# compare my meerkat



## the dog

just intrested to see if anyone owns a meerkat or is thinking of owning one and needs any advice on these animals.i own a 22 week old meerkat by the name of tyson.i look at him being a family member more than a pet.as do i think he does.lol


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## Summer1098

No, I don't have a meerkat and don't want one either. I beleive that meerkats should be in the wild where they belong.
My uncle has one, but that's an unwanted pet who couldn't be re-introduced into the wild. 
Many people buy meerkats when they see the cute baby in he pet shop window, but most of the time, the meerkat will grom into an agressive animal and many of them end up being abandoned.


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## Chrysler

Summer1098 said:


> No, I don't have a meerkat and don't want one either. I beleive that meerkats should be in the wild where they belong.
> My uncle has one, but that's an unwanted pet who couldn't be re-introduced into the wild.
> Many people buy meerkats when they see the cute baby in he pet shop window, but most of the time, the meerkat will grom into an agressive animal and many of them end up being abandoned.


I do agree with you on that.
While I do adore meercats and I keep joking to hubby "I want one" but I would never get one as they should be in the wild and unless one can keep a group of them under the right condition it is unfair to the animal to keep it on it's own.


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## Akai-Chan

I do think that if you have the right conditions for them then it is ok to keep them, but the right conditions involves a very large suitable outside enclosure and at least a small group of them. One on its own isn;t enough.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## CarolineH

Meerkats are highly social creatures who not only need a family group of other meerkats around them, they also need to have a large enclosure to allow them to forage and make a home in as well as a proper diet. I am sorry and I do not wish to sound mean but whilever there are people who fall for the 'Aaahhh!' factor and who buy these animals as pets to live a totally un-natural life, there will be get-rich-quick merchants who will be happy to supply them! Just because an animal is used on an advert does not mean that they are good pets! These animals have all their wild instincts, even if they have been bred for several generations in captivity! They have not been bred as pets! They need others of their own kind, they need a very large enclosure outdoors and they need to be able to fulfil their natural instincts! It just is not fair to expect them to become a pet and live deprived of what they need just to satisfy human whims and fancies!

Where will this end?ut:


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## the dog

ill let every one know in about a years time how we get on and what his nature is like when he older.all i can do is wait an see.but for now he seems happy anouth.


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## Pampered pets

I got offered one a couple of years ago, family bought him from a pet shop then got bored, he was lovely and friendly and gorgeous but i refused him on principle, i really dont think a house is the right environment for these animals and yes i agree they live in colonys so how happy can one meercat be? 

we will have elephants and giraffes in the garden soon


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## Marcia

I don't agree with meerkats being kept as pets. Where will people stop?! Come on everyone, lets try and buy an endangered speicies as a pet because we all know how to predict their behaviour


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## crofty

CarolineH said:


> Meerkats are highly social creatures who not only need a family group of other meerkats around them, they also need to have a large enclosure to allow them to forage and make a home in as well as a proper diet. I am sorry and I do not wish to sound mean but whilever there are people who fall for the 'Aaahhh!' factor and who buy these animals as pets to live a totally un-natural life, there will be get-rich-quick merchants who will be happy to supply them! Just because an animal is used on an advert does not mean that they are good pets! These animals have all their wild instincts, even if they have been bred for several generations in captivity! They have not been bred as pets! They need others of their own kind, they need a very large enclosure outdoors and they need to be able to fulfil their natural instincts! It just is not fair to expect them to become a pet and live deprived of what they need just to satisfy human whims and fancies!
> 
> Where will this end?ut:


Completely agree its not natural and they need their own kind especially at this age, i think this is digraceful, poor little thing


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## noushka05

i think its shocking that these animals are being kept as pets, everyone considering buying one should read this written by those who have actually studied the animal!........


HOW ABOUT A PET MEERKAT?
They're affectionate, intelligent and very cute. So why wouldn't you want one?

Buying a Pet Meerkat?
If you're thinking of buying a meerkat to be an affectionate, intelligent and adorable pets, read this and think again!
Meerkats are cuddly creatures, however they bite. 
They bite for all sorts of reasons and sometimes just for fun. They have long and very sharp canines that easily puncture the skin. Bites tend to go in deep and they easily become infected. They heal slowly and can be very painful. 
Meerkats are soft and cute, but smell. 
We once knew a meerkat called 'Stinky'. He wasn't especially smelly - just as smelly as they all are. As they grow up meerkats begin to scent mark their territory - your home and the objects in it - as well as scent marking those they love - i.e. you. They use their anal glands for this. It is dirty and smelly. Yuck.

Meerkats are diligent hunters.
Meerkats are inquisitive animals that love to dig and burrow... they will cheerfully tear your house to pieces. 
Breeding a Meerkat
For every captive bred meerkat that survives many will have died. Meerkats don't breed well in captivity. Females often abort or eat their own babies. 
Caring for a Meerkat
No human can give a single meerkat the constant care and attention it craves - many literally go insane, most probably from anxiety over lack of social contact. Others self-harm. One meerkat we knew of was so upset that it literally chewed its own paws off. 
Where to buy a Meerkat
Most meerkats are purchased from an illegal source. Sadly many meerkats in captivity have been taken illegally from the wild and by purchasing a pet meerkat you may be encouraging a trade that's detrimental to wild meerkat populations. 
Meerkat Fans
Please help stop the exploitation of these wild animals and say NO to having a pet meerkat. It's cruel. And if you just love meerkats so much you can't bear to be without one in your life, there are alternatives: 
Why not adopt a wild meerkat instead? 
Or visit a whole family at your local zoo? 
Real meerkat fans love their meerkats wild!
This web page is written by people who have lived with and studied wild meerkats and who have also seen the effects of captivity on these animals


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## Marcia

noushka05 said:


