In a
recent discussion of the word peccary, the question of
meerkat's classification popped its head up again, prompting me to - finally - answer this suggestion.
As noted in people's comments, meerkats have become much better known over the years thanks to TV and movie appearances. This started perhaps with a David Attenborough documentary "Meerkats United" in the 1980s. Then, over the following years, there was a character in "The Lion King" movie, then the TV series "Meerkat Manor". Finally, the pinnacle of celebrity achievement, TV commercials selling insurance.
As a result, the word
meerkat has seen a massive surge in usage over the past few decades, according to the Google Ngram viewer:
As a further confirmation of the word's currency, it has been used a few times in this forum. Way back in 2007 biggerbirdbrain wrote (about working in a cubicle), "Had me jumping up and down like a meerkat!"
So I feel it's justified to have
meerkat as a common word from now on.