A group of meerkats is commonly called a mob. Meerkats live in cooperative family groups that can contain several individuals and sometimes more than 30 members.
While some meerkats forage, others may stand upright as sentries. A lookout watches for predators such as eagles, jackals and snakes, then gives an alarm call if danger approaches. The group can quickly retreat into an extensive burrow system.
“Mob” is a conventional collective noun, not a strict biological rank. Meerkat groups are social units with dominant breeding individuals, helpers that care for young, and coordinated feeding and defense. They are related to mongooses, not to cats despite their name.