Our meerkats will live a long, healthy, rich life because we will make sure of it. I always say to people: if you are going to worry for an animal, think about the miserable rabbit down your street, bought for four pounds and kept in a 2 foot hutch who rarely gets out and has nothing to do, who would kill to be allowed to run around a living room or - ideally - a massive field. That's what's sad about pets in this country, not the odd well cared-for and expensive exotic pet.
Secondly, meerkat numbers have gone down in the wild due to habit loss, not being kept as pets. They are still very rare as pets. Which is a good thing, since they are hard to keep, destructive, and can be extremely vicious. At any rate, they are at the lowest threat level for extinction.
I understand that not everyone approves of exotics as pets, but I have to disagree with you on a few points. Firstly, our meerkats enjoy being pets *much* more than the average rabbit. Rabbits are quite difficult to tame and quite naturally "wild" and anxious of humans. Meerkats are pack animals and, if treated well, bond very strongly with their human family. Ours love us to bits and try to defend us from strangers.
I understand the likeableness of Meerkats as pets but you really shouldn't have them as pets. Whatever happened to pet rabbits? or dogs? or cats? Meerkats belong in the wild, not in livingrooms. Its reasons like this that make Meerkat numbers in the wild go down and down
@callumedgar What makes a rabbit a good pet? Other than everyone has them? Granted they are less likely to bite but a huge number of pet rabbits are kept in massively, massively tiny cages - compared with the space they would inhabit in the wild in particular. They aren't really pack animals and whilst some really do seem to bond with their owners most never really enjoy living with people and don't get anything like enough stimulation. They belong to kids that don't care about...
@jackandmila ...them and mum just goes out to the cage once a day with a pile of boring same food - and that is their life. Many are even kept alone and never get to run on the grass. Rabbits I really worry about. Dogs are good pets because - like meerkats - they have a pack instinct and can really understand and bond with their owners, living with a person who treats them right can enrich their lives.
@jackandmila I get what you're saying but when animals are born and bred in the wild, they are meant to stay there. If people keep taking Meerkats away from the wild and keeping them as pets, there will be none left eventually. Its like people who keep any wild animal as a pet, its just not ethical to keep an animal that thrives on being with others like itself and relies on being with their family every minute of everyday.
@callumedgar ... if that was the way it worked it would definitely be a problem.... but pretty much every meerkat living in England was born and bred here. Meerkats breed quite easily, and UK-based breeders breed meerkats both for zoos and private individuals here. There are *loads and loads* in the wild, they aren't remotely endangered. Jack was born in Birmingham and Mila in Manchester :-) Mila was supposed to go to a zoo, but her mother abandoned her at birth so she couldn't.
They seem happy and well cared for. That's all that matters.
lizzied5 1 week ago
Our meerkats will live a long, healthy, rich life because we will make sure of it. I always say to people: if you are going to worry for an animal, think about the miserable rabbit down your street, bought for four pounds and kept in a 2 foot hutch who rarely gets out and has nothing to do, who would kill to be allowed to run around a living room or - ideally - a massive field. That's what's sad about pets in this country, not the odd well cared-for and expensive exotic pet.
jackandmila 7 months ago
Secondly, meerkat numbers have gone down in the wild due to habit loss, not being kept as pets. They are still very rare as pets. Which is a good thing, since they are hard to keep, destructive, and can be extremely vicious. At any rate, they are at the lowest threat level for extinction.
jackandmila 7 months ago
I understand that not everyone approves of exotics as pets, but I have to disagree with you on a few points. Firstly, our meerkats enjoy being pets *much* more than the average rabbit. Rabbits are quite difficult to tame and quite naturally "wild" and anxious of humans. Meerkats are pack animals and, if treated well, bond very strongly with their human family. Ours love us to bits and try to defend us from strangers.
jackandmila 7 months ago
@jackandmila '...defend us from strangers...'. You mean they bite your friends.lol
amemy1 2 weeks ago
@amemy1 True story.
jackandmila 1 week ago
I understand the likeableness of Meerkats as pets but you really shouldn't have them as pets. Whatever happened to pet rabbits? or dogs? or cats? Meerkats belong in the wild, not in livingrooms. Its reasons like this that make Meerkat numbers in the wild go down and down
callumedgar 7 months ago
@callumedgar Yep, but meercats are on the telly.
amemy1 2 weeks ago
@callumedgar What makes a rabbit a good pet? Other than everyone has them? Granted they are less likely to bite but a huge number of pet rabbits are kept in massively, massively tiny cages - compared with the space they would inhabit in the wild in particular. They aren't really pack animals and whilst some really do seem to bond with their owners most never really enjoy living with people and don't get anything like enough stimulation. They belong to kids that don't care about...
jackandmila 1 week ago
@jackandmila ...them and mum just goes out to the cage once a day with a pile of boring same food - and that is their life. Many are even kept alone and never get to run on the grass. Rabbits I really worry about. Dogs are good pets because - like meerkats - they have a pack instinct and can really understand and bond with their owners, living with a person who treats them right can enrich their lives.
jackandmila 1 week ago
@jackandmila I get what you're saying but when animals are born and bred in the wild, they are meant to stay there. If people keep taking Meerkats away from the wild and keeping them as pets, there will be none left eventually. Its like people who keep any wild animal as a pet, its just not ethical to keep an animal that thrives on being with others like itself and relies on being with their family every minute of everyday.
callumedgar 1 week ago
@callumedgar ... if that was the way it worked it would definitely be a problem.... but pretty much every meerkat living in England was born and bred here. Meerkats breed quite easily, and UK-based breeders breed meerkats both for zoos and private individuals here. There are *loads and loads* in the wild, they aren't remotely endangered. Jack was born in Birmingham and Mila in Manchester :-) Mila was supposed to go to a zoo, but her mother abandoned her at birth so she couldn't.
jackandmila 6 days ago
When they are good they are so sweet. When they are bad they are vicious and destructive.
jackandmila 9 months ago
I want!
SuperChrisjunior 9 months ago
you can actually keep a pet meerkat? cool, but hard i guess
bluebe123 10 months ago
@bluebe123 They are very hard to keep
jackandmila 9 months ago
@jackandmila lucky guess, then
bluebe123 9 months ago
where did you get jack?
MrCmotter 11 months ago
@MrCmotter Birmingham
jackandmila 11 months ago
lol the meerkat looks at the camra like " Hes cheating 10 point off!"
sb2killer 1 year ago
Good luck!
Jack bit Tom in the neck yesterday for no reason. It looks like a vamire attack!
jackandmila 2 years ago
No, ours are so integral to our life now (even when they are being a pain). I don't know what we'd do without them.
jackandmila 2 years ago
Ha ha funny ! we also have two meerkats and they are soooooo playful. couldnt imagine life without them now :)
MrMeerkatdotcom 2 years ago
So cute :)
Zblj1987 2 years ago