whole room! One friend who has seen it said he had seen smaller Marmoset enclosures in zoos! Far from a parrot cage in the lounge eh!
> 
> As with Nerys & her Meerkats, I would like an outdoor run to be added on to my Marmoset's aviary, but at the moment, with the area we currently live in, I would not do it due to security reasons. However, there is good reason that soon enough, we will be able to move house to a nicer area with a larger garden, & provisions for an outdoor Marmoset enclosure.


So does this sound better Nerys? 

I'm not asking sarcastically by the way, I am wondering if you think any better of me now you know that I do not keep my marmosets in a "parrot cage in my loungue"?


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## meerkat mauler

*female meerkats for sale?*

does anyone have female meerkats for sale?


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## Zoo-Man

You need to look in the Classified section!


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## PinkRobbie

Evie said:


> I have no wish to get involved with a discission about marmosets an how they should or shouldn't be kept because I have no idea or interest, however I don't know where you got the idea from that Colin keeps his marmosets in his lounge. I can assure you that this is not the case. : victory:


although the enclosure for the marmosets is fairy big (small bedroom) but i do how ever recall the strong smell of amonia that made my eyes water as i walked up the stairs, and the shock to find that there was no substrate on the floor only the bare floor boards. One day these marmosets will be in the lounge due to the fact that the boards will give way due to the amount of urine deposited on them. nerys in reply to your quote they may very well soon be making and residing in the lounge making an entance but this will mean there enclosure will have doubled in both height and width.


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## africa

PinkRobbie said:


> nerys in reply to your quote they may very well soon be making and residing in the lounge making an entance but this will mean there enclosure will have doubled in both height and width.


:lol2:


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## Evie

PinkRobbie said:


> although the enclosure for the marmosets is fairy big (small bedroom) but i do how ever recall the strong smell of amonia that made my eyes water as i walked up the stairs, and the shock to find that there was no substrate on the floor only the bare floor boards. One day these marmosets will be in the lounge due to the fact that the boards will give way due to the amount of urine deposited on them. nerys in reply to your quote they may very well soon be making and residing in the lounge making an entance but this will mean there enclosure will have doubled in both height and width.


Robbie that is not very nice at all


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## fenwoman

Evie said:


> Robbie that is not very nice at all


 But is it the truth?


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## Evie

fenwoman said:


> But is it the truth?


 I make a point of not dishing dirt on the internet, I also make a point of not telling lies either. Give me a bit of a moral dilema as you can imagine :whistling2:
I can however tell you that Robbie is an honest and truthful person and I would trust him with my life.


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## PinkRobbie

Evie said:


> I make a point of not dishing dirt on the internet, I also make a point of not telling lies either. Give me a bit of a moral dilema as you can imagine :whistling2:
> I can however tell you that Robbie is an honest and truthful person and I would trust him with my life.


at the end of the day im not dishing dirt and i certainly would not make something up as it does not get me any were i was just stating what i had seen with my own eyes thats all


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## moonifer

*new*

Hello everyone,
I am new to this site, i love all kinds of exotic animals,i have previously owned a trantula and two leopard geckos kept seperatly of course lol. I finally came face to face with a gorgeous meerkat 2day called sasha hu had been hand reared and was very friendly and sociable she was very calm aswell considering she was at a secondary school lol. I was just wondering about the laws and licenses need for keeping meerkats as pets.


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## the zoo

there is pet shop near me that sells meercats and they are very very cute but i don't know anything about how friendly they are. they currently have a breeding trio for sale for £1650 to get and idea of price and they had single young ones for around £500


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## Draven

They're cute but I'm more of a snake person tbh..

Draven


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## taramasalata

Hello all,

To leap in on this discussion, no meerkats are NOT good pets. I wholeheartedly do not recommend them unless you like it when they bite clean through your hand and refuse to let go, empty out your cupboards, steal your curry, poo everywhere, dig up the carpet, attack all outside the immediate family on sight and generally cause mayhem

BUT I love mine to pieces and you can live vicariously though mine on www.jackandmila.com if you are geninely interested. There's a few videos and stuff. Mine are unusually lovely, but still quite a handful.

Laura


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## farmercoope

taramasalata said:


> Hello all,
> 
> To leap in on this discussion, no meerkats are NOT good pets. I wholeheartedly do not recommend them unless you like it when they bite clean through your hand and refuse to let go, empty out your cupboards, steal your curry, poo everywhere, dig up the carpet, attack all outside the immediate family on sight and generally cause mayhem
> 
> BUT I love mine to pieces and you can live vicariously though mine on www.jackandmila.com if you are geninely interested. There's a few videos and stuff. Mine are unusually lovely, but still quite a handful.
> 
> Laura


great site! loved reading about them and the adventures.


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