Why can't I have my own meerkat?

Post Reply New Topic

I feel your pain girl. I really want my own dog now.

I have my sisters dog but she is moving next month. She's been like my girl.

I know the feeling. After visiting the pet shop, i desperately want a Chinchilla ( preferably two, as their group animals ), but i can't afford them. Guess i'll have to start saving then

I want a MEERKAT. Not a ferret, chinchillia or dog. A MEERKAT. Only a meerkat will do. I know practicaly everything there is to know about them. More than most zoologists who study them. Why can't I have one. I would not hurt it. If it was going to hurt me the worst it could do was bite me. ALL animals have the potential to bite. Yes, even dogs.

I understand your longing for something out of reach. For the longest time I wanted a horse. Never got that wish! I'd still like to have one....but they are just too costly, & I don't have that kind of money. I go horseback riding when I can afford it to get my 'horse fix." I also wished I could have had a big cat...ya know like a tiger or a lion, or even an ocelot because they are smaller. LOL However, wild anials like that require permits at the very least. They also require a proper habitat to be happy. I like other exotic animals too, like wolves! I've had dogs all my life but have been without one now for over 17 years. I just don't have the means to care for one...can barely care for myself. True, any animal has the potential to bite. But it goes beyond what you want....it's also important to address what is best for an animal. As much as I would love to have all the above animals, I don't have the means to be able to provide the right habitats for any of them, even a dog! And it certainly wouldn't be fair for me to take in any other creature if I couldn't properly care for it, or meet its needs.


This week, there's been a lot of controversy brewing at the LA Zoo (again!). This time, it's about a meerkat. Apparently, his mate died in January & he is now alone. What I have known about them is that they are social creatures who live in large groups. I have seen them at the San Diego Zoo & the Wild Animal Park in San Diego in family groups. They seem very content! I'm sure if you Google it, you could find info on him. His name is Chico.

Meerkats are also burrowing animals. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for a meerkat not to be able to tunnel, & live in underground burrows. Any animal can develop neurotic behaviors if their needs aren't properly met. Meerkats aren't domesticated, & providing the proper diet would probably be difficult at best. Sometimes, dreams are just meant to be dreams. At least, you have the very real possibility of getting the right training through education to be a zoo keeper. Then you could have your very own family of meerkats to care for! That's a very realistic goal for you to attain!

Hey I would like to have a Giant Panda here but they are endangered species plus protected by the Chinese Government which can end up being an international crime.

I am an artist and I can draw you a meerkat. I don't know if it is a good idea to have them as pets though but since I am a wildlife artist that is the next best thing. I do commission work and draw whatever people want including their pets. My originals go for $125 for a matted original drawing. If you would like to see some of my work, go to www.crittersonthings.com I also put these images on t-shirts, tote bags, prints (which I think are only $20-25), bookmarks, and many other items. Soon I will be famous because I get to meet Wyland and he is one of the most famous of all wildlife artists. In fact he is so rich that he has his own hotel and gift shop with his items. Wyland is the one that does the huge murals of dolphins and whales on walls and his original paintings go for hundreds of thousands of dollars. And I am giving him one of my prints! I get to meet him in person in private because he was impressed with my dolphin painting. In fact some people say it is good enough to be in his gallery and only Wyland and a few other selected artists get to go in his gallery, only the best of the best. I draw all kinds of wildlife and pets. I love art! I might be published in a book called "Artism Today" which is a book of autistic artists. That is how they got that name. There is a chance that I will also be published in one of my mom's books on birds. She is an author of bird books. On top of that, when I meet Wyland they are trying to get the news stations there and the newspapers as well. So, soon I might be famous and the $125 dollar drawing will go way up in price.

clearly a beareded draghon is the only logical choice captain.

i hope you can move soon so that you can legally have one.

i can understand that if you want a meerkat, only a meerkat will do.

i have luckily never longed for a meerkat or a giant panda, as i am sure it would break my heart, since i couldn't have them. too bad you didn't get obsessed about something else. i thought of nothing but, "I MUST HAVE A SPHYNX KITTY!! !" until i finally got Sagira.

i hope you get your Meerkitty.

I wanted a tiger. But there are the obvious problems and the not so apparent ones. The reasons for the laws on what can be kept as pets or not is because there can be parasites or diseases that we are not prepared for that these animals can carry. Zoos and wild life preserves are set-up to take care of these wild animals and their dietary needs, and specialized and often very expensive medical needs.

I would encourage you to invent a stuffed toy meerkat. The Missus and I first saw them in a wildlife documentary back in 1989. They are cute looking, and when we've seen them in a zoo, we were riveted. But they are WILD animals with no history of domestication. They are colony animals, and having one by itself would be cruel. Consider that they eat things like scorpions(!) They have sharp claws, and very sharp teeth. They would be no more a pet than an otter. Channel your energies into a stuffed toy that you can play with ! !
Or save your money so you can visit a zoo that has meerkats.
Or save your money for a safari to Africa so you can see them in their native environment.

The affection issue is quite real. We have two Lovebirds, and the male enjoys being touched, but not the female. I've recently learned that most birds, particularly parrots, don't like being touched. Some dogs are the same way. Basenji's are often skittish about being held or petted.

I tried taking my most realistic looking stuffed meerkat and talking to it like it was alive. I felt stupid and like I was getting nowhere. Only a live meerkat will do. I am not afraid of getting bit or strached. I want a meerkat I can touch on my own terms when I want and without someone telling me how long or what I can and can't wear. I can't wear long slevese like this one rescuse requires and they make you wear these thick gloves. How are you supposed to feel the meerkat through them. These meerkats seem to enjoy being held and cuddled. I know practicaly everything there is to know about meerkats and I would see to it to get them proper food. I would convert my living room into a meerkat playland with sandboxes for them to dig in. People in other countries can keep meerkats and I've read about them keeping them in horrible conditions and getting away with it. The meerkats that aren't kept in birdcages seem happy. People can get seals and monkies for "research" pourposes if they have a degree in something, but I can't get the money I need for college, even if I was able too, I just can't focus in a classroom setting. Meerkats are the only thing that make me happy and not being able to have my own meerkat makes me depressed for months on end. If I had a meerkat of my own, I think the depression might go away.