# Meerkat housing?



## genevie

While considering meerkats for a friend, I came to realise that they actually might be a good animal for my mother and brother to keep. However, that would be mainly dependent on housing requirements. Whenever I try to Google for information, I'm met with a lot websites documenting the stupidity of people who bought meerkats because of the advert and kept them in a small cage, and hardly any sites about actual good meerkat care. I've looked over a couple of threads but I couldn't seem to find many definitive answers to specific questions of mine so hopefully someone here will be able to answer directly 

*1. Indoors, outdoors, or both?*
I personally prefer to keep animals indoors, but of course indoor/free roam housing is not suitable for all exotics. I've seen accounts from a couple of people who have them free-roaming, but my understanding is that (destructiveness aside) they really need to express their natural digging instinct which is something they can't do indoors? Not to mention, I believe they require D3 which comes from natural sunlight - as someone whose suffered from a severe vit-D deficiency, I know it's not particularly pleasant!

Does this mean they should be permanently housed outdoors? Or at least have constant 24/7 access to outdoor enclosures. I can't think of a way we could set up an enlosure that would allow them to come into the house when they wanted.. Would it be possible to work on a basis of having their "real" home outdoors, but bring them in during the day for human interaction? Or vice versa - have their permanent home indoors (either free, or in a large indoor enclosure i.e. spare room), but put them in an outdoor enclosure daily for natural enrichment? I know they're diurnal, so I'm not sure if having them indoors during the day would work as I suppose that's when they're most likely to be wanting to dig around and stuff? Could a large spare room with windows work as a permanent home? We have a large garage that's not in use and the windows back on to our garden, if suitable it could possibly be modified to house meerkats and access to an outdoor "run" could be constructed to run through the windows.

*2. Minimum size?*
What's the minimum size for an enclosure for say a pair or trio, indoors and outdoors? I would want to give more than minimum, but it's useful for guidelines. We have a raised platform in our garden that I would estimate is about 12 x 12 ft and an enclosure would probably have to fit on that. If it's possible to have them only living outdoors 50% of the time, would that change the minimum requirements? 

Also what would the minimum height be? I'm not keen on the idea of an open-top enclosure because there are a lot of outdoor cats in this area that I'd be worried about, so with a closed top I wouldn't be worried about them climbing out. So the height factor is more just a concern for their own preferences.

*3. Enrichment*
This isn't really a condition of getting them, just curiosity. I've seen a chart of dozens of enrichment items, but I'm wondering what you find works well?

*4. Photos*
Anyone got photos of their set-ups, indoors or outdoors or both? :2thumb:


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## genevie

Just a little bump for this


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## Drongo

my local rep shop coast to coast exotics darlington have managed to successfully keep and breed these in there shop! maybe you could contact them and they will point you in the right direction : victory:


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## mrcriss

I would suggest you _*don't*_ take advice from any shop about meerkat housing, because I have yet to see a shop that looks after them well! 

If I were you, I would keep them outdoors with playtime inside. Well, I wouldn't keep them at all, but if you must, then that's how I would do it. As far as "minimum requirements" go (I hate that phrase....I wish people would be more concerned with providing the largest space possible), then you should certainly go no smaller than your 12'x12' space. As for height, then I would make it tall enough to comfortably fit a standing human in there, as you'll need to spend a lot of time cleaning them out! Don't forget that they do dig, so a you'll need a concrete base underneath their thick substrate. They're also excellent climbers, so if you don't want them climbing up the sides of the enclosure, then you should think about that too.:2thumb:


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## genevie

mrcriss said:


> I would suggest you _*don't*_ take advice from any shop about meerkat housing, because I have yet to see a shop that looks after them well!
> 
> If I were you, I would keep them outdoors with playtime inside. Well, I wouldn't keep them at all, but if you must, then that's how I would do it. As far as "minimum requirements" go (I hate that phrase....I wish people would be more concerned with providing the largest space possible), then you should certainly go no smaller than your 12'x12' space. As for height, then I would make it tall enough to comfortably fit a standing human in there, as you'll need to spend a lot of time cleaning them out! Don't forget that they do dig, so a you'll need a concrete base underneath their thick substrate. They're also excellent climbers, so if you don't want them climbing up the sides of the enclosure, then you should think about that too.:2thumb:


Yeah I wouldn't be too keen on asking a pet shop for advice, after all their main priority is profit. Thanks anyway though Drongo 

I tend to ask for the minimum just because it's so hard for people to come up with an "ideal" size; in my opinion it's easier to look at the minimum to see if it's a viable option for you at all, and then go as far past that size as your space and budget allow. I know how frustrating it can be to see people seeing minimum as perfect though, even with more basic animals like hamsters and especially mice, you get people thinking the minimum lab cage size is perfectly adequate :bash:

You say you wouldn't keep them at all, is there a specific reason for this or is it just your personal preference?


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## mrcriss

genevie said:


> You say you wouldn't keep them at all, is there a specific reason for this or is it just your personal preference?