> i think its shocking that these animals are being kept as pets, everyone considering buying one should read this written by those who have actually studied the animal!........
> 
> HOW ABOUT A PET MEERKAT?
> They're affectionate, intelligent and very cute. So why wouldn't you want one?
> 
> Buying a Pet Meerkat?
> If you're thinking of buying a meerkat to be an affectionate, intelligent and adorable pets, read this and think again!
> Meerkats are cuddly creatures, however they bite.
> They bite for all sorts of reasons and sometimes just for fun. They have long and very sharp canines that easily puncture the skin. Bites tend to go in deep and they easily become infected. They heal slowly and can be very painful.
> Meerkats are soft and cute, but smell.
> We once knew a meerkat called 'Stinky'. He wasn't especially smelly - just as smelly as they all are. As they grow up meerkats begin to scent mark their territory - your home and the objects in it - as well as scent marking those they love - i.e. you. They use their anal glands for this. It is dirty and smelly. Yuck.
> 
> Meerkats are diligent hunters.
> Meerkats are inquisitive animals that love to dig and burrow... they will cheerfully tear your house to pieces.
> Breeding a Meerkat
> For every captive bred meerkat that survives many will have died. Meerkats don't breed well in captivity. Females often abort or eat their own babies.
> Caring for a Meerkat
> No human can give a single meerkat the constant care and attention it craves - many literally go insane, most probably from anxiety over lack of social contact. Others self-harm. One meerkat we knew of was so upset that it literally chewed its own paws off.
> Where to buy a Meerkat
> Most meerkats are purchased from an illegal source. Sadly many meerkats in captivity have been taken illegally from the wild and by purchasing a pet meerkat you may be encouraging a trade that's detrimental to wild meerkat populations.
> Meerkat Fans
> Please help stop the exploitation of these wild animals and say NO to having a pet meerkat. It's cruel. And if you just love meerkats so much you can't bear to be without one in your life, there are alternatives:
> Why not adopt a wild meerkat instead?
> Or visit a whole family at your local zoo?
> Real meerkat fans love their meerkats wild!
> This web page is written by people who have lived with and studied wild meerkats and who have also seen the effects of captivity on these animals


Great post


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## CarolineH

noushka05 said:


> Meerkats are cuddly creatures, however they bite.
> They bite for all sorts of reasons and sometimes just for fun. They have long and very sharp canines that easily puncture the skin. Bites tend to go in deep and they easily become infected. They heal slowly and can be very painful.
> Meerkats are soft and cute, but smell.
> We once knew a meerkat called 'Stinky'. He wasn't especially smelly - just as smelly as they all are. As they grow up meerkats begin to scent mark their territory - your home and the objects in it - as well as scent marking those they love - i.e. you. They use their anal glands for this. It is dirty and smelly. Yuck.


Ah but the meerkats that people are misguidedly buying as pets won't do all that you see! :wink: They are bound to be like those cute creatures you see on Meerkat Manor and the 'compare' advert! :yesnod: That's why their owners have lined the pockets of the dealers with lots of dosh! So they won't be like that as they will be pets! 

Coming soon to a rescue sanctuary near you! Or the local woods, whichever is nearest!


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## noushka05

CarolineH said:


> Ah but the meerkats that people are misguidedly buying as pets won't do all that you see! :wink: They are bound to be like those cute creatures you see on Meerkat Manor and the 'compare' advert! :yesnod: That's why their owners have lined the pockets of the dealers with lots of dosh! So they won't be like that as they will be pets!
> 
> Coming soon to a rescue sanctuary near you! Or the local woods, whichever is nearest!


oh yeah your right an sum of them can even say 'simples'!


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## Guest

noushka05 said:


> oh yeah your right an sum of them can even say 'simples'!


Great previous post! and this did make me chuckle :lol:


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## taramasalata

Hi all,
I have pet meerkats (Jack and Mila) whom I love dearly and look after very well. 
I have to say meerkats do NOT make good pets, but you can see how mine are doing and what it's like to live with meerkats on Jack and Mila, Meerkats in the House!
Laura


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## Guest

Laura

I just wanted to say thanks

Your website with some of the real truths in owning a meerkat (under daddy i want a meerkat) is fantastic. Yes its humerous, but the truth is there.

It sounds to me like your meerkats have a very good life, digging, running around, social group of two plus humans, destroying everything and a well balanced diet (well apart from haribo and g&t ). However it is enlightening to hear that you agree, they are not good pets.

rep coming your way xxxx


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## Nicky09

This is probably going to be unpopular but if you have the experience, get the proper enclosure, diet etc and get a group of them and look after them properly then I don't particularly see the problem. Any other situation then no


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## Akai-Chan

Nicky09 said:


> This is probably going to be unpopular but if you have the experience, get the proper enclosure, diet etc and get a group of them and look after them properly then I don't particularly see the problem. Any other situation then no


To be honest I agree with Nicky. Now people have started breeding them they will continue to breed them until no-one wants them anymore. So long as the owners have done their research an have enough space, the right diet and the correct ximulated enviroment then I see no trouble with it.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## CarolineH

taramasalata said:


> Hi all,
> I have pet meerkats (Jack and Mila) whom I love dearly and look after very well.
> I have to say meerkats do NOT make good pets, but you can see how mine are doing and what it's like to live with meerkats on Jack and Mila, Meerkats in the House!
> Laura


I have just looked through your site Laura. It is brilliant! :thumbup1: You have obviously learned a lot about meerkats and are providing them with a good lifestyle. Sadly I cannot see many people making even a tenth of the effort that you have and their poor singleton meerkats will end up stuck in a cage going mad until they are got rid of after the novelty has worn off.  Interesting that the females are much feistier than the males! : Glad to see that your male is neutered too. They are lucky little animals to have found such a good home. I still cannot agree with anyone that they should be in the pet trade but hopefully your site will put off a few of the sentimental prospective owners who only want one because they are on the TV. I'll put a link to your site on the links page of my own site in a minute as I have no doubt there are plenty out there considering a meerkat as their next designer pet.


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## CarolineH

Nicky09 said:


> This is probably going to be unpopular but if you have the experience, get the proper enclosure, diet etc and get a group of them and look after them properly then I don't particularly see the problem. Any other situation then no


Very few people will be providing that though. Most can only just afford one meerkat let alone a whole group and even less will do proper research. If they did the latter, they would get one. Even fewer would provide the right environment or space. I have no problem with someone who makes a proper enclosure and who keeps a proper family group of them in as natural and environment as they can as an interest. It's those who are going to keep them indoors all of the time in a rabbit cage and expect them to mix with all and sundry and not bite etc that I cannot get my head round. ut: They need their heads read! Meerkats are not fluffy pets!


