Meerkats do not make good pets, the MSPCA has warned after an exotic animal trader advertised the animals for sale on Facebook.

While meerkats are not illegal in Malta, animal rights groups say they are unsuitable for households due to their complex social and natural habitat needs.

They were advertised through a video on Facebook by Rodent Kingdom Malta and were promptly sold out.

In one video, business owner Nicholas Delia holds up a meerkat to the camera while saying those sold by his business were imported, microchipped and vaccinated.

Nicholas Delia from Rodent Kingdom Malta business uploaded videos advertising meerkats for sale as domestic pets. Video: Rodent Kingdom & Exotics/Facebook.

In a second, he said the animals were like domestic cats and could be fed cat food. He described them as “vicious predators”, “destructive” and “naughty” and joked about likely property damage caused by owning one.

All meerkats advertised by the business have been sold, according to the second video. Delia declined to comment to Times of Malta.

The Malta Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (MSPCA) was among those to highlight the dangers of keeping meerkats as pets.

It said that while the post “may appear entertaining, it raises serious concerns about wild animals being treated as household pets”.

The MSPCA said they are highly social wild animals that naturally live in large groups and complex burrow systems.

“Keeping them in a domestic environment can lead to stress, behavioural problems and poor welfare,” it said.

“We stand alongside international animal welfare organisations in saying clearly: wild animals like meerkats should not be kept as pets. This is not something that should be normalised or encouraged in Malta.”

‘Permits in hand’

Animal Welfare Commissioner Fleur Abela said her office had visited the premises, “and at face value the permits appear to be in hand”.

“However, due to procedural issues – namely that an inspection by the [Animal Welfare, or AWD] Directorate ought to have happened beforehand – we couldn’t proceed further.”

Echoing the MSPCA, Abela stressed that exotic breeds such as meerkats do not belong in homes, but in areas that provide them with the necessary space.

She also underlined an issue with “selling online to individuals who may not be knowledgeable or equipped for these animals”.

Describing the trade in exotic animals as a “big problem”, she said her office was “committed to trying to find a solution”.

Abela said her office frequently receives reports of exotic animals being sold online, with foxes and bearded dragons among the species frequently appearing on social media.

She advocated for a “phasing out system” for exotic animals – in particular big cats – which would see their numbers reduced due to restrictions on further imports.

‘Pet shop in full compliance’

The Animal Rights Ministry said it had noted the concerns raised about the shop’s advertising of meerkats, but noted that a recent inspection found the meerkats had been introduced to market in “full compliance with all veterinary requirements and applicable legal provisions”.

The ministry said it “acknowledges that meerkats are animals with complex needs”, and that licenced premises were “required to meet the specific welfare requirements for the species they trade in”.

It added that the AWD “conducts regular inspections to ensure ongoing compliance, and licensed businesses operating within the law are permitted to continue their activities”.

Meerkats, or Suricata suricatta, belong to the mongoose family and are prone to aggressive behaviour if not kept in the correct environment. They appear on a government list of scheduled animals, which also includes bears, hyenas and primates.

The keeping of exotic animals as pets has long been a source of controversy in Malta, with activists frequently pointing to animals being kept in substandard conditions and a lack of enforcement from authorities.

Last April, notorious car dealer Christian Borg appealed a Planning Authority enforcement notice against a cage on the roof of his penthouse, arguing the illegal structure was needed to house his chimpanzee.

The following month, it emerged that a Rabat property identified by animal welfare activists as the site used to house four lions and a leopard was not sanctioned by the PA.

Tigers, leopards, pumas, monkeys and chimpanzees are among 96 wild animals registered to authorities following a government amnesty on exotic species.

Last month, a large cat, identified by activists as a black panther, was caught on camera after it escaped from a building in Cospicua.