Because I have kept them (albeit not as pets, nor at home), and I just wouldn't do it again. Sure they're cute, but they can also be little swines too. Their social structure is complex....so much so that I don't believe they make ideal pets within a family environment. (I know I'm going to be shot down in flames for saying this, by some forum members that I think highly of for which i'm truly sorry, and some less so). A lot of people seem to think of them as more exotic ferrets or little hyperactive kittens, but that couldn't be further from the truth.....they have belligerent little natures of their very own, unlike anything else. And it's my belief that they should be kept as a group of animals that are observed by their keepers with a certain amount of interaction, but which don't necessarily become part of the family. Those that I have seen kept as family pets (and I've seen this more than once) have been relatively short-lived. 

Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm willing to be proved so by private keepers here, but that's my view on them.

I know that over the past few months, you've changed your mind frequently about what animals you think your mother and brother should keep....please don't take offence at this, but shouldn't it be their decision? Maybe they just want a dog?!?: victory:


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## genevie

mrcriss said:


> Because I have kept them (albeit not as pets, nor at home), and I just wouldn't do it again. Sure they're cute, but they can also be little swines too. Their social structure is complex....so much so that I don't believe they make ideal pets within a family environment. (I know I'm going to be shot down in flames for saying this, by some forum members that I think highly of for which i'm truly sorry, and some less so). A lot of people seem to think of them as more exotic ferrets or little hyperactive kittens, but that couldn't be further from the truth.....they have belligerent little natures of their very own, unlike anything else. And it's my belief that they should be kept as a group of animals that are observed by their keepers with a certain amount of interaction, but which don't necessarily become part of the family. Those that I have seen kept as family pets (and I've seen this more than once) have been relatively short-lived.
> 
> Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm willing to be proved so by private keepers here, but that's my view on them.
> 
> I know that over the past few months, you've changed your mind frequently about what animals you think your mother and brother should keep....please don't take offence at this, but shouldn't it be their decision? Maybe they just want a dog?!?: victory:


Everyone's entitled to their own opinion  

I'm really just looking around for them, I haven't seen anything 100% good for the two of them, but I just like to explore all the options in depth which is why I tend to ask about a lot of different animals. Honestly if I left it down to my mum to make a decision herself she'd end up with something that was not well suited for her at all, especially because she tends to take this "loads of people do this so it can't be wrong" approach when she thinks about animals she might like. Ultimately it's her decision but it's useful for me to provide her with options and basic info and then let her look over them herself which is why I'm trying to come at the problem from every angle. Especially as she doesn't like dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters etc - all those typical pets that have tons of books and websites dedicated to their care and helping people decide if they'd be good owners. What I really don't want is a case of her choosing an animal that doesn't behave like she expects or requires things she can't provide as it will be me who ends up having to take it off her hands! I'm also more web-savvy than she is so it's easy for me to find something and say "hey, what about this?" than have her go and look herself.


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## mrcriss

So if you'll indulge me for a minute....what exactly is it about meerkats that has you so convinced that they make good pets? In particular, such good pets for your mum's situation?

I think that if anything, the recent controversy over the whole advert thing, and people getting them only to put them up for sale so quickly or have them die within months, has proved that they don't make very good family pets.


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## MrJsk

The college I go to have Meerkat's.

They have a large outdoor area, not sure on exact size but to help you out it is large enough to contain 3 alpacas temporally with enough space to move, run and roll around in the dirt.. The walls are about 3 and a half foot tall. This enclosure is built on the side of a barn and there is like a cat flap which allows the meerkats to go in and out. In the barn they have heating (the red lamps) and their "bedroom" area. The outside has a bunch of rocks and logs and tubes for them to climb and explore..

But agree with mrcriss, they are not the best animals to keep as pets. The ones at my college get lots of interaction with people (tutors and well over 200 students) but they are still not "friendly/tame" They keep their distance at all times unless food is involved which they literally attack you, one boy bent down to tip a bunch of crickets onto the floor and one of the meerkats bit him and bit straight through his finger nail.. blood EVERYWHERE!!!!!!! But I guess it bit him by accident thinking he was food!

Saying that, I have seen pictures of "friendly" meerkats standing on top of peoples heads using them as a look out post!

*Edit: mrcriss, do you say things to upset people everywhere you post!? (My hedgehog thread) LOL*


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## Drongo

genevie said:


> Yeah I wouldn't be too keen on asking a pet shop for advice, after all their main priority is profit. Thanks anyway though Drongo


i dont think there actually for sale there just display animals (atm anyway) they must be doing somthing right as the female has just had 3 pups, 
just a suggestion anyway  
good luck : victory:


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## Chris Newman

As someone who actually keeps meerkats I have to disagree with many of the ill-informed comments made earlier. Over the passed twenty years I have kept, and continue to keep quite a wide variety of so called exotic mammals, racoons, porcupines, brush tailed possums, agouties etc. ect. And meerkats, of all the mammals I have kept by far the easiest, and best I have kept a “pet” are meerkats, by an immense margin.

Husbandry is very simple and straightforward, far easier than any of the aforementioned and easier than a rabbit for example, in my opinion. Are they the ideal pet for everyone, no, but they are extremely rewarding to keep if you can devote the time, they are very time-consuming. Not because they are difficult, simply because if you keep them as a house pet as we do, they require a lot of your time to interact with them. They demand a lot of your, if you can’t give them time then don’t keep them as a house pet.