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## Nicky09

Yes the people that go aww so cute and buy one without a second thought I don't like. They are adorable but I would stick to watching them in the zoo way too much effort


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## CarolineH

Nicky, I am averse to being bitten down to the bone so I think I would prefer to watch them on tv or in a nice big enclosure in a zoo instead as well!


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## the dog

nice post an lovely merrkats.funny the way some people have become alright with this now.seem to be alot of people going back on what they said in earler post.suddenly alright now well to a point.tyson says hi to jack and mila.lol


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## noushka05

the dog said:


> nice post an lovely merrkats.funny the way some people have become alright with this now.seem to be alot of people going back on what they said in earler post.suddenly alright now well to a point.tyson says hi to jack and mila.lol


im sorry but i could never 'think its alright' , too much cruelty goes on to produce these babies, the pet trade in meerkats & marmosets is responsible for so much suffering & the people breeding them they dont care how unsuitable the new owners are, its all about making money & i hate exploitation of any animal!, meerkats should be living in family groups but instead they are snatched away from their mothers when they are far too young & all for £££,

im curious to know what people keep them in when theyre out?

even in zoo's these animals dont do great & they have much better enclosures that the gp can give them.

also how can you replicate what they eat in the wild?

& well done taramasalata for trying to discourage people from keeping these animals as pets i think everyone who now has them should be doing the same,..... buying them is just creating a demand & im afraid the only way to stop more of them suffering is to stifle the exotic pet market trade.


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## taramasalata

I had a hard time getting mine, actually. The breeder I got Jack from was very suspicious of whether I'd look after him, must have spent 10 hours on the phone getting advice on how to look after him and being asked questions about my lifestyle (I worked from home which was a plus point in my favour). Jack's parents were well looked after and happy, and the breeder kept meerkats as pets himself.

With Mila, it was even trickier. I spent 9 months looking for her, knowing I'd have to go out to work and Jack couldn't be alone. She was abandoned by her mother and hand-reared by someone who was breeding them for zoos. Being hand-reared made her ideal for me, of course, but her temperament is a little more wild because she wasn't bred as a pet.

When I go out Jack and Mila have the run of the (small) house. And then when I get back I clean it....! They have a big box of sand and things with bugs in to dig out, a sunny windowsil with lookout posts and heat lamps. They are very very active animals though and need a lot to do. I don't let them in the bedrooms though.

They have to go away when people come around because Mila has a "kill on sight" policy for anyone outside of her pack, which consists of Jack, me and my partner and our two "meerkat sitters" who have looked after them when we went out since they were small. I don't know how we'd do without them.

Hope that answers a few questions


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## CarolineH

the dog said:


> nice post an lovely merrkats.funny the way some people have become alright with this now.seem to be alot of people going back on what they said in earler post.suddenly alright now well to a point.tyson says hi to jack and mila.lol


I suggest that you go back and actually read through the info on Taramasaltas website link properly? She owns them and even she does not think that they make great pets!


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## Cloth101

CarolineH said:


> Very few people will be providing that though. Most can only just afford one meerkat let alone a whole group and even less will do proper research. If they did the latter, they would get one. Even fewer would provide the right environment or space. I have no problem with someone who makes a proper enclosure and who keeps a proper family group of them in as natural and environment as they can as an interest. It's those who are going to keep them indoors all of the time in a rabbit cage and expect them to mix with all and sundry and not bite etc that I cannot get my head round. ut: They need their heads read! Meerkats are not fluffy pets!


I agree. I was wondering when meerkats would become available to buy and I suppose that if they were given the right housing, food, environment then it wouldn't be too bad but I personally think that if it's a wild creature than the wild is where it belongs... hmy:


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## the dog

CarolineH said:


> I suggest that you go back and actually read through the info on Taramasaltas website link properly? She owns them and even she does not think that they make great pets!


iv read everything that she's got to say,an i agree with every shes says.meerkats are not for every one but it find its not to bad looking after one alot harder than a dog say.but iv got all the time in the world like iv said hes got the run of a 4 bedroom house upstairs an down stairs and a big back garden to mooch about and before YOU say, no its not full of sand hes got a good size sand pit.i done allot of research starting sometime last year every website every book constantly on the phone to the breeder who i got him of. this was on the books for a wile before any stupid adverts.so do NOT think for one minute i am one of these people who got one of these meerkats just coz there cute.from what iv read from taramasaltas,thers no diferent in the way they being looked after or were they r living,yes i agree iv only got the one,until october that is.i do not have to explaine my self to anyone,not to any one tracked minded person.i came on here offering any advice on what they eat what they need the time they take up.not asking weather people think its right to own a meerkat.the fact is they are here people going to get one.if you dont like it then tuff get used to it.bla bla bla.now what stupid comments r you going to come out withut:


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## CarolineH

the dog said:


> if you dont like it then tuff get used to it.bla bla bla.now what stupid comments r you going to come out withut:



ROFLMAO!


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## the dog

CarolineH said:


> ROFLMAO!


nothink then.lol


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## CarolineH

Sometimes more can be said by nothin*g*


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## Cloth101

the dog said:


> if you dont like it then tuff get used to it.bla bla bla.now what stupid comments r you going to come out with


I think that maybe the problem here has been confused. It's not that you (or anyone else who owns a meerkat) is a bad owner but that owning a meerkat just isn't morally right. They can have the best home in the world but at the end of the day it's still not their natural habitat. And that's, I think, what people have the problem with.


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## noushka05

Cloth101 said:


> I think that maybe the problem here has been confused. It's not that you (or anyone else who owns a meerkat) is a bad owner but that owning a meerkat just isn't morally right. They can have the best home in the world but at the end of the day it's still not their natural habitat. And that's, I think, what people have the problem with.


very well said & i totally agree!


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## Cloth101

noushka05 said:


> very well said & i totally agree!


Thanks =) I think that's the problem, the moral aspect and not the material one.


