monkeys as pets?

Question

is it legal to keep a monkey as a pet? ross did it in friends, and now I want one.

Answer 1

Before you get one, volunteer at a zoo. You will learn so much about the issues of caging wildlife. Monkeys are very difficult to keep in captivity. Zoos have a hard time, so a family will find it very difficult.
They are not suited to life in houses.
Zoos spend thousands in special equipment to keep them contained. Special locks and doors because they learn how to open doors.
They have ugly sexual behavior they can't be trained out of.
They fling poo. Just because they can.
They hate living in cages. In this case, your whole house will be a cage.
Vet care will be difficult to find.
So will "baby sitters" if you want to go on vacation. Traveling with monkeys is difficult because they carry a lot of the same diseases people do and quarantine can be expensive and tiresome.
They bite hard enough to draw blood and take fingers. Not because they're angry, but because it's part of their communication.
They can be loud. Again, part of communication and they can't be trained out of it.
They are as smart as children and need as much time, attention, activity and stimulation as a preschooler. More even. Zoos spend thousands keeping their monkeys entertained and stimulated.
They live up to 40-60 years. Imagine having a toddler for that long.
Zoos and shelters don't take pet animals. If (heaven forbid) something happens to you, he will be euthanized because there will be nowhere for him to go.
Please consider carefully. Permits and all the paperwork you need is going to be expensive in itself, not to mention, many monkeys are endangered and not available on Ebay. Expect to pay a pretty penny.
Cheers.

Answer 2

Monkeys are legal in some locations. However, they are NOT recommended as pets by ANYONE other than the people selling them. They are not cute & fuzzy and funny like they make it seem on Friends. They have very sharp teeth, carry diseases, and can have vulgar and mean personalities. They need LOADS of attention and stimulation and LOADS of space to roam. No animal organization recommends primates of any sort as a pet. They are wild animals, not a domesticated dog or cat.

This is all aside from the inhumane aspect of the breeding situations. It's terrible and cruel to rip a 2 day old capuchin monkey away from his mother, and they never recover from it.

What happens when your monkey bites someone's ear off? Can you pay that person's medical bills and the lawsuit that will follow? What happens when he catches your cold and it turns into pneumonia? Do you have the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to pay for treatment?

Read the information below so that yu can educate yourself on what caring for a monkey entails. THen, hopeully, you will be an ethical person and look for another kind of pet.

Answer 3

It's illegal, for good reason, in most places.

Monkeys make terrible pets. They are very difficult to train, tend toward being aggressive and biting.

They are very social creatures and do not do well without others of their kind.

They are also notorious for throwing their feces all over the house and on people.

Once you tire of having a monkey mess up you and your house, hating you all the while, you'll have to find some agency to take the animal off your hands. After all, you just can't abandon it. Don't be surprised if you are charged a large fee to get rid of the monkey.

Ross' TV pet monkey was most probably a well-trained and carefully watched animal.

Do yourself a favor and go to the pound and get a dog.

Answer 4

Monkeys are not meant to be kept as pets, and at the end of the day Friends is just a sitcom not real life. If you like monkeys why don't you consider adopting one at a local zoo or rescue centre? That way you get the best of both worlds, a monkey to call your own (almost) and the knowledge that you are doing some good.

Answer 5

In some states. Monkeys are not pets. Monkeys are wild animals that belong either in a zoo, sanctuary, park, or in their natural habitat. Having a monkey as a pet in one's household is cruel. There is no possible way that all of a monkeys needs can be meet while living in a domestic setting such as a house/apartment/backyard. Having a monkey for a pet is both a selfish decision and cruel to the animal. More so, it is sad when one bases their decisions on what they see on the television.

Answer 6

First of all, Friends was a TV show! The monkey probably had a wrangler on the set.
Anyway, you have to have a special license to have a monkey as a pet. Do you really want something wild throwing poo at you?

Answer 7

Squirrel monkeys make great pets. They are bred in captivity and are really entertaining. But unless you know what you are doing, they can disrupt your whole life as they are very naughty, needy and destructive. Don't let Pirate images influence you too much! Or else get a Pretty Polly Parrot?
If you google search about squirrel monkeys, you will find some web sites set up by owners which discuss the joys and pains of owning one.

Answer 8

Its not fair to keep monkeys as pets. They are very social animals who prefer to live in groups of their own kind. They get bored easily in captivity and need lots of toys and things to keep them busy. Without plenty of space, friends and things to do, monkeys will become lonely, frustrated and unhealthy. This can result in some very aggressive and destructive behaviour, making it difficult for you to handle your monkey and causing a lot of damage to your home!

Also monkeys can catch colds and other infections from humans.

It is extremely difficult to properly take care of a monkey and it is really very cruel to keep them as a pet.

You will remember in Friends that Ross had to get rid of his monkey because he became aggressive. This is a common outcome. Please don't buy a monkey, you cannot properly accomodate it in a home environment and it will only cause frustration for you and your pet.

It is illegal for a reason!!

Answer 9

Not a good idea. Have you ever seen the Planet of the Apes movies? Those will REALLY convince you that we shouldn´t have monkeys as pets.

Answer 10

Generally it isn't legal. In most places you'd need a special permit to keep one. They're cute on TV but they need specialized care and don't make for cuddly little pets.