Mongoose is reportedly only pet (7)
I believe the answer is:
meerkat
'mongoose' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I don't understand the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for meerkat that I've seen before include "Small mongoose of southern Africa" , "South African mammal" , "Mongoose-like mongoose" , "South African mongoose" , "Mongoose-like mammal of southern Africa" .)