They are a pack animal and in my view should not be kept on their own, should be kept in two’s, and if you want to keep them as a pet then single sex pairs are best. As I said mine have the free run of the house and cause absolutely know problems, no more of a problem than a domestic cat! 

Issue, well they are not keen on visitors, so we have a room where they go when we get visitor. Interestingly if introduced correctly to visitors they will either bond or reject them, if they reject them then its’ done and they will bite them. However, if they accept them, then they have bonded for life, they may not see that person for six months but will instantly recognise them.

As for any pet do your research beforehand, think long and hard before acquiring them, but if you can make the commitment they are very worthwhile and rewarding.


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## genevie

MrJsk said:


> The college I go to have Meerkat's.
> 
> They have a large outdoor area, not sure on exact size but to help you out it is large enough to contain 3 alpacas temporally with enough space to move, run and roll around in the dirt.. The walls are about 3 and a half foot tall. This enclosure is built on the side of a barn and there is like a cat flap which allows the meerkats to go in and out. In the barn they have heating (the red lamps) and their "bedroom" area. The outside has a bunch of rocks and logs and tubes for them to climb and explore..
> 
> But agree with mrcriss, they are not the best animals to keep as pets. The ones at my college get lots of interaction with people (tutors and well over 200 students) but they are still not "friendly/tame" They keep their distance at all times unless food is involved which they literally attack you, one boy bent down to tip a bunch of crickets onto the floor and one of the meerkats bit him and bit straight through his finger nail.. blood EVERYWHERE!!!!!!! But I guess it bit him by accident thinking he was food!
> 
> Saying that, I have seen pictures of "friendly" meerkats standing on top of peoples heads using them as a look out post!





Chris Newman said:


> As someone who actually keeps meerkats I have to disagree with many of the ill-informed comments made earlier. Over the passed twenty years I have kept, and continue to keep quite a wide variety of so called exotic mammals, racoons, porcupines, brush tailed possums, agouties etc. ect. And meerkats, of all the mammals I have kept by far the easiest, and best I have kept a “pet” are meerkats, by an immense margin.
> 
> Husbandry is very simple and straightforward, far easier than any of the aforementioned and easier than a rabbit for example, in my opinion. Are they the ideal pet for everyone, no, but they are extremely rewarding to keep if you can devote the time, they are very time-consuming. Not because they are difficult, simply because if you keep them as a house pet as we do, they require a lot of your time to interact with them. They demand a lot of your, if you can’t give them time then don’t keep them as a house pet.
> 
> They are a pack animal and in my view should not be kept on their own, should be kept in two’s, and if you want to keep them as a pet then single sex pairs are best. As I said mine have the free run of the house and cause absolutely know problems, no more of a problem than a domestic cat!
> 
> Issue, well they are not keen on visitors, so we have a room where they go when we get visitor. Interestingly if introduced correctly to visitors they will either bond or reject them, if they reject them then its’ done and they will bite them. However, if they accept them, then they have bonded for life, they may not see that person for six months but will instantly recognise them.
> 
> As for any pet do your research beforehand, think long and hard before acquiring them, but if you can make the commitment they are very worthwhile and rewarding.


Thank you both, it's helpful for me to get a range of opinions  Chris Newman, having them live indoors, do you have a way for them to express natural digging and climbing instincts? Or do you find that they are fine with other forms of stimulation? Also, do you take them outside to get vitamin D or do you feed them supplements?



mrcriss said:


> So if you'll indulge me for a minute....what exactly is it about meerkats that has you so convinced that they make good pets? In particular, such good pets for your mum's situation?
> 
> I think that if anything, the recent controversy over the whole advert thing, and people getting them only to put them up for sale so quickly or have them die within months, has proved that they don't make very good family pets.


I had read accounts of a few keepers who said they can tame down quite well in comparison to other exotic animals and form something of a bond with their owners, that combined with their ability to live outdoors (I know I asked about indoor keeping too, but my mum tends to prefer animals that live outdoors) made me think they could possibly make good animals for my family. I definitely wouldn't say I'm "so convinced", like I said earlier I'm exploring every possibility. Just because I ask about an animal, doesn't mean I have any intention of 100% definitely keeping it, I'm just a very curious person.

I wouldn't say the controversy has proved they don't make good family pets, I think it's proved that people don't do their research before they buy a pet. There are plenty of people who don't do their research on dogs, get a puppy, and then sell them on or allow them to get ill or die. But I think most people are in agreement than dogs can make great family pets.


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## Chris Newman

They do enjoy digging that is for sure, however, if you give them something like a sand box to dig in they soon get board with it and will simply ignore it after a while. They are extremely inquisitive (nosy) anything new is exciting for them, and the one of the most exciting things in the world is a cardboard box! Give a meerkats some cardboard boxes to play with and they are in heaven. I should warn you if you like plants, as I do, they are absolute terrors, they love digging in plants pots…….!!

They are not in my experience grate climbers, they jump on to furniture such as settees, chairs, beds etc, but they much prefer to have space to run around. They have free run of our house so go up and down the stairs like greece lightning, we have two flights of stairs and they can get to the top (or bottom) before you! 

They can go outside but rarely choose to do so, they would much prefer to sit in the window in the sun on their cushion, rather than be outside! That said they do go out when it is sunny. We have a mercury vapour basking lamp they can bask under, they do so when the weather is not sunny, they are absolutely sun worshipers and when the sun comes through the window they bask, its common to find the little buggers asleep on there backs, very undignified.

