Do mongooses have a look out like their cousins the meerkats when they are foraging?

Answer 1

Actually, you are right in terms of your taxonomy (and the person above is wrong).

Mongoose is a common term for many different genera within the family viverridae. Meerkats (suricata suricata) are simply another genus within the viverridae, and are as closely related to most mongooses as the mongooses are to each other.

In answer to your main question, although most species of mongoose are indeed solitary, some (not just meerkats) have social systems including the use of lookout animals (so-called 'sentinel behavior') during foraging. An example, is the dwarf mongoose (see below).

Answer 2

No. They belong to two totally different families. Mongooses are very solitary and do not tolerate others in their territories. They are very blood thirsty and kin to weasels, wolverines, badgers, skunks and a host of really bloodthirsty, fearless killers. Totally different than the loveable meerkats.