Monkey Business: Is Monkey the Right Pet for You?
suspicious business…
As a young teen living on the west coast of Florida, I was like a fish out of water. I moved there from New York with my parents. There were several things that took a bit of getting used to and I wasn’t a fan of heat or bugs. Whoever invented air conditioning has my eternal gratitude! Then there were the things that helped me put up with any negatives. Casual lifestyle dress, beaches and fishing to name a few. One of the things I really liked about Florida is that it lacks many of the rules and restrictions that East Coasters were and still are cursed with today. Even in the early 1970s, you couldn’t go to a pet store in New York City or Long Island and buy a monkey. However, you can do that in Florida.
Before the government decided that it would make all the decisions for us, there was a time when you could decide many things on your own. This included the type of pet you might want to buy or adopt. Sadly, there have been some people who have spoiled it for honest, loyal, and thoughtful pet owners…people who have always left their dogs tied to a tree, kept an alligator in the pool, had a tiger in their apartment or used their home as an animal rescue center keeping hundreds of poorly fed cats in a totally unacceptable environment… Now I’m not saying there shouldn’t be laws against keeping certain types of wild or exotic pets. What I want to point out is if the government is stopping people from owning animals because they are endangered or in the opinion of some “experts” they may be psychologically damaged from living with people…then they are barking up the wrong tree.
When I was a fourteen-year-old boy, I walked into a pet store in Florida and saw a squirrel monkey languishing in a small cage. This was not a case of neglect or abuse. Pet stores often do this sort of thing as a hook to get you to buy one of their expensive or hard-to-sell picks. So my dad said and he was right. Another week went by and the monkey was still there when I got back. At $25 it didn’t cost a fortune and that price tag means the store wants it gone. It was a time when there were few tourists in town which made selling more difficult. Most of the locals were older and didn’t want the hassle of keeping a primate as a pet. Besides, the monkey was not very good at self-promotion. She had barely been weaned when someone took her from her mother, gave her some shots and sold her to the pet store for resale. As a result, the animal was shy, sluggish, and fearful.
I went to the local bookstore and did some research on squirrel monkeys before finally buying him two weeks after my first visit to the pet store. My parents were very good with the purchase as I have always been a responsible pet owner as I have had a dog, birds and guinea pigs. The dog died before we could move. Other pets have been adopted by neighbors they already know and love because they couldn’t be taken with them. I named my monkey Sam and brought him home to a large cage that we kept in a room in Florida with bay windows on the side of our house. I encountered an unused space that was overgrown and looked like a jungle. This room could be cut off from the air conditioning if needed, but it did heat up for the short amount of time our area has seen any cold weather.
Squirrel monkeys are easy to feed, not too expensive to keep and not difficult to train if you train them to do things they enjoy. However, they require a lot of companionship and mental stimulation. Fortunately, Sam loved me. He tried to bite me at first so I pinched him a few times so you know he’s not acting so aggressive. This was only possible because I made it so small. I also put him in his crate when he misbehaved. The idea was to use repetitive conditioning and discipline as tools to get the animal to behave. You are the chief of this group of primates, not him. I was providing food, water and shelter. Once he figured it all out he learned faster. At first I used a leash. After a few months it wasn’t necessary. He was allowed to roam freely under our supervision and even played outside during our BBQs or went to our pool. Use the next empty store as an exercise yard to climb trees and chase birds and squirrels. He also used it as a potty so I guess you could tell he was potty trained for the most part.
Dogs and monkeys are sworn enemies. You really can’t have both without squeezing one or both of your pets. Actually monkeys are jealous. I strongly suggest that if you plan to own a monkey of this type that you avoid owning other pets. Most monkeys that are not well trained or treated are likely to become mean or moody as they move into adulthood. Caged monkeys will constantly urinate on you or throw feces at you. They may also attack you or destroy things they deem important to you if given the chance.
As a rule, monkeys are smart. They learn quickly and are great escape artists. This is why training is so important. I always left Sam’s cage door open once I trained him. The doors to that room have been locked. Learn to close or open the cage door as appropriate. After a while he learned how to open and close all the doors that lead to the backyard so he could go outside to play or do his business. But he will never go unless one of us gives him our permission. His room doors were locked when we went out without him.
Owning a squirrel monkey is easy and hard… satisfying and frustrating… fun and annoying… but is it ethical? Is it harmful to the animal? You will have to decide for yourself unless your city or state has already done so for you. The truth is, people will own monkeys regardless. It’s illegal in China, but thousands of Chinese own “pocket monkeys” who are usually purchased as baby Pygmy Mamosets, Capuchins, or Resus Monkeys. They don’t treat them well. They tie their arms so that they learn to practice walking on two instead of the four which is painful and unnatural for them. They shave their fur and dress them in clothes. You get the picture. These animals are status symbols in China where most authorities look the other way and ignore the rich and important people who own them. However, if they or responsible pet owners do not buy the monkeys, they will be sold to research laboratories and doomed to a life spent being subjected to physically or emotionally harmful experiences while living in a small cage devoid of love or companionship.
Every year tens of thousands of monkeys are shipped to research facilities around the world and many orders for more of the same torture centers remain unfilled. Given this fact, it is harder to worry about the ethics of owning a monkey as a pet than the same animal that ends up as a lab rat. Most people I know who have owned a monkey have not abused it, shaved it, beat it, or kept it in an inappropriate environment. Again, if you have the legal right to own one, you need to decide whether or not you should do so. Before you do anything, do plenty of research and buy from a reputable breeder if you decide a monkey is the right pet for you. No more $25 prices. You will spend $3,000-$6,000 depending on the type of monkey you choose. Capuchins are preferred by most people for their ability to learn tricks and mannerisms. If your plan is small, Pygmy Marmosets are about the size of a child’s finger and about the size of an adult’s hand. Squirrel and spider monkeys require more time and effort than most people care to invest in a pet.