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## Guest

the dog said:


> iv read everything that she's got to say,an i agree with every shes says.meerkats are not for every one but it find its not to bad looking after one alot harder than a dog say.but iv got all the time in the world like iv said hes got the run of a 4 bedroom house upstairs an down stairs and a big back garden to mooch about and before YOU say, no its not full of sand hes got a good size sand pit.i done allot of research starting sometime last year every website every book constantly on the phone to the breeder who i got him of. this was on the books for a wile before any stupid adverts.so do NOT think for one minute i am one of these people who got one of these meerkats just coz there cute.from what iv read from taramasaltas,thers no diferent in the way they being looked after or were they r living,yes i agree iv only got the one,until october that is.i do not have to explaine my self to anyone,not to any one tracked minded person.i came on here offering any advice on what they eat what they need the time they take up.not asking weather people think its right to own a meerkat.the fact is they are here people going to get one.if you dont like it then tuff get used to it.bla bla bla.now what stupid comments r you going to come out withut:


Thank you for agreeing with her posts, and your post shows you have put alot of thought into how to look after your meerkat, and i presume (if i have read correctly) he will have a friend arriving in october so you will be fulfilling the social group aspect.

However

How Dare you speak to me or anyone else like you just did!

I have not once EVER called you stupid, i have not made degrading comments about you or your posts!

I have given people an insight into the meerkat pet trade and that not all (well most) pet meerkats come from loving breeders who only have their animals welfare at heart!

You came on this forum

As a forum member I am allowed to put forward my views in a polite manner, I am allowed to answer questions too, I am allowed to say my views on any subject, If those spark topical debate then great, if not Oh well!

You are allowed to do the same. You are NOT ever allowed to call me or my posts stupid (or anyone elses for that matter!)

We as a forum full of individuals including you have a responsibility to be polite to each other even if we disagree with another persons views or actions.


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## CarolineH

billyboysmammy said:


> You are allowed to do the same. You are NOT ever allowed to call me or my posts stupid (or anyone elses for that matter!)
> 
> We as a forum full of individuals including you have a responsibility to be polite to each other even if we disagree with another persons views or actions.


To be honest, I just could not put that into words last night and you have just done it perfectly thanks.


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## Cloth101

CarolineH said:


> To be honest, I just could not put that into words last night and you have just done it perfectly thanks.





billyboysmammy said:


> Thank you for agreeing with her posts, and your post shows you have put alot of thought into how to look after your meerkat, and i presume (if i have read correctly) he will have a friend arriving in october so you will be fulfilling the social group aspect.
> 
> However
> 
> How Dare you speak to me or anyone else like you just did!
> 
> I have not once EVER called you stupid, i have not made degrading comments about you or your posts!
> 
> I have given people an insight into the meerkat pet trade and that not all (well most) pet meerkats come from loving breeders who only have their animals welfare at heart!
> 
> You came on this forum
> 
> As a forum member I am allowed to put forward my views in a polite manner, I am allowed to answer questions too, I am allowed to say my views on any subject, If those spark topical debate then great, if not Oh well!
> 
> You are allowed to do the same. You are NOT ever allowed to call me or my posts stupid (or anyone elses for that matter!)
> 
> We as a forum full of individuals including you have a responsibility to be polite to each other even if we disagree with another persons views or actions.


Agree totally.


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## taramasalata

Hey, please relax everyone!

I think we are in agreement on this forum on pretty much the same ideas.
1) Most people shouldn't keep meerkats, they are only suitable for a niche group of people who are prepared to entirely put their lives on hold for them, and to sacrifice their home to an extent. And who genuinely don't mind being seriously bitten in exchange for being loved and cuddled.
2) Nobody should keep any pets without being really well prepared, well informed and putting the appropriate amount of time and effort into them (in the case of meerkats nearly 24 hours a day)
3) We love our pets very much and don't want it suggested that we don't treat them right. We would find that upsetting because we devote so much of our lives to them.

Those of us who have meerkats are NOT suggesting other people get them, I actively suggest you don't. But we do want a place to share our meerkat joys (and trials) with other animal lovers.

And other animal lovers are rightly concerned that they are difficult animals to keep, and very easy to traumatise simply by not knowing enough about them, and worry about our pets just incase we don't know what we're doing. Indeed they are harder to look after properly than dogs, but we know that and we put in probably even more effort than dog owners because we want them to be happy.

When I walk through the door to my house Jack and Mila throw themselves bodily at me (there's a video on my site called homecomingfrom when Jack was younger, it's not very good quality but you can see what I mean), I don't know what I'd do without my daily armful of meerkats. But they are also an incredible bind and really restrict my freedom and I'm aware they hate it when I go out. It was my choice to do this to my life! (My friends and family think I'm nuts.)

Just because they don't generally make good pets doesn't mean *nobody* can care for them, just not many people. Some people can sucessfully keep tigers, it's just a very very small group of people!!

Anyway that's what I think.

Meerkatty love to all,

Laura

PS there's a new comic going up on Jack and Mila, Meerkats in the House later today, about the "carpet crocodile" (ie. Jack in one of his mischievious moods). The comics are done by my partner and so far are proving an accurate description of life with them. Don't bother checking til this evening though.


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## noushka05

taramasalata said:


> Hey, please relax everyone!
> 
> I think we are in agreement on this forum on pretty much the same ideas.
> 1) Most people shouldn't keep meerkats, they are only suitable for a niche group of people who are prepared to entirely put their lives on hold for them, and to sacrifice their home to an extent. And who genuinely don't mind being seriously bitten in exchange for being loved and cuddled.
> 2) Nobody should keep any pets without being really well prepared, well informed and putting the appropriate amount of time and effort into them (in the case of meerkats nearly 24 hours a day)
> 3) We love our pets very much and don't want it suggested that we don't treat them right. We would find that upsetting because we devote so much of our lives to them.
> 
> Those of us who have meerkats are NOT suggesting other people get them, I actively suggest you don't. But we do want a place to share our meerkat joys (and trials) with other animal lovers.
> 
> And other animal lovers are rightly concerned that they are difficult animals to keep, and very easy to traumatise simply by not knowing enough about them, and worry about our pets just incase we don't know what we're doing. Indeed they are harder to look after properly than dogs, but we know that and we put in probably even more effort than dog owners because we want them to be happy.
> 
> When I walk through the door to my house Jack and Mila throw themselves bodily at me (there's a video on my site called homecomingfrom when Jack was younger, it's not very good quality but you can see what I mean), I don't know what I'd do without my daily armful of meerkats. But they are also an incredible bind and really restrict my freedom and I'm aware they hate it when I go out. It was my choice to do this to my life! (My friends and family think I'm nuts.)
> 
> Just because they don't generally make good pets doesn't mean *nobody* can care for them, just not many people. Some people can sucessfully keep tigers, it's just a very very small group of people!!
> 
> Anyway that's what I think.
> 
> Meerkatty love to all,
> 
> Laura
> 
> PS there's a new comic going up on Jack and Mila, Meerkats in the House later today, about the "carpet crocodile" (ie. Jack in one of his mischievious moods). The comics are done by my partner and so far are proving an accurate description of life with them. Don't bother checking til this evening though.