We predominately feed insects, giant mealworms, locusts etc. About 20% of their diet is vegetables, mostly root vegetables. They are also thieves; they will scavenge anything they can nick, pot noodles being a particular favourite! The mealworms are regularly dusted.


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## Pouchie

I am sorry to have removed half of the thread seeing as the in house vs outdoor enclosure is a valid discussion topic.

Perhaps we can try again if mrcriss could just endeavour to remain impartial, civil and on topic? :halo:


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## mrcriss

And as such, they are left with Mr.Newman's skewed version of meerkat husbandry....a real shame, which can't be good for the meerkat's situation in the exotic "pet" industry.


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## Pouchie

Whose fault is that? 

Give it to us again without the abuse. I really enjoy what you have to say but you spoil it with your impulse to insult.

I can't be expected to leave up your gems of inspiration but delete the shirty inuendos which flow so freely from your mind to your keyboard.


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## mrcriss

Pouchie said:


> Whose fault is that?
> 
> Give it to us again without the abuse. I really enjoy what you have to say but you spoil it with your impulse to insult.
> 
> I can't be expected to leave up your gems of inspiration but delete the shirty inuendos which flow so freely from your mind to your keyboard.


I absolutely love that.....splendid way with words 

I guess I just took objection to being referred to as "ill informed". I'm not the only one capable of insulting put-downs, you know. Thing is, when Chris Newman does it across the whole forum, it's allowed. Shame really. But I take your point on the chin. May write something later though after work.


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## Pomegranate

If at any point I sound like a jerk, I apologise. My communication skills, they not so good.

Personally meerkats are the sort of species which the person you're considering them for has to actively want. Not just a species you're considering for them, not just someone who'll go with the flow, not someone who from what you have posted (and I may be wrong) isn't all that fussed. What interest has your mother displayed in exotic animals? She prefers outdoor animals - what makes you think she's going to enjoy having meerkats in the house? Even part-time house meerkats can cause chaos in the home if they put their minds to it. I also find them to have a distinctive smell which may be less than pleasurable for your nose.

So the first real question is: _Are you considering meerkats because they'll suit your mothers circumstances and you think she'll enjoy having meerkats around, or are you considering them because you like them and would like to have them around? It's a small difference, but one that in my opinion should be considered._ 

My limited experience of keeping meerkats outside of zoos/private collections has not been entirely positive. They can be wonderful pets, but I think you have to seriously consider what it is you want from them and your circumstances. Or in this instance your mothers circumstances. Is she really, truly going to put the effort needed into ensuring you have meerkats which are well adjusted and not merely surviving? I have seen far too many "pet" meerkats, in pairs or otherwise, who are stressed and exhibiting abnormal behaviours to believe they are suitable for an environment where their main keeper is anything less than enthusiastic and willing to put the effort into finding out how to keep them.

I'm not sure saying their husbandry is easier than that of a rabbit is necessarily true... a pair of house rabbits, once you've rabbit proofed the house, are quite easy to care for. They also find it a little more difficult to get into cupboards. More importantly for me is the fact that a house rabbit is, in my experience, less inclined to decide a visitor is an intruder who needs to be driven from the house. It can happen, but from what I've seen meerkats are far more relentless once they've decided someone is an intruder who needs to remove themselves from their territory. 

These are animals which form strong bonds, who may well refuse to accept a particular individual and will show their displeasure at having this individual around in no uncertain terms. I am by no means someone who feels all exotics must be kept in naturalistic enclosures, and I do think that in the right home environment that meerkats can become delightful companions, but it is very, very important that people remember that they are meerkats. They need time and effort to build a bond with their keepers, and there is no guarantee that they'll bond with everyone in the household.

All of that unnecessary rambling out of the way: you have a large garage... if that is properly modified and you are prepared to take your meerkats outside, be it in a properly constructed run or any other method deemed acceptable, then a garage as a base for your indoor enclosure is not a terrible idea. If you can modify the garage and make it suitable for keeping meerkats, and your mother is happy with the potential expense of not only garage modification but the costs of building a run/access that is suitably meerkat proof then it's a good option. I'm not sure what the current opinion is, but most people I know have a heat lamp or heat the entire indoor enclosure. Given how cold garages can be I think this would be essential if this is the route you're going down. However an important consideration is whether or not you can genuinely use this garage to house meerkats: do your family not use it for storage or for keeping their cars off the front of the house? You say it's not in use, but things can and do change. Converting garages can seem ideal at the time, but that's really something that your mother would have to consider. 

The bigger the better, however having seen the size of some enclosures if your meerkats end up with access to both the garage space and an outdoor run of 12x12 then that should be OK. I'd say as a minimum height should be 6' and with a roof, large enough to accomodate potential perches (from what I've seen meerkats quite enjoy cat trees if they're provided...). 

While I do not wish to appear a complete fence sitter regarding indoors/outdoors... I am. My personal preference is for them to have their own dedicated enclosure as opposed to being house pets, purely because I tend to think that the day to day life of most people does not lend itself to being meerkat friendly. Experiences obviously differ, as shown by the experience of meerkat keeping Chris has. 

