The whole family, including the father and siblings, pitches in to help raise the new additions. By nine weeks, the pups are weaned, and by one and a half years, the meerkats will be mature enough to have their own offspring. Meerkats live up to eight years in the wild and up to 13 years in zoos.
You don't chew nicotine gum the way you chew normal gum. If you did, all the nicotine would be released directly into your saliva. If you swallowed the nicotine-soaked saliva, it would provoke a terrible stomachache and a nasty and overwhelming craving for a cigarette.
It's because nicotine may help people feel calmer, causing temporary feelings of relaxation as well as reducing stress, anxiety and even pain [source: World Health Organization ]. In spite of that relaxation, though, nicotine actually increases physical stress; its effects are considered a bit of a paradox. It perks up the central nervous system, but depending on the dosage some smokers find nicotine also acts as a sedative.