Okay, so I cheated. All baby animals are cute! But as cute as these guys are, meerkats also have their no-nonsense side. Living in the Kalahari Desert is serious business, and, as Cesar Millan would say, there need to be 'rules, boundaries and limitations' if a meerkat family is to survive.
Source: University of Wisconsin
Meerkats live in family groups called 'mobs' or 'clans' and there can be 20 to 50 or more member, but only the alpha pair is allowed to have babies. If another female has a litter of pups, it can be deadly for both the mother and the pups. The alpha female will likely kill the pups in order to ensure the survival of her own babies. The offending female is usually evicted from the group, and a lone meerkat is easy pickings for predators.
Source: safaris in namibia
Meerkats are members of the mongoose family and eat mostly insects, including beetles, millipedes and centipedes, and spiders, along with the occasional lizard, snake, or small mammal. They also eat scorpions and are immune to their venom. As they forage, there is always one individual that keeps a look out for predators. If one is spotted, the alarm call goes out. Like some other animals, meerkats have different vocalizations that help the group know where the threat is coming from - on the ground or from the air. Depending on which alarm is given decides the group's strategy for escape - simply take cover or go for one of the many bolt holes they have dug throughout their territory.
Meerkats are very territorial and will avidly defend it from other clans. They also patrol their territories to make sure another group is not depleting their food resources. Meerkats have a complicated system of burrows and dens and will occasional share their home with ground squirrels or mongooses. However, they will move the main living area if food is scarce in their current location.
Source: It's Nature
All adult meerkats are responsible for the care and protection of the babies. Once they are old enough to forage with the rest of the clan, each youngster has an adult 'mentor' in charge of its care and feeding. The youngsters learn what food to eat by watching the adult, and the adult helps with catching dinner.
Meerkats are cute, funny, but tough little critters. They have to be. To see a video of a gang of meerkats against a puff adder, go here.
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