# Spaying meerkats - any thoughts? help!



## taramasalata (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm considering having my adored female meerkats, Mila, spayed as she is insanely territorial and extremely.violent when defending her patch. This usually isn't a problem at home as we simply keep her away from guests. I'm a pack member so she's very loving to me.

however the last two times she went to our meerkats sitters when we went away she was fine for a week or so (they are also pack members) then just went totally nuts. She tried to attack them and absolutely savaged me when I arrived. As soon as she was home she was fine again and knew who i was. they work on smell and clearly something went wrong in less usual surroundings. She's three now and i have heard stories suggesting the females get worse as they get older.

does anyone know if Spaying helps?! i don't want to cause her stress and she's usually gorgeous at home but I'm terrified she will turn wild - when she gets like that nobody can be near her (only.twice so far but she literally tried to rip my face off). she's occasionally stalked me at home since this started, if i've been away overnight, and its pretty worrying. they have such a bad bad bite and it took two of us to get her off me last time, I literally have nightmares. And clearly you can't leave an animal behaving that way with friends!!

anyone have any experience of this? I don't want to breed her but i don't want to.spayed her if it won't help - its such a big operation for such a tiny animal.


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

I would surmise that spaying her would help to a degree with her aggression problem, but I'm not sure whether it would be a complete 'cure'. Maybe spaying & some form of training (target training or clicker training) may work. 

There are a couple of other Meerkat owners on here, including Sallie (username Africa).


----------



## mrcriss (Nov 2, 2010)

I'm assuming that your meerkat is the alpha female of a group of meerkats (because after all, you wouldn't keep one on it's own, would you?)......so I would imagine that spaying her would upset the entire group pecking order, and possibly lead to even more problems.


----------



## kodakira (Jul 11, 2008)

Hi 

As posted on another forum.

Spaying '' can help '' but there is no guarantee.

In my opinion and from what I have observed the aggression is mainly due to behavioural issues ( for the use of a better word ). The female Meerkat will be top dog whether she is spayed or not, it is what she is. Therefore this behaviour is likely to continue but can be less severe, especially when in season. She will continue to try and put everyone in their place !!!.

I usually tell people to let a Meekat be Meerkat  I know people want to be able to cuddle and stroke them etc but there becomes a time when you just cant  

Best Wishes

Neil

EDIT: Also meant to mention that if you had other females this could lead to other issues of aggression . the next female in line wanting to become top dog etc.


----------



## stubeanz (Mar 28, 2007)

Hi, correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like you keep just the one female in your house?*
If this is the case that's where you are going wrong. Every meerkat I have met that Is kept alone, wether in a house or enclosure has become aggressive to guests if kept inside or aggressive to the owner. They will also become incredibly stereotypical.

The reason for this is because it sees your house as its territory and your family as it's group therefore it will 'deffend' against other 'meerkats' that are not part of it's group. It will also continually test for dominance within it's 'group' ( your family) hence why it is being aggressive.

What needs to be done is to build a large outdoor enclosure and slowly introduce another meerkat overtime. Slowly being the main word!*

No wonder your female attacked the other group as it was dumped in an organised group and disturbed the higherarchy. Even if they were it's siblings previously it doesn't matter as she has left he group.

Meerkats are incredibly social animals and by spaying her it may affect her aggression but I personally think aggression is part of an inbuilt behaviour critical for meerkat society and can't be remedied like you would by some other mammals through spaying/neutering.

thanks
Stu*


----------



## Zoo-Man (Apr 12, 2008)

stubeanz said:


> Hi, correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like you keep just the one female in your house?*
> If this is the case that's where you are going wrong. Every meerkat I have met that Is kept alone, wether in a house or enclosure has become aggressive to guests if kept inside or aggressive to the owner. They will also become incredibly stereotypical.
> 
> The reason for this is because it sees your house as its territory and your family as it's group therefore it will 'deffend' against other 'meerkats' that are not part of it's group. It will also continually test for dominance within it's 'group' ( your family) hence why it is being aggressive.
> ...


Edited, my mistake, I confused the OP with another person.


----------



## taramasalata (Jul 23, 2008)

Hi all,
I asked for email notification, but - nothing. lucky i looked.
Anyway - my excellent vet suggested that this is normal behaviour. She only attacks away from our home, and only after a week or so. He thinks she feels insecure off of her home territory. To start off with she stays low, but after a few days her fight-or-flight kicks in and she goes on the attack. 
In our home Im pretty sure she thinks im dominant but with a slightly odd pack of two meerkats, a skunk and four humans (two of whom aren't always there) dominance possibly seems quite up for grabs. But at home everyone is happy and nobody gets bitten.

The vet says when she goes to the meerkat sitters with the other animals we need to take absolutely all of their stuff and a lot of clothes that smell of us to make Mila feel at home, and she probably won't then feel the need to defend herself.
So.hopefully no need to spay the little fluffernutter.
Thanks everyone!


----------



## taramasalata (Jul 23, 2008)

To clarify - she always attacks strangers but we expect that. Its just that she's only ever gone for me or the other human pack members twice, and both when staying with our close friends, the meerkat sitters, who make up two of the pack themselves (they have always looked after them a lot). If the meerkat sitters come to stay with us in the more usual territory (out house) - no issues. So far...

Basically the meerkats accept the four of us humans as family - but apparently only if they feel secure and at home. fair enough


----------