i can see that you care very much for your meerkats but are you concerned that more and more of these animals are going to end up in unsuitable hands?, you even say theyre only suitable for a niche group of people...but without licencing any fool can own one. Do you think people should stop buying them to stifle the trade in exotics?

i dont think many wild animals are truely happy in captivity particularly the predator species & highly intelligent apes/monkeys/elephants etc so i think some people may beable to 'successfully keep a tiger' as you say but im pretty certain it wont be happy.

Its just my personal opinion i hate to see any wild animal living in such un-natural environments & i find incredibly sad when you say 'they hate it when you go out' .


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## taramasalata

Ok, well I'm getting just a little tired of this thread so I'll reply in bullet points and hopefully make my opinions clear, and maybe we can talk about something a bit different . By the way I do realise you're just worried about animals and are almost certainly a very nice person! I think you are barking up slightly the wrong tree a little though, here's why.

- firstly licencing exotics is possibly the answer (although not definitely) I don't know. However you can't "stifle" the exotics trade by not buying - yes at the moment due to meerkat manor there is high demand. But most of the breeders people are buying from breed primarily for zoos. And most of the animals taken from the wild in the dodgy side of the exotics trade are for zoos or large collections as far as I understand, nobody's going to whip off to the Kalahari in search of a meerkat for some bloke in Slough (there's quarantine for one thing). The meerkats people are buying here are bred here and, at the moment, there's just a bloody long waiting list and insane prices because of demand. There aren't even many more about than there were, they are just more public. Took me nearly 9 months and hundreds of ads and phone calls to find Mila, and I only got her because her breeder had to hand-rear her so she wasn't very zoo-suitable. 

- whilst meerkats are hard to keep they in many ways make more suitable pets than a lot of rabbits etc, who in some cases are visibly afraid of their captors. If you treat meerkats very nicely they have a wonderful time. I believe mine are far happier than their Kalahari relatives. They are healthier, more secure and happy, in very little danger of being eaten. They have enough stress to keep them healthy (very important actually) in that they are afraid of planes, large birds and motorbikes, Jack is afraid of cats (there's one nearby that has it in for him, specifically, not Mila) and they don't like it when my partner or I leave. They aren't hysterical though, just to make that clear, more just grumpy. They sulk for a bit.

- the pack situation for almost every meerkat is terribly stressful, and designed to be. I think I said it before but the alpha female routinely harries all the others and throws them out to sleep outside in the danger zone, just to keep their stress levels too high for conception. And when other females to produce babies the alpha eats them. The alpha male is pretty vicious to the others on occasion too to stay in charge. Whilst they are often cute with each other the pack is also largely based on stress and dominance - because they are so very social throwing them out of the pack works very well on most of them to keep them under the thumb. Some of the males are ok alone but I think the females tend not to be. Anyway my meerkats are very relaxed compared to their wild counterparts and will live 2-4 years longer as a result.

- Jack used to worry a lot when I went out so I used to just go to the bathroom for two minutes, then three, and build it up. Now he knows I'll come back he's a lot less worried. It's the same thing with puppies, I believe, except that before I would really leave Jack at all I bought Mila since they are more pack-orientated than dogs.

- The argument that every animal is better off in the wild is, in my opinion, highly flawed. This can be seen from the many species who are now failing to survive in the wild (and I don't want to get into a "humans changing the environment" debate - some animals just don't adapt well to change and die out, others do). By the argument that animals should be left in the wild we should leave the tigers and pandas out there to die out. Meerkats meanwhile are very hardy, of course, and trading in them does no damage to the species as a whole. However - if you stuck my meerkats in the middle of the dessert they would be crying for me for the next week I promise, as you said they are very bright, and therefore they are able to love me. They follow me everywhere and would defend me to the death  Now I think that in many ways that makes a very good pet, along the same lines as a dog (Still, to casual readers - do not get a meerkat it's a BAD IDEA see my website for why). Anyway. I contend that my meerkats are happier than wild meerkats. I make their life very nice, they make my life very nice, everyone happy. Happier than most pet bunnies. So the question becomes why is the state of a few meerkats in the country more important than the state of a hell of a lot of more common pets?

- I have meerkat sitters for when I'm off places who truly love them, even though they are *covered* in Jack's bite scars, and have been working at home for 2 years because originally I just had Jack and simply could never leave him. He even came to the shops with me. They aren't alone much and now there are two of them they are quite happy so long as I'm not off for toooooo long. Even if I left them for 24 hours (I don't) it's still less stressful than their natural habitat.

- My meerkats are happy (to repeat). Sounds like Tyson the meerkat is happy, he has a proud owner who treats him like one of the family and takes the time to write about him online and try to find other people to chat to about his welfare. There are lots and lots of you-tube videos of happy pet meerkats (the unhappy ones aren't being filmed, of course, but it shows they can be very happy and healthy pets). DON'T GET A MEERKAT.

