And a meerkat will be a long time lonely, unsocialised with his own kind and, quite franky as far as I can see, at risk of being ill cared for by a younger keeper who fails to heed the advice she so craves and gets her parent(s) to pay ofr an animal she has no true idea of how to care for.

I would much rather be long time dead knowing I have strived to do the best ofr my own and for other people's animals by researching, replying to threads and offering advice (be it ignored!) than knowing I had disregarded some of the most knowledgeable exotics and reptilian keepers on the boards (and I don't mean myself neither - my ego ain't that big) for the sake of my own narcissism!

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Shame that meerkat isnt going to be able to make the most of its life because its keeper doesnt seem to want whats best for it.

If she has saved up that much I'm sure she could wait and save up a bit more, although I think I remember her sayin her mum was gettin it for her. The fact is, you DO NOT buy an animal if you do not have enough money for what it needs, i.e. company!! Not to mention extra money for potential vets bills. When I get animals, I never ever, blow my whole budget, I hold some money back for vets fees should I need it.

And as for there not being pairs around, I know where I can get an unrelated pair/trio and I don't even have that much interest in them, so surely if you actually actively looked you could find plenty!!

And no most snakes are not the same as this. As Ssthisto said, most do not need/want company. And for those that do i.e monkey tails, 99% of owners keep them in appropriate social groups.

Everyone does make MISTAKES, I'm sure most posting here have, that is not the same as blatantly IGNORING the advice of very knowledgable members.

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Kate

2.2.2 - Eublepharis macularius0.1.0 - Sceloporus malachiticus 1.1.0 - Varanus acanthurus brachyurus0.0.1 - Tiliqua gigas evanescens 0.4.0 - Felis catus 1.0.0 - Fat, old goldfish
Lots of tropical fish...

very far fetched .............. well you have really put your neck on the line sticking up for someone who aint a clue..........odd thing for a newbie to do

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Love and respect goes out to...........Snake pliskin, pliskins chains, LoveMySnakes J-Dee ,Finchy , sam69, Webby06_2007, Scaley, FooFoo & Ditta, tick, RONST3R, Diablo & Faith,Sinni, xPrincessx, Shell195 , Pouchie, Grumpymouth, HABU, Purejurrasic

Hmm..I thought that too..

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The same can be said for ANY reptile, all animals were 'blaitently wild animals', so if you dont want meetcats in the hobby why do you want anything else that is just the same?

I feel to fully understand the situation and comment in this thread you would need experiance with meercats in captivity, unless you have i wouldnt really think you knew what you were on about. Yes they are social animals, but look how many social animals there are in the pet industry, you guys are just anti's

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Obama is a hypocrite, he wants a health plan but is a smoker?? this man is going to be your leader ... shows what america has become

still no pictures of seeing what it lives in?

Would really like to see enlosure pictures.

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Mason

1.0 of "Quixotic_Axotlotl"





http://masonexotics.co.uk/ourcollection.aspx

Locality Boas and Retics A Passion.

I don't even get what you're trying to say tbh.

No you wouldn't need experience with meercats to know that they are social animals, just takes a quick mooch around on google.

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I agree MAtt - it doens't take experience with meerkats, as in hands on, to know that they have certain requirements that need to be met to ensure their welfare.

I feel quite offended that you, RussianTort, would openly call those who actually offer legible advice "antis" - personally it offends me a great deal as several of the people involved in this thread do a great dela of work behind the scenes to push exotics keeping forward and KEEP it as an interest that isn't legislated so badly it becomes suffocated and near impossible to follow the guidelines set by the REAL anti's.

The problem lays solely with Saff on this scenario I am afraid and it is a problem that someone should not find themselves in had they done the relevant research first. A problem the male meerkat she now keeps should NEVER find himself in - a strange environment, no meerkats around him, quite possibly an enclosure that doesn't reflect his needs either.

Anyone can learn without hands on experience - at least this way it doesn't risk the animal involved.

*And again, I will state that I am also fully aware of meerkats who live single and are very, very well cared for. But these instances are concerning very experienced keepers who truely consideer thier charges welfare before thier own needs to work with them!*

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OMG!!!why are you lot questioning everything i do!!?!!?!?!!??
didnt i say im looking for a female!!!grrrrrrr.............he is fine and is eating and doing well.....im going to go get him some chicks today and some locusts/mealworms.......he is living in the house as it is freezing outside!!
he is fine and is taming nicely!this weekend i am going to friends who keeps meerkats to see how she keeps hers, she keeps hers inside,feeds them on chicks and hers are fine!
Saff

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