Today, exotic animals at home no longer surprise anyone. In modern apartments you will not meet anyone. Ferrets, martens, skunks, even crocodiles ... What motivates breeders when they get such unusual pets for home maintenance can only be guessed. For someone, this is just a tribute to fashion and a desire to stand out among friends. And someone is really interested in the content of unusual species of rare animals.
The article will focus on a cute exotic animal called meerkat. Fashion for his institution went not so long ago, but a lot of fans appeared. Reviews on the content of meerkats at home will be discussed later. But first, it’s worth dwelling on general information about the animal.
What kind of beast?
Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is a mammal predatory animal of the mongoose family. In size it is the smallest member of the family, which includes 35 species. Body length - not more than 35 cm, weight - up to 750 grams. The tail is long - up to 25 cm, red, with a black tip. The head is small, ears stick out at the crown, their color is black or dark brown. Around the eyes, the hair is also darker, which gives the face a rather funny and cute expression.
The coat of the predator is soft, long, reddish-gray. Four limbs, on the forefeet - long claws. Like all representatives of mongooses, meerkats secrete a secret from the inguinal glands, which has an unpleasant odor.
Animals feed on insects and small vertebrates, therefore, by nature they have sharp molars and bent incisors. This helps the animal chew on animal bones and bird eggs.
Before considering reviews of meerkats at home, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the natural features of these mammals in order to understand more clearly what to expect from them in an apartment.
Nature behavior
Meerkats live on the African continent, south of the equator. Their place of residence in nature is the dry climate of deserts and adjacent territories.
Meerkats are active during the day, and go to bed at night in deep (up to one and a half meters) burrows dug by them. It happens that they occupy other people's homes. In mountainous places they settle in caves and crevices. In the afternoon, animals like to bask in the sun, they are also engaged in searching for food or digging new holes.
Meerkats gather in colonies numbering up to 30, and in some cases up to 60 individuals. They always have a leader, and the female is more often chosen for this role. Thus, meerkats are accustomed to matriarchy.
In the colony, each member has his own responsibilities. Young growth is busy with the arrangement of holes. Older representatives guard the homes and go hunting. Teenagers are watching babies.
In hunting, predators also clearly distribute responsibilities. Some stand on their hind legs, looking for prey. The tail helps them keep their balance. And the predator's vision is arranged in such a way that allows him to see the silhouettes in the distance. In a characteristic pose, the meerkat can be for a long time. Seeing the prey, the predator points to it with a cry. Other participants in the hunt go after the victim, catching up with it.
In nature, the predator is quite prolific, the female can bear cubs 4 times a year. As a rule, these are four babies, which are taken care of by all members of the family, bringing them insects and larvae. And when they grow up, they are taught hunting. The victims of animals are snakes, spiders, centipedes, rats, scorpions.
The meerkat has a strong collective spirit, they maintain positive relationships with all members of the family. This helps them to escape from enemies - large animals, birds of prey, snakes of impressive size. Meerkats sleep, huddled together so as not to freeze.
They quickly devastate the territory of residence, so they often wander from place to place. In order to recapture the land, one often has to wage fierce wars, where every fifth individual dies. Females manifest themselves especially boldly in such a fight, because in the event of a clan defeat, enemies kill all the cubs. If the food supply is sufficient, then such wars are not observed. They arise with a small amount of food and the need to conquer new places for food. The life expectancy of the beast in the wild rarely exceeds 6-8 years.
In some countries, they are bred specifically for catching mice and rats. But in general, the benefit for humans is that meerkats destroy scorpions, snakes and spiders that are dangerous for people.
Behavior at home
According to reviews, meerkats feel great in an aviary and even in an apartment. Their activity, cheerfulness, affectionateness are very popular with breeders. In captivity, the animal can survive at least 12 years. But since the mammal prefers a family lifestyle, it is worth getting a couple of meerkats. If the owner does not want to receive offspring, you can take same-sex individuals. So they will not be bored, and there is always the opportunity to play. This is important for the animal. The pet is friends with the owner, but the last one cannot replace the family with the animal.
Content Features
Meerkat at home is friendly to all family members and animals - dogs, cats, ferrets. This mammal is quite sociable, able to make up to 30 different sounds, but still it cannot be considered noisy.
According to reviews, meerkats at home can be kept without a cage. They master the entire home space, with curiosity move from room to room, watching what is happening. At the same time, the animal does not spoil furniture, carpets, and does not tear wires. You only need a house where the beast can sleep. Ideally, if the place is elongated and always with bedding.