- I believe *everyone* should be required to hold a licence for owning any vertebrate. I really do. But nobody's listening to me on that one! I know lots of people who own very, very unhappy birds, bunnies, hamsters and dogs. If you want to fix something, try to fix that. I think the RSPCA should be given a lot of money to go around peoples homes giving out licences to say who is responsible enough to own a pet (won't happen too expensive but wouldn't it be nice). There are definitely a lot of people who have parrots who shouldn't. It's a far more widespread problem. I don't think people should be allowed to keep rabbits in a 2 ft cage, never let them out and treat them like furniture. People keeping hamsters in "gerbil starter packs" brings me out in a cold sweat. I don't think pet shops should be allowed to make and sell inappropriately small cages, I wish someone would sue them. I can't do anything about it. But if you have spare time for campaigning about pet owners of any kind, I suggest you head off down your street and take a look at the state of the guinea pigs. People, if you are going to get a pet, consider the minimum acceptable enclosure and triple it. Please. You can get whopping great hamster cages on Ebay for not a lot of dosh. And pet shops - stop selling animals for a couple of quid. They aren't penny sweets, they are creatures who deserve to be treated nicely and it send the wrong message. Also just 'cos an animal is small doesn't make it a suitable toy for a small child necessarily. More work could be done with pet shops!

- Some people buy meerkats who shouldn't (like the chap who emailed to say he had "ordered" a female and asked if they scent mark. No offense mate I'm sure you're a lovely guy but that's something you should already know if you "ordered" one. If you don't know that do you know what she eats, what is poisonous to her and how you are going to stop her drowning herself in the loo? Do you plan to get a partner for the little girl? How about neutering? The fact that she will destroy your home and bite your family? The females can be very jealous and attack all the women in your life, are you ready?) But the same is true of puppies. People don't plan properly, and think they can ditch their animal if it becomes inconvenient. If you get a meerkat it should be your family for your life (and they are bad with children). But the same is true of people getting rid of their dogs after a few years because they "can't cope". I hope I won't ever end up eating my words on this but - I think don't bloomin' get an animal unless you are damned sure you can "cope"! This is not an exotic-specific problem though!!

- People who buy exotics pay a vaste wad of cash for them, unlike hamsters. Yes, this open up a stream of revenue for the unscrupulous seller BUT then nobody's going to flush a £500 animal down the loo or tie him to a firework and set it off (RIP several very unfortunatel hamsters :-(( ). When people DO get sick of their meerkats, they sell them on to someone who wants them - not ideal but they certainly don't dump them by the M4 in a bag. All those badly treated cats, hamsters and rats - I hope reincarnation happens and you get a better life next time. :-(

- The existing meerkat owners who have emailed me have so far been a lovely lot, very interested in how to make their pets happier. It's heartwarming. We really love our weaselys and are very proud of them 

That's pretty much everything I think about everything. )

I'm putting some vids up of the meerkats cuddling and playing tonight if anyone's interested.

Do we have a picture of Tyson anywhere? I'd love to see him 

Laura

PS that was long, sorry.
PPS no offense to any bunny/hamster/etc owners I'm sure you're lovely too and treat your pets just as well as I treat mine!


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## taramasalata

Photo Gallery Photo Page Crocodile
this is so Jack


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## noushka05

i am nice but i do feel passionatly about not only keeping wild animals as pets but breeding them aswell, i know you say the situation isnt bad with meerkats at the moment,i dunno, but when an animal becomes so popular you will always get unscrupulous idiots exploiting them for cash, i dont agree paying £500 for them protects them from abuse either, you only have to look at the cruelty that goes on with so many pedigree dogs to see that, look at my own breed for example the siberian husky i hate the fact that theyve become so popular, husky rescues are full to bursting because the owners could no longer cope or the novelty had just worn off, a high price tag certainly does not ensure a good home.

So yes i do think licencing would be a good thing & i also think if people didnt buy they wouldnt create a demand. 

im sure you give your meerkats the very best life possible & of course i know they could never go back to the wild , but we'llhave to agree to disagree on meerkats being happier in captivity because i will always believe despite the hardships, they should live there lives in freedom in the eco-systems they are a part of.

Although i personally think we should be preserving wildlife in the wild i know there are some fantastic places that keep wild animals & breed them to conserve the species they live in massive naturalistic enclosures, & the best place i have ever seen is monkey world in Dorset, they rescue many monkeys from the pet market & try to educate people about how much suffering goes on in the exotic pet trade in the hope people wont buy.

i am concerned with the welfare of all animals be they wild or domestic, ive put my two penneth in on many occasions, but im really worried there will be a popularity boom in meerkats & these are not a domesticated animal i imagine a few years down the line we'll be seeing more & more suffering of individuals either because of ignorance or worse, i so hope im wrong.

this is a quote from 'the dog'......"meerkats can bite mostly when play fighting i personley think a hamster has a worst bite ye they like to scratch about but the claws are not realy that sharp"

do you think that gives the right impression to someone thinking of getting a meerkat?.


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## taramasalata

There was a vote amongst vets a few years ago as to which aminals gave the worst bite and hamsters won by a landslide! 

Depends where they bite you of course.

I think it's "agree to differ" time. There are a couple of vids on my site yesterday that show Jack play-biting, that doesn't hurt at all


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## CarolineH

Hamsters are a lot easier to tame though if handled from young regularly and with care and respect. Meerkats etc never will be unless someone takes the time to breed them for a more docile temperament which with the current 'lets make money from them asap' mentality, will be a longgggggggggggg time coming!


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## Guest

noushka05 said:


> i am nice but i do feel passionatly about not only keeping wild animals as pets but breeding them aswell, i know you say the situation isnt bad with meerkats at the moment,i dunno, but when an animal becomes so popular you will always get unscrupulous idiots exploiting them for cash, i dont agree paying £500 for them protects them from abuse either, you only have to look at the cruelty that goes on with so many pedigree dogs to see that, look at my own breed for example the siberian husky i hate the fact that theyve become so popular, husky rescues are full to bursting because the owners could no longer cope or the novelty had just worn off, a high price tag certainly does not ensure a good home.
> 
> So yes i do think licencing would be a good thing & i also think if people didnt buy they wouldnt create a demand.
> 
> im sure you give your meerkats the very best life possible & of course i know they could never go back to the wild , but we'llhave to agree to disagree on meerkats being happier in captivity because i will always believe despite the hardships, they should live there lives in freedom in the eco-systems they are a part of.
> 
> Although i personally think we should be preserving wildlife in the wild i know there are some fantastic places that keep wild animals & breed them to conserve the species they live in massive naturalistic enclosures, & the best place i have ever seen is monkey world in Dorset, they rescue many monkeys from the pet market & try to educate people about how much suffering goes on in the exotic pet trade in the hope people wont buy.
> 
> i am concerned with the welfare of all animals be they wild or domestic, ive put my two penneth in on many occasions, but im really worried there will be a popularity boom in meerkats & these are not a domesticated animal i imagine a few years down the line we'll be seeing more & more suffering of individuals either because of ignorance or worse, i so hope im wrong.
> 
> this is a quote from 'the dog'......"meerkats can bite mostly when play fighting i personley think a hamster has a worst bite ye they like to scratch about but the claws are not realy that sharp"
> 
> do you think that gives the right impression to someone thinking of getting a meerkat?.


