What is With This Spelling: Meercats??

What is up with that?? "Meercat?" I think that would sound like mere-sat, if someone said it. This, this is a meerkat (notice the K):

Right there. Right up there, see it? Meerkat. With a K!!! It isn't a cat!!! This is a cat:

 

That's a cat. Everyone get it, now?? A cat is a cat, a meerkat is a mongoose. I can't tell you how much this has bothered me for all my two years!

Well, I hope it's clear now.

Erik