HOWEVER after reading your previous thread regarding your mother it doesn't matter what the enclosure requirements for meerkats are, I'm not sure meerkats are an animal she'd be entirely happy with. You previously stated she wanted a rabbit and you believed she wouldn't like the mess/effort it takes when having a part-time house rabbit? Then meerkats are not suitable. In my opinion, and that may be worth less than a garden snail, rabbit proofing a house and getting a pair of known cuddle loving bunnies from rescue would be far easier than what you'd need to do in order to prepare for a pair of meerkats. In no way am I saying that rabbits are easy, but I think if you believe your mother would get frustrated with the mess/effort it takes to make a house rabbit a house rabbit then meerkats are a little outside of her range at this moment in time. 

Have you stumbled upon the website for Jack and Mila yet? It's quite interesting, especially this page. I may not agree 100% with everything on the site, but it's a fairly balanced account of the experience that could await you should meerkats enter into your life.


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## genevie

I think people are completely missing my point here. Meerkats aren’t something I’m going to force down my mother’s throat or convince her into, I just want the information so I can present it to her and see if it’s something she’s interested in. She does like meerkats, like most members of the general public do, but unlike us she isn’t a member of any sort of online animal forum where she can develop a passion for certain animals and learn about their care requirements. If I think meerkats will be a good fit for her, it will simply be a case of me saying “here is some information about meerkats, is it something you’re interested in?” and if so, she will be able to go and do her own research based on that to see if she really thinks it’s something she wants to take on board. I am only living with her temporarily for personal family reasons so it doesn’t matter much to me what she ends up with, I have my only plans for my own exotic pet ownership when I’m living alone. I’m honestly not asking people if they think she should keep meerkats, I’m literally just asking for specific facts/opinions about their care. If I evaluate those care requirements and I think that it’s not something that she’ll be willing to put the effort into, I won’t even bother mentioning it to her, and I certainly won’t be there egging her on if she’s not 100% sure about it. I

She isn’t someone who is particularly interested in having mess in the house, as I’m sure I mentioned somewhere in this thread, asking about indoor keeping or even partial indoor keeping was more of a curiosity on my part. I’m sure I can’t be the only person who likes knowing about things for the sake of it, yet on this forum people seem to assume every question has an agenda. For my mother, the outdoor side of things is what I’m more focused on. Despite her not being interested in putting too much effort into rabbit care, it’s entirely possible that when she starts to look through information, videos, anecdotes, pictures etc of meerkats or any other animal for that matter, she may change her mind due to developing a particular interest in said animal. I mean, take people who keep raccoons and skunks indoors – many of them love all the ups and downs of owning their animals, but I bet if they weren’t skunk/raccoon owners and you offered them a particularly destructive or hard to care for cat or dog, they would decline on the basis that they’d consider it too much work. Having a passion for, or interest in, something can certainly change your mind about what you’re willing to do for it.

Thank you for your opinions though on the whole outdoor enclosure / garage side of things. My mother isn’t a driver but even if she does become one, the chances of her keeping the car in the garage are extremely slim as it’s incredible difficult to manoeuvre a car down that path. Which is why I asked about it, as it’s probably not going to be of much use to us. But, as I said above, I’m just giving this information to her. It’s up to her to make the decision herself. 

I have seen the Jack and Mila site, but as I said before the indoor keeping was more just a curiosity (and at one point, something I was looking at on behalf of someone else) than a real concern.


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## mrcriss

The thing is this.....

Meerkats are highly social animals. They have a social structure that is just as important to the success of the species as that of wolves, african wild dogs, and even monkeys. They are also rather intelligent animals. Ok, not quite as intelligent as primates, but they're certainly not thick. I think we can all agree on these points, yes?

One of the major arguments that occurs every other week on this forum is about primates, and one of the most commonly used phrases is _"monkeys should be allowed to be monkeys"_. So ask yourself this....why are we not applying the same principles to meerkats? Don't they deserve to be meerkats too? Shouldn't they be kept as a proper mob, and be allowed to enjoy all the many complications that occur within that society? As such, keeping one or two meerkats within the family home deprives them of all of those valuable social interactions. 

Meerkats are highly territorial animals. As with any territorial animal, their own space is very important to them. Again, I think we can all agree on that, yes? Moving an animal like this from outdoors to indoors for 50% of the time as the OP suggested would be constantly shifting the boundaries of that territory, confusing the animal and placing it under undue stress. Territorial animals will also protect their space with every last ounce of energy. Once they detect new bodies in their space that aren't part of their mob, that also places them under undue stress. As has been said, they will attack visitors to protect their territory.....more undue stress.

Chris Newman claims (possibly correctly, possibly not) that meerkats are incredibly "adaptable". But why are we forcing them to adapt against their nature, which is that of a foraging, burrowing, territorial animal with a complex social system? Chris Newman may have the most perfectly behaved meerkats in the world...little angels! But I'll tell you this for sure, that is by no means the norm. More often than not, house meerkats are reported as being out of control. I suggest this is because they are deprived of the social structure that is so deeply ingrained in their nature. 