I'm with you here.

I still bear a scar from one of the meerkats at college who bit through the leather gauntlets we were wearing and into my hand. He was wild (just how he should be), but had to be handled for his annual health check and vaccinations with the vet.

Ive been bitten by lots and lots of hamsters, and yes they sting like mad, but its a bit like comparing a papercut to a knife wound!.

Play biting isnt exactly the same thing, dogs and cats playbite all the time - they dont pierce the skin (well not often  ) and its done in PLAY. Even the hamsters i had as a child would nibble but not hurt.

As noushka says, once unscrupulous people realise there is money to be made in the exotic trade of meerkats then the bad breeders start popping up. I have already mentioned the girl at college who had her canine teeth ripped out. The others we had were all rescues from bad breeders, however they were the adults used for breeding and still had their teeth - they were dumped in a crate on a roundabout once their breeder tired of them/they lost their charm/they lost their usefullness.

I wish people would think more about the other side of the exotic trade. Its not all caring breeders and cute unusual pets who like to snuggle up. I havent once mentioned in my posts about the animals being taken from the wild (although its certainly worth mentioning), but i did mention the trade from BYB of which i have experience with. If people didnt buy there wouldnt be the demand for the pets and so the BYB would quickly give up - they wouldnt be making the profit.

I dont really like to see any wild animal being kept as a pet, however i do understand why people would want to. I dont have so much of a problem when they are kept properly with as natural environment as possible made for them, and allowed to exhibit natural behaviours.


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## taramasalata

Define tame. Does this not look tame to you?

YouTube - jackandmila's Channel

YouTube - jackandmila's Channel

They are very tame with their own families for the most part, but they tend to eat anyone who isn't normally resident in the house. Like very small guard dogs who don't come off when you tell them to...


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## noushka05

taramasalata said:


> There was a vote amongst vets a few years ago as to which aminals gave the worst bite and hamsters won by a landslide!
> 
> Depends where they bite you of course.
> 
> I think it's "agree to differ" time. There are a couple of vids on my site yesterday that show Jack play-biting, that doesn't hurt at all


sorry but im pretty sure most vets havent even see a meerkat let alone been bit by one so i dont think the meekat was even in the running, also i do think that votes a bit tongue in cheek anyway, i think cats & dogs can do far more damage i think they probably mean theyve had loads of hammy bites

"Meerkats have very large teeth for their size. Your meerkat will on occasion bite clean through your hand", .......this is a quote from your own website,

ive had quite a few hamsters in my lifetime & a few bites they hurt but theyre nothing much to moan about so im pretty certain a Meerkats canines can do considerable more damage than hamsters incisors(which wont bite clean through the hand)

my definition of taming an animal is the same as domesticating one, a domestic animal is one who depends on people, who probably diverged from their wild ancestors thousands of years ago through mans selective breeding of them & so now there is no longer a place for them in the wild.

on the other hand exotics are not domesticated they belong to eco systems & should not be kept in environments which are unnatural to them.

ive copied the rest .......
Exotic wild animals, even those bred in captivity, still possess innate social and physical needs, and mental stimulation that cannot be met in private homes. Many animals naturally live in colonies, yet are kept as single pets. Severe boredom replaces normal behaviors like grooming one another, climbing, foraging for food, mating and rearing young that would occupy their time and attention. This boredom can lead to self-destruction,aggression & illness


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## catz4m8z

This is something Ive been thinking about alot today! What makes an animal suitable to be a pet?
Ok, hamsters have years of domestication but at some point someone thought to turn it into a pet! same as guinea pigs, rabbits and gerbils.
What about those with less years of breeding behind them?, eg-degu's, chipmunks or sugar gliders?
What about rats and mice?suely they are vermin? (I have both and do luv 'em!).
What would your criteria be??

Oh, and I love Laura's site! You seem to be doing a wonderful job with your furry family. But really if you want a pet like that why not get a ferret? They seem quite similar but are much better pets. Maybe you could suggest that on your site? I know alot are in rescues.


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## Sarah+Hammies

> This is something Ive been thinking about alot today! What makes an animal suitable to be a pet?
> Ok, hamsters have years of domestication but at some point someone thought to turn it into a pet! same as guinea pigs, rabbits and gerbils.
> What about those with less years of breeding behind them?, eg-degu's, chipmunks or sugar gliders?
> What about rats and mice?suely they are vermin? (I have both and do luv 'em!).
> What would your criteria be??


Thats exactly what i was thinking as i was reading through this thread. Im quite curious as to what people think.


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## cassie01

all species of animals kept at pets were taken from the wild and domesticated at some point (well except dogs and cats) so there is no difference in my opinion with keeping meerkats. I dont paticually like the idea of it but then i dont like the idea of a the majoity of people keeping any pet at all. all species of pet suffer at some point due to peoples stupidity and ignoance weather through inadequate diet, space, mental stimulation or through cruel sports. even now species we have been keeping for years we are constantly leaning more about how to care for them better and tuth is we will never be able to offer them anything close to what they would have had naturally. 

keeping pets is cruel but at the same time i am selfish enough to admit that i wouldnt be without them. the damage is already done, people are going to breed them and some idiots are going to get them yes. so its up to those of us who are more responsible and caring to help as many animals to have the best lives possible. the only thing we can really do is give them the very best we can even if its not the best they deserve


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## taramasalata

I will indeed suggest ferrets, good idea, they do need rescuing.

I'm not sure ferrets are inherently "tamer" than meerkats, they have a nasty bite as I understand it and they are quite a different species. They seem rather nice and social but I haven't had a lot of interaction with them. Similar to a meerkat if you own a ferret I think you have an excellent chance of being bitten hard by sharp pointy teeth? Is that right?

