Monkeys as Pets: Guidelines and Basic Tips (2024)

FAQs

Monkeys as Pets: Guidelines and Basic Tips? ›

Follow your state's legal regulations regarding monkey cage dimensions, entryways, and locks. The larger the cage, the better. Provide fresh water and food daily in an easily accessible location of your monkey's cage. Monkeys can eat monkey biscuits as well as most fruits and vegetables.

Whatever a breeder may tell you, primates need specialised diets and access to the outdoors. Health problems – primates need specialist vets, which can be expensive and hard to find. Diseases can also spread between primates and humans. Herpes and measles can be fatal to primates.

Because monkeys need full commitment throughout their entire life, they're simply not meant to be pets. They never grow up and mature like human children do. In essence, they are essentially permanent toddlers who require constant attention and care throughout their entire lives.

Natural daylight for primates

Generally, all primates should have access to natural daylight for proper conversion of pro-vitamin D2 to vitamin D3. Nocturnal primates may not get enough sunlight and therefore their diet may need to include vitamin D3 supplements.

Primates can become violent toward humans who try to domesticate them. If kept isolated in captivity, they can develop mental health problems that can cause them to attack and injure people. Most primates need to live in social groups to survive and thrive.

Try to avoid making eye contact and do not smile at a wild monkey. To a monkey, showing your teeth is a sign of aggression and threat. Similarly, don't yell at a monkey or otherwise tease / heckle it.

High Maintenance and Specialized Care:

Monkeys are quite demanding in terms of care and attention. They have particular food and environmental requirements, which can be difficult and expensive to satisfy. For their wellbeing, appropriate shelter, enrichment, and mental stimulation are crucial.

Sprinkling vegetables with pepper will deter monkeys from eating them. The chemical Capsaicincontained in chilli is an excellent repellent against monkeys, squirrels, and some other wild animals. Farmers who grow chilli will also benefit from an extra source of income.

What Is the Life Span of a Pet Monkey? Generally, monkeys can live 20 to 40 years, so they are a long-term commitment. A monkey's life span will also depend on their species. A chimpanzee can live 50 years or more, while a capuchin can live 15 to 25 years.

Marmoset monkeys are the most commonly kept and traded species of primate as pets.

What are the 4 rules to manage monkeys? ›

The phrase "See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil" first emerged in Japan in the 17th century and then was later adopted worldwide as a message of peace and tolerance due to Mahatma Gandhi's visual metaphor of the three monkeys, with one of them covering his eyes, the second his mouth, and the third his ears.

Bananas, of course! But you don't have to be a monkey to love bananas. Children and adults alike crave this sweet yellow fruit.

Yes, they do! And the bonds formed are good for the caretakers, for the monkeys, and for the science. A well-written book that looks at this issue in depth is "The Inevitable Bond: Examining Scientist-Animal Interactions", H. Davis and D.

Initial Cost of Purchasing a Pet Monkey

Pet monkeys typically cost between $4,000 and $8,000 each. However, this will depend on the monkey's age, rarity and temperament. Younger, more rare and friendlier monkeys tend to cost more.

All primates, big and small, have complex social, physical and psychological needs that require expert care. Monkeys are social creatures that require constant interaction with their own species as part of a large group. They need space to climb and play, a proper diet, and lots of mental stimulation.

a suitable enclosure with enough three-dimensional content, including climbing structures for species-specific behaviour. the right temperature, humidity, ventilation, noise levels and lighting. suitable feeding and sleeping sites. a means of, and location for, visual welfare assessment.

One of the benefits of owning a monkey is that they have a much longer lifespan than other mammals. A typical longevity will be 20-40 years depending on the type of breed. They are incredibly social animals, intelligent, and able to learn tasks and tricks quickly. Those are the pros.