As I mentioned earlier, meerkats kept like this are _normally_ reported to have a shorter longevity. I suggest that this happens as a result of the aforementioned stress piled upon them....not forgetting the inappropriate diet that they scavenge from their human "mob" (something that Mr. Newman admitted upon).

Considering all of this, don't you think it would be much more rewarding to keep them as a group in an appropriate enclosure? I've seen great enclosures indoors and outdoors....the important thing is, that they are in a group and have their own territory which they can protect without fear of intruders all the time. Personally, I'd much rather keep them this way. Seeing them behave as naturally as possible without making them _adapt_ to situations that are too far removed from their natural state. I'm not saying you need to recreate the savannah....far from it! But _allow them to be meerkats!_

Think I managed to write all that within the rules, eh?:2thumb:


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## PETERAROBERTSON

mrcriss said:


> The thing is this.....
> 
> Meerkats are highly social animals. They have a social structure that is just as important to the success of the species as that of wolves, african wild dogs, and even monkeys. They are also rather intelligent animals. Ok, not quite as intelligent as primates, but they're certainly not thick. I think we can all agree on these points, yes?
> 
> One of the major arguments that occurs every other week on this forum is about primates, and one of the most commonly used phrases is _"monkeys should be allowed to be monkeys"_. So ask yourself this....why are we not applying the same principles to meerkats? Don't they deserve to be meerkats too? Shouldn't they be kept as a proper mob, and be allowed to enjoy all the many complications that occur within that society? As such, keeping one or two meerkats within the family home deprives them of all of those valuable social interactions.
> 
> Meerkats are highly territorial animals. As with any territorial animal, their own space is very important to them. Again, I think we can all agree on that, yes? Moving an animal like this from outdoors to indoors for 50% of the time as the OP suggested would be constantly shifting the boundaries of that territory, confusing the animal and placing it under undue stress. Territorial animals will also protect their space with every last ounce of energy. Once they detect new bodies in their space that aren't part of their mob, that also places them under undue stress. As has been said, they will attack visitors to protect their territory.....more undue stress.
> 
> Chris Newman claims (possibly correctly, possibly not) that meerkats are incredibly "adaptable". But why are we forcing them to adapt against their nature, which is that of a foraging, burrowing, territorial animal with a complex social system? Chris Newman may have the most perfectly behaved meerkats in the world...little angels! But I'll tell you this for sure, that is by no means the norm. More often than not, house meerkats are reported as being out of control. I suggest this is because they are deprived of the social structure that is so deeply ingrained in their nature.
> 
> As I mentioned earlier, meerkats kept like this are _normally_ reported to have a shorter longevity. I suggest that this happens as a result of the aforementioned stress piled upon them....not forgetting the inappropriate diet that they scavenge from their human "mob" (something that Mr. Newman admitted upon).
> 
> Considering all of this, don't you think it would be much more rewarding to keep them as a group in an appropriate enclosure? I've seen great enclosures indoors and outdoors....the important thing is, that they are in a group and have their own territory which they can protect without fear of intruders all the time. Personally, I'd much rather keep them this way. Seeing them behave as naturally as possible without making them _adapt_ to situations that are too far removed from their natural state. I'm not saying you need to recreate the savannah....far from it! But _allow them to be meerkats!_
> 
> Think I managed to write all that within the rules, eh?:2thumb:


Have to agree with this post.
Very good points raised.
I love meerkats.
But go see at the zoos we freaquent.
Wouldnt have at home as id use space for monkeys.lol
Would never contimplate housing indoors.
But just my tuppence worth.
May be wrong as my no how for them is zilch.
But with there structure and social skills i do think Mrcriss is correct
and very diplomaticaly put if i dare say so.


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## Pouchie

I think all you can do is take a species, study their behaviours and offer the opportunity for them to display their wild behaviours as far as is possible.

So for meerkats, we know that they tend to dig themselves into burrows at night then get up, laze about and on some unbeknown signal they take off foraging, leaving babysitters at home with any pups.

So it makes sense to keep them in a secure, den/burrow environment and 'release' daily into a foraging area presupplied with live bugs and difficult to obtain treats hidden and stuck in as many variations as your imagination can conjure.

Have a basking area with heatlamp.

Have a 'high point' lookout post to allow the natural behaviour of one meerkat refraining from foraging so they can stand atop the highest point scouting for danger.
Obviously an outdoor enclosure is all that is really going to fulfill the ability to spot potential 'danger' although it might only come in the form of people, dogs and cats. Perhaps the odd buzzard.

The hardest part should be dreaming up the enrichment but that should be the fun part!

I am of the outdoor enclosure brigade too but we should find differing ways of keeping interesting. Lots of animals are commonly kept indoors that I have always wondered whether they could be better kept outdoors. 
Why are pouched rats kept in pairs in cages? Why not a natural colony of x20 rats in a nice big outdoor enclosure?
Why not build a rocky outcrop inside a secure aviary for chinchillas? Don't tell me - incase it rains :lol2:


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## genevie

Thank you all, I very much appreciate all the opinions given!  Even though they're probably not for me, meerkats do seem like they'd be a very interesting/entertaining species to keep - we'll just see if my mum thinks so too.