The article presents photos of meerkat at home. They show how the animals are happy with their fate. This is facilitated by appropriate animal care.
Some breeders in their absence lock the pet in a cage for safety reasons. This is not forbidden, but it is worth choosing its size so that the animal is spacious, nothing hinders the movements. In the cage, everything necessary for the animal should be placed - a stove bench, dishes with food and water, a tray.
It’s not as easy to train a meerkat as a kitten, but the owner should be patient. The filler for the tray becomes the same as for the cat. However, it should be changed more often to avoid an unpleasant odor.
In the wild, meerkats love to bask in the sun. When kept in an apartment, the animal should also have such an opportunity. In summer there is no problem in the sunlight. And in winter, you can install a UV lamp, under which the animal can warm up.
Hygiene
Meerkat often needs a swim. If the owner walks it, in this case, the pet should wash its paws after each walk.
Every month, you should bathe the animal with a non-aggressive animal shampoo. A washbasin is suitable for this purpose. During the procedure, it is important to ensure that water does not get into the ears of the pet.
Meerkats do not swim too well, so you should not let them out in a basin of water for this purpose.
After washing, wipe the animal with a towel and blow dry. Only then can you let go of running around the apartment.
Walks
If the weather is nice outside, you can take a walk with the meerkat. For this event, you should purchase a harness for ferrets. Walking is possible only in the warm season and after all the necessary vaccinations (from plague and rabies). Vaccination for meerkats is the same as for ferrets. If the animal lives with cats and dogs, then treatment for ticks and fleas is mandatory for him.
During a walk, in no case should you lower the animal from the leash, otherwise it may run away or get under the car.
Food
How to feed meerkat at home? This question worries many breeders. Based on the feedback of the owners, meerkats at home feel fine when they have the right diet. Otherwise, health problems begin, including death. For this reason, it is very important to think in advance what the animal will eat.
There are no special feeds for these cute animals on the market yet. You can purchase products for dogs and cats, but only premium. Meat must be included in the diet, raw and boiled. However, feeding just this product is wrong. You should also add live food to the diet, which can be purchased at the pet store (cockroaches, worms, crickets, etc.).
While the pet is small (up to 5 months), he is given food 4 times a day, individuals up to 10 months are fed 3 times, adults - twice.
Vegetable food is also given, but in small quantities. It can be fruits and vegetables cut into pieces. What else do meerkats eat at home?
Sometimes you can give low-fat dairy products (cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt).
As for fish, for meerkat suitable non-fat options: pink salmon, chum salmon, salmon, taimen.
What should not be eaten?
It became clear what meerkats eat at home. However, there is a list of products that are strictly prohibited for these animals. These include:
- Fatty varieties of meat and poultry (duck, goose, lamb, pork).
- Sausages and smoked meats, as well as other products with preservatives, salts and spices.
- Onion and garlic.
- Nuts
- Mushrooms.
Security questions
According to reviews, meerkats at home manifest themselves as curious animals, explore all the cracks, can climb into the sofa. Therefore, it is important for the owner to ensure the safety of his pet:
- All dangerous slots should be closed from the animal.
- The animal should not have access to an unglazed loggia or balcony.
- Household chemicals should be securely hidden.
- Small items (buttons, nails, threads) should not be accessible to meerkat. The same applies to kitchen waste.
- Before turning on the washing machine, make sure that the animal is not positioned to sleep in it.
- When closing the doors, make sure that the animal does not spin next to it.
No medicine for a person should be given to a pet. In case of a pet's disease, the veterinarian should be shown it.
It is important to understand that the life expectancy of a meerkat at home will directly depend on the care that the owner has for the animal.
Opinions of breeders
Almost all owners without exception leave only positive reviews about meerkats. This cute animal fell in love with a huge number of people in our country. They characterize the animal as smart, affectionate, hassle-free.
The owners like the fact that it is not intrusive and does not bother with their attention, does not spoil household things. He can climb into a closet and turn everything upside down there, but he will not tear anything and will not bite. The claws of the animal are not intended to tear anything in the apartment.
The meerkat's cheerful disposition remains with him throughout his life. The animal will get along well with the cat, if that one is not evil. Meerkat treats guests with curiosity, goes out to get to know each other, does not show aggression.
Is it worth it to start?
According to the owners in the reviews, keeping meerkat at home is not as difficult as it might seem. Of course, this is not a cat or a dog. Before deciding to get such an exotic animal, it is worth weighing the pros and cons. However, if the breeder can take into account all the nuances when keeping the animal, their cohabitation will not cause trouble for both parties.