Some animals are domesticated in terms of having been bred to be more passive than their wild counterparts (eg dogs) but not all animals actually need to be bred specially to be good pets. I would ideally love it if mine were good with strangers. But they aren't and I have to take them the way they are. Some behaviours I've been able to train (toilet habits, they come to their names and they know a whistle means food), others there's no point even trying. Mila hates strangers, it's her personality and her instinct.

It would be nice if they never bit - but since Jack has been neutered he hasn't bitten me (last December) and Mila never ever has. It's always a risk they might, and Jack does get over-excited when he sees the meerkat sitters and tends to bite them. He loves them to bits but only sees them one or two days a week so he gets massively wrigglingly thrilled to see them. If they try to touch him within 15 mins of arriving or so he tends to bite in excitement. He's quite highly strung. The thing about owning them is that, with Jack, you're just never sure. And when he had his hormonal phase I was bitten badly every few days. It does hurt. Sweet little Mila would never consider biting me but she's absolutely rabid when it comes to strangers. She can jump well, she bit my relative on the arm, nose and then right through the hand all within a second recently - and then it took two of us to forcibly pull her teeth loose of the hand. Nasty. She's not allowed around other people AT ALL anymore.

I never ever suggest people get them as pets because they have far more social needs than most animals and they are insanely bright and very naughty (not intentionally, they are very curious), they are destructive and many people seem to abandon them at adolescence because they are VERY hard to deal with and can get very agressive indeed (Jack used to have terrible temper tantrums if he didn't get his own way which was quite difficult). But if a person understands all that and can devote a hell of a lot of time to them and isn't going to get upset or blame their meerkat if he decides to bite them (badly). Really, for most people who want a pet as opposed to a trying and demanding but very loving family member they just aren't suitable. I like to make sure that the downsides are very clear indeed because I get an awful lot of people asking me how to get hold of them etc. But I'm also not saying they don't make good pets for the right person, to be honest if you have enough time and the right personality they are lovely. In my life, the good outweighs the bad, the ugly and the downright embarrassing with them.

Both meerkats are currently curled up on my lap. Mila is grooming me (nipping off my arm hairs and trying to lick off my moles, very gently) and Jack is asleep with his feet in the air, snoring gently. Life with them is mostly a mix of cuddles and slapstick comedy, with the odd horror-movie moment 

Thank you for the positive website comments. There's another comic going up in a few hours and probably some pics and a diary entry. 

Laura x


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## noushka05

catz4m8z said:


> This is something Ive been thinking about alot today! What makes an animal suitable to be a pet?
> Ok, hamsters have years of domestication but at some point someone thought to turn it into a pet! same as guinea pigs, rabbits and gerbils.
> What about those with less years of breeding behind them?, eg-degu's, chipmunks or sugar gliders?
> What about rats and mice?suely they are vermin? (I have both and do luv 'em!).
> What would your criteria be??
> 
> Oh, and I love Laura's site! You seem to be doing a wonderful job with your furry family. But really if you want a pet like that why not get a ferret? They seem quite similar but are much better pets. Maybe you could suggest that on your site? I know alot are in rescues.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I will indeed suggest ferrets, good idea, they do need rescuing.
> 
> I'm not sure ferrets are inherently "tamer" than meerkats, they have a nasty bite as I understand it and they are quite a different species. They seem rather nice and social but I haven't had a lot of interaction with them. Similar to a meerkat if you own a ferret I think you have an excellent chance of being bitten hard by sharp pointy teeth? Is that right?


imo the only animals suitable as pets are domesticated ones, i dont believe its fair to keep wild animls as pets they still have needs that most people cant meet & innate behaviours which in many cases they cant display, also as ive already said its the suffering that goes on in the exotics market that is of great concern.
Domestication is not something that can be imposed on an animal; it is an evolutionary process which creates compatibility among two or more species. 
That dosent mean i dont think you cant 'befriend' a wild animal but its not 'domesticating' it. George Adamson for example befriended captive lions & rehabilitated to live back in the wild where they belong, he never believed they should live in captivity.

i think ferrets make great pets my OH had one has a child, if theyre handled & socialised they dont bite... but then again they are domesticated.


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## catz4m8z

At least everyone can agree that meerkat's are not for casual pet owners?, thats something at least!!LOL
Im wondering about squirrels.... Cute, furry, tame enough to take food from peoples hands in parks and run into my local grocers to be hand fed monkey nuts!! but not pets. What makes them unsuitable.

I have a theory that burrowing prey animals seem to be more able to take domestication. They are more appreciative of a safe environment so stress from domestication is countered by relief of stress from predators. Also the fact they normally inhabit burrows mean lack of a huge roaming area isnt so big an issue.
What do you think??


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## Nicky09

I was told squirrels make pretty good pets and really interesting actually but they're quite a bit of work


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## CarolineH

Some animals are better suited to 'pet life' for temperament and adaptive reasons. If a person wants sugar gliders, meerkats, prairie dogs etc then fine as long as they understand that those animals may never be totally cuddly or tame and will need the owner to provide them with a good quality enclosure, environment and diet for them to thrive properly.


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## EmilyMarie

I totally agree to _not_ owning originally wild animals. 
I had a thread over on another forum that explained why I thought it was wrong. 
Long story short, my friend has a pet red fox. Beautiful animal. Unfortunatly, she just got her because she thought it would be "cool" to own one. Don't get me wrong, she takes amazing care of her, just not the proper way. She has to be chained up outside when she's gone and I think it's just terrible to see such a BEAUTIFUL animal on a restraint like that, when normally they live a happy free life.
I just remember when I was 4 and would see them running free in my front yard out in the middle of no where. Then seeing this same animal on a lead in town like that is just awful, and not how a fox should live.
My thread went on to say that all wild animals should be left in sanctuaries and the wild. I think it's terrible that us humans have snatched them out of the perfect home god intended them to be in just for our own selfish amusement(this isn't necessarily directed to you, since you seem like a responsible owner).
Can't we just get the greatest initial thrill of seeing them in the wild?

I have to agree, your meerkat looks super happy. I just think it looks _weird_ to be owning one.

Couldn't a dog or cat be a good choice too?


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