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## Pomegranate

I by no means meant to suggest that you'd force your mother into keeping them, just that even as outdoor pets they require a lot of effort in terms of their husbandry. I am, unfortunately, seemingly incapable of sticking to the provision of simple facts and figures when it comes to meerkats. I have seen so many who get them because they are fascinating, only to not be fully prepared for the fact that they can be whirling devils. 

We are all enthusiastic about exotics, we all care about their care and want to ensure that those entering into the hobby (even if they are looking for a relative) have information that extends beyond the nuts and bolts of husbandry. In my mind even if someone is enquiring for a friend there needs to be more than nuts and bolts provided, for nuts and bolts are merely skeletons which fail to flesh out the actualities of ownership even of a species kept outside. I struggle very much with providing information to a middleman (that sounds terrible, I do not mean it to sound that way) as I generally tailor what I say according to what the main interested party reveals about their expectations of meerkat ownership. 

I wish you and your mother luck with finding a species that suits her. If she decides upon meerkats I hope you share with us the progression of her outdoor enclosure and journey into being a meerkat nut.


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## PETERAROBERTSON

Yip good point pomegranate.
Too many get the animals first and then look to find out how to keep.

Was up getting my weeks load of live feed this morning.
Whilst there a dad was buying his kid a pet.
Think it was a rat.
Sold and away he went with all needed and a wee sheet on how to care for.
I said to person who sold.
Why didnt you give care sheet away.
Tell them to have a look.
If it was still for them come back and pick up tomorrow.

Too much in life is about money and meeting overheads.
The animals should come first.
Whether exotic or not


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## Pouchie

That is a thing BEMA would like to see. Cooling off periods as standard practice in ALL sales/rehomes.

It is a no brainer, but doesn't happen too often.


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## PETERAROBERTSON

Pouchie said:


> That is a thing BEMA would like to see. Cooling off periods as standard practice in ALL sales/rehomes.
> 
> It is a no brainer, but doesn't happen too often.




Great minds think alike
Or
Fools share thoughts.lol


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## annie.davis

Just came accross this thread, seems to be quite a dispute going on haha.

I'm no expert but owning a mob of 10 Meerkats myself I have a lot of experience working with meerkats and have dealt with the good, the bad and the ugly!
I would never recommend anyone get one as a 'Pet' they are very territorial and when they reach maturity can turn very aggressive! -

However with extensive research and the knowledge of how to care for these little 'Cuties' they can be very rewarding :flrt:
As you have mentioned and something I strongly advise against is keeping Meerkats indoors to free rome! They are natural born diggers and very destructive!! 
I personally believe it is best to have a custom built heated indoor enclosure with access to UVA/UVB that leads to an outdoor area for natural sunlight with plenty of digging, tunnels and burrows in both areas.

Captive Meerkats can be supplemented to help prevent any deficiencies, I use:

* Zolcal D liquid calcium supplement with vitamin D3 and magnesium to put in their drinking water
* ZooMed Repti Calcium to sprinkle on livefood & veggie's
* Vetark Nutrobal vitamin/mineral supplement to alternate with the calcium 
* Bug Grub to add to the calcium to gut load live food 

As Pouchie said the 'Enrichment' is the hardest part, this should be part of a daily routine and may involve using your imagination & a bit of creativity e.g. an egg box's filled with an assortment of fruit & veg, meat, livefood etc.
Or a piece of hardwearing bamboo (I also use box's, tubs & tubes) ... fill with straw, ensuring the straw is weaved through the holes to make it more of a challenge to dig & sprinkle mealworms inside ... leave for 5mins while the mealworms bury themselves & hide lol then drop in for the Meerkats to play











And I totally agree with you Peter, it goes for any animal exotic or not. There is no excuse not to do your research before acquiring an animal as at the end of the day what if you cannot meet the requirements of this animal?? 
I'm sure their would be a dramatic reduction in dogs, cats, turtles, pygmy hedgehogs, rabbits, beardies, Iguana's etc etc needing re-homed/rescued


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## mrcriss

annie.davis said:


> Just came accross this thread, seems to be quite a dispute going on haha.
> 
> I'm no expert but owning a mob of 10 Meerkats myself I have a lot of experience working with meerkats and have dealt with the good, the bad and the ugly!
> I would never recommend anyone get one as a 'Pet' they are very territorial and when they reach maturity can turn very aggressive! -
> [URL=http://i1027.photobucket.com/albums/y333/anneka6/599452_660379980644609_381663001_n_zps39b83467.jpg]image[/URL]
> However with extensive research and the knowledge of how to care for these little 'Cuties' they can be very rewarding :flrt:
> As you have mentioned and something I strongly advise against is keeping Meerkats indoors to free rome! They are natural born diggers and very destructive!!
> I personally believe it is best to have a custom built heated indoor enclosure with access to UVA/UVB that leads to an outdoor area for natural sunlight with plenty of digging, tunnels and burrows in both areas.
> 
> Captive Meerkats can be supplemented to help prevent any deficiencies, I use:
> 
> * Zolcal D liquid calcium supplement with vitamin D3 and magnesium to put in their drinking water
> * ZooMed Repti Calcium to sprinkle on livefood & veggie's
> * Vetark Nutrobal vitamin/mineral supplement to alternate with the calcium
> * Bug Grub to add to the calcium to gut load live food
> 
> As Pouchie said the 'Enrichment' is the hardest part, this should be part of a daily routine and may involve using your imagination & a bit of creativity e.g. an egg box's filled with an assortment of fruit & veg, meat, livefood etc.
> Or a piece of hardwearing bamboo (I also use box's, tubs & tubes) ... fill with straw, ensuring the straw is weaved through the holes to make it more of a challenge to dig & sprinkle mealworms inside ... leave for 5mins while the mealworms bury themselves & hide lol then drop in for the Meerkats to play image
> 
> [URL=http://i1027.photobucket.com/albums/y333/anneka6/Snookie%20n%20Zorro/529726_612214902127784_190596887_n_zpsaae79458.jpg]image[/URL]
> 
> And I totally agree with you Peter, it goes for any animal exotic or not. There is no excuse not to do your research before acquiring an animal as at the end of the day what if you cannot meet the requirements of this animal??
> I'm sure their would be a dramatic reduction in dogs, cats, turtles, pygmy hedgehogs, rabbits, beardies, Iguana's etc etc needing re-homed/rescued


