Can You Own a Meerkat in the UK? The Honest Truth (2026)

Yes — you can legally own a meerkat in the UK, and you don't need a Dangerous Wild Animals licence to do it. That surprises a lot of people, because meerkats feel like zoo animals, not pets you can simply buy.

But "legal" and "a good idea" are very different things. A meerkat is a wild, desert-dwelling pack animal that needs a group, heat, UV light, and somewhere to dig for hours every day. If you're seriously researching this, this guide gives you the honest UK picture: the law, the real costs, and what good welfare actually demands — before you fall for the Compare the Meerkat dream.

What Is a Meerkat?

The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is a small member of the mongoose family from the dry plains and deserts of southern Africa — the Kalahari, in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. They're built for one of the harshest environments on Earth, and almost everything that makes them charming is also what makes them hard to keep.

Adults are small — around 0.7-1 kg and roughly 25-35 cm long in the body — but don't let the size fool you. They are diurnal, intensely social, and constantly active: digging, foraging, sunbathing and standing sentry. In the wild they live in groups (called "mobs" or "gangs") of up to 40 animals, sharing burrow systems that can stretch across several kilometres of territory.

That combination — a hot-climate animal that lives in a large group and digs for hours a day — is the heart of why a UK living room is the wrong place for one. They are wild animals, not a domesticated species like a dog or a ferret.

Are Meerkats Legal in the UK?

Yes. Meerkats are legal to keep in the UK, and they do not require a Dangerous Wild Animals licence.

The UK uses a "negative list" system: an animal is legal to keep unless a specific law bans or restricts it. The main law controlling dangerous exotic species is the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. Species on its schedule — big cats, primates, venomous snakes, crocodilians and so on — need a council-issued DWA licence. Meerkats are not on that schedule, so no DWA licence applies.

This puts meerkats in the same "surprisingly legal" category as sugar gliders, fennec foxes and capybaras — covered in our guide to exotic pets you can keep without a licence and our wider UK exotic pet legal guide. For the full picture of what genuinely needs paperwork, see what pets are legal in the UK and our explainer on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.

Being legal, though, is the floor — not a green light. The RSPCA is clear that legality and good welfare are not the same thing, and meerkats are one of the animals they specifically warn against keeping at home.

Do You Need a Licence to Keep a Meerkat?

No DWA licence — but "no licence" does not mean "no rules". A few things still apply.

The big one is the Animal Welfare Act 2006. It places a legal duty of care on you to meet all of a meerkat's needs: a suitable environment, a suitable diet, the ability to behave normally, appropriate company, and protection from pain, suffering and disease. Failing on any of these can lead to prosecution, an unlimited fine, and a ban on keeping animals — even when the species itself is perfectly legal. The full text is on legislation.gov.uk.

A second point catches people out: the seller may need a licence even though you don't. A pet shop or commercial breeder selling meerkats needs an animal activities licence from their local council under the 2018 licensing rules. That protects you as a buyer — it's worth checking the seller actually holds one. The government's keeping a wild animal licence page explains which species need DWA licensing; meerkats aren't among them, but the page is useful context.

Finally, if you rent or share land, check your tenancy agreement and any planning restrictions before building a large outdoor enclosure. Many agreements restrict unusual animals or permanent structures.

How Much Does a Meerkat Cost in the UK?

Meerkats are not cheap to buy and far more expensive to house properly. Here's a realistic UK breakdown — and remember the purchase figures are per animal, because you must keep a group.

Add it up and a responsibly set-up group of meerkats is comfortably a £4,000-£10,000 first-year commitment, and £10,000-£20,000+ across their 15-year life — before any unexpected vet bills. For context on exotic veterinary fees, see our exotic vet cost guide.

Enclosure, Heat & UV Requirements

This is where most "I'd love a meerkat" plans quietly fall apart. Meerkats come from one of the hottest places on Earth, and the British climate is the exact opposite of what they're built for.

They need a warm basking spot of around 30-35°C under a heat lamp, a comfortable ambient temperature of roughly 24-26°C, and protection from cold and damp at all times. They also need UVB lighting: meerkats are sun-baskers, and without UVB they can't make enough vitamin D3, which leads to metabolic bone disease — painful, deforming and avoidable.

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The enclosure itself has to solve two problems at once: meerkats are expert diggers and capable climbers. That means a large, fully enclosed space — ideally a heated indoor room or shed with secure outdoor access — with deep digging substrate (at least 30-45 cm) and a base they cannot tunnel out through. A standard garden run won't hold them; they will dig under it or climb out.

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In practice, housing a group of meerkats to a good standard is closer to building a small zoo enclosure than setting up a hutch — which is exactly why the welfare bar is so high.

Social Needs — Never Keep Just One

If you take one thing from this guide, make it this: never keep a single meerkat. Their entire biology is built around the group. In the wild they live in mobs of up to 40, take turns on sentry duty, raise pups together and sleep in a pile. Isolation is genuinely distressing for them.