Beautifully put from someone that clearly knows what they're talking about.

I really hope that as a consequence, people seriously reconsider offering advice to keep meerkats as house pets.

Perhaps BEMA should contact you to draw up their standard husbandry requirements for meerkats, if they haven't done so already? That way, people researching the species can be given the best advice possible.:2thumb:


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## annie.davis

mrcriss said:


> Beautifully put from someone that clearly knows what they're talking about.
> 
> I really hope that as a consequence, people seriously reconsider offering advice to keep meerkats as house pets.
> 
> Perhaps BEMA should contact you to draw up their standard husbandry requirements for meerkats, if they haven't done so already? That way, people researching the species can be given the best advice possible.:2thumb:


Thank you mrcriss :blush: I really appreciate that.

I am a member of BEMA however didn't feel I was experienced enough to submit a care sheet on Meerkats ... maybe I thought wrong haha.

I have my page on Facebook where my aim is to create awareness, provide facts and offer as much advice and information as I can -

https://www.facebook.com/MammyMeerkat

So far I feel I have changed a few peoples perspectives on keeping a meerkat as a 'pet' ... others who currently own them I just like to share my ideas for enrichment and photo's of my very entertaining mob that keep me very much on my toes and then there are just unfortunately that percentage of people out there who are just in it for the profit :bash:


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## MrJsk

Been meaning to take pictures for a while now, just in case anybody is interested or wants to be nosy aha

Meerkat's indoors.. it kind of goes round the corner of the double door system so there is 2 pics but it is all one area. This is connected to the outside area and they have access to both areas all day but are contained in the indoor part of an evening.




Outdoors..


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## annie.davis

MrJsk said:


> Been meaning to take pictures for a while now, just in case anybody is interested or wants to be nosy aha
> 
> Meerkat's indoors.. it kind of goes round the corner of the double door system so there is 2 pics but it is all one area. This is connected to the outside area and they have access to both areas all day but are contained in the indoor part of an evening.
> image
> 
> image
> 
> Outdoors..
> image
> 
> image


The outdoor area looks great here, plenty of digging space, tunnels & look-out points :2thumb: . Which zoo / wildlife centre is this?


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## MrJsk

annie.davis said:


> The outdoor area looks great here, plenty of digging space, tunnels & look-out points :2thumb: . Which zoo / wildlife centre is this?


This is my college.. Capel Manor in Enfield. They do Animal care courses and have loads of animals there.. hamsters, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs things like that and then they have a stockyard with bigger things like goats, pigs, alpacas , ducks..

They also have an exotics room which has reptiles, amphibians, inverts and a couple of tortoises and terrapins. They have a 6 banned Armadillo too!


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## MrJsk

Anybody who wants to be nosy or even interested in doing an animal care course lol.. Enfield centre | Capel Manor College


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## Lover

This has been extremely interesting to read. 
my favorite animal is meerkats, i have wanted them since being a little girl.
i am still investigating everything about meerkats, contacted breeders and collected information. i am still not ready!

i just think after so much research and chatting with other people that there is so much work to be put into them much harder than a cat or a dog.

i'm twenty one still not ready to purchase my pair/trio i have a lovely place for there housing which is in my outhouse extended from my house and the garden i have a big space for an outdoor enclosure added on from the indoor. 

i have had many pets, but the only most exotic pet i owned has been sugar gliders, which really did not work out for me i was only sixteen when i got them and it was a mistake, this is why i would not just dive in and buy them.

i do have close connections now with someone in my area who breeds them but she has them as house pets which for me i couldn't do, my dog destroys my house i couldn't imagine what a meerkat could do. 

a good thing to do as well is if you know people near you with them visit them, talk tot hem about meerkats see how they are kept. i'm soon to meet the meerkats a friend owns, im a little scared in case they decide im a threat she has said there very tame and have not attacked anyone and she has a young daughter who there great with.


i know i will be waiting till my children are older and my dog, i don't think i could own meerkats with my JRT he dislikes any other sort of animals i couldn't risk him and the meerkats. If he didn't like our giant conti from him beign a pu i doubt he would put up with meerkats.


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## xTIDx

How big would you recommend for a Meerkat enclosure? ( I need to know for a uni project, I can't seem to find any websites that say) :2thumb:.


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