A lone meerkat becomes stressed, depressed and aggressive, and is far more likely to self-harm. Keeping a compatible group is not a "nice to have" — it's a basic welfare requirement, and it's also why the honest cost is so high. You are never really keeping "a meerkat"; you are keeping a small colony, with all the space, heating and food that implies.

Even within a group, meerkats can be difficult. They become noticeably more territorial and bite-prone at sexual maturity (around a year old), and they scent-mark with a strong-smelling secretion. They are affectionate and playful on their own terms, but they are not tame in the way a dog or cat is.

What Do Meerkats Eat?

Meerkats are omnivores with a strongly insect-based diet. In the wild they eat insects (including scorpions, which they're famously resistant to), plus small rodents, lizards, birds, eggs and some fruit. Recreating that variety at home is one of the harder parts of keeping them well.

A captive diet usually centres on live and gut-loaded insects — crickets, locusts, mealworms and similar — alongside cooked egg, small amounts of meat, and limited fruit and vegetables. The most common mistake the RSPCA sees is the wrong diet leading to overweight, unhealthy meerkats, so portion control and variety matter.

Calcium and vitamin supplementation is usually needed too, especially alongside proper UV lighting, to keep bones healthy. If you're unsure about diet or weight, an exotic vet can advise — find an exotic vet near you.

The Welfare Reality — What the RSPCA Says

It's worth being blunt here, because the gap between the advert and the reality is enormous. The RSPCA's position on keeping meerkats is that their complex needs are "impossible to do in a home environment".

When those needs aren't met, the charity lists the predictable results: aggression, destructive behaviour, escape attempts, self-harm and metabolic bone disease. None of these are rare edge cases — they're what tends to happen when a wild pack animal is kept in a space too small, too cold, or without the right company.

There's also a cautionary history here. After the "Compare the Meerkat" adverts launched in 2009, the RSPCA reported a 191% rise in calls about meerkats — a textbook example of an animal becoming a "fad pet" that people buy on impulse and then struggle to care for. Many of those animals ended up needing rehoming or rescue.

We're not telling you this to make you feel bad for being curious — meerkats are genuinely captivating animals. The point is simply that admiring them and being able to keep them well are two different things, and the honest answer for most homes is that the welfare bar is too high.

Health, Vets & Lifespan

Pet meerkats can live up to 15 years, so this is a decade-and-a-half commitment, not a short-term novelty. Common health problems include metabolic bone disease (from poor UV or diet), obesity, dental issues, parasites, and stress-related conditions in animals kept alone or in cramped housing.

The single biggest practical problem is veterinary access. Meerkats are exotic animals, and most ordinary small-animal vets won't have the experience to treat one — and those who do tend to charge more. You need to line up an exotics-experienced vet before you bring any animals home, not when something goes wrong. Use our exotic vet directory to find a clinic that handles exotic mammals, and check the realistic cost of exotic vet care in the UK.

For out-of-hours emergencies — a serious injury, a meerkat that's collapsed, stopped eating or is in obvious distress — know where your nearest 24/7 service is in advance. Our emergency exotic vet finder can help you locate one fast.

Is a Meerkat Right for You?

Being legal is the floor, not the ceiling. Before committing, be honest about whether you can genuinely provide:

• A large, heated, dig-proof enclosure with basking heat and UV — for the animals' whole 15-year lives.
• A compatible group of meerkats, never a single animal, with all the cost and space that multiplies.
• A varied insect-based diet with proper supplements, every day.
• A relationship with an exotics vet and a budget for surprise bills.
• Time, daily, for intelligent wild animals that dig, climb, scent-mark and can bite.

For the overwhelming majority of UK homes, the honest answer is that a meerkat is not a realistic pet — and wanting one is not the same as being able to keep one well. Deciding the welfare bar is too high isn't a failure; it's the responsible call. If the appeal is "a busy, sociable, characterful animal", there are legal pets that deliver that without a zoo-grade enclosure — see the alternatives below and our low-maintenance exotic pets list.

Legal Alternatives to a Pet Meerkat

If the meerkat dream is really about an active, social, endlessly entertaining animal — without the heat lamps, digging and 15-year zoo project — these legal UK options deliver a lot of the charm for a fraction of the welfare risk:

• Ferrets — playful, intensely curious, genuinely social pack animals that bond with their keepers and each other. Probably the closest legal match for the "busy, mischievous, group-living" appeal of a meerkat. See our ferret care guide.
• Guinea pigs — gentle, vocal, social herd animals that are easy to house indoors or out and thrive in pairs or groups. See our guinea pig guide.
• Chinchillas — soft, athletic, characterful rodents that bond with their keepers. See our chinchilla guide.
• Other unusual but legal pets — explored in our roundups of the best exotic pets in the UK and unique exotic pets.

Whatever you choose, check the legal position first — our guide to exotic pets you can keep without a licence and our pet regulations hub are the place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thinking it through properly? That's exactly the right instinct. Line up specialist care before anything else — find an RCVS-registered exotic vet experienced with exotic mammals, and bookmark our emergency veterinary contacts for out-of-hours crises.

More guides: What Pets Are Legal in the UK · Exotic Pets Without a Licence · Can You Own a Capybara in the UK?