Living with a monkey

Infants feed every three to four hours around the clock, including overnight, until they wean. Expect broken sleep for the first several weeks. This is the part people underestimate most.

Once weaned, a young monkey needs several hours of direct interaction spread through the day, plus free-climbing time outside the enclosure under supervision. A monkey left alone all day becomes an unhappy, destructive one.

Fresh produce twice daily, a species-appropriate commercial biscuit, and protein: insects for marmosets and squirrel monkeys, eggs and cooked lean meat for capuchins and spider monkeys.

Vitamin D3 and calcium supplementation is not optional for indoor primates. Metabolic bone disease is the single most common preventable illness we see, and it is heartbreaking.

No chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, avocado, or salted human snacks. Ever.

Bigger than you think, and taller than it is wide. Height matters far more than floor space, because these animals live in the trees.

Solid metal construction with secure latches. Primates open anything a toddler can open, and then some. Wooden frames and plastic clips will not hold.

A warm, draft-free sleeping area kept between 75 to 85°F for infants, with a fleece pouch or hammock they can burrow into.

Rotate toys weekly so nothing becomes wallpaper. Puzzle feeders, foraging boxes, ropes, swings, mirrors and safe branches all earn their place.

Training with positive reinforcement is enrichment too. Target training, crate training and simple recall make vet visits dramatically less stressful for everyone.

Find an exotic-animal veterinarian who will see primates before you bring one home, not after. Many small-animal clinics will not, and emergencies do not wait.

Annual wellness exams, TB testing, and up-to-date vaccinations are the baseline. Budget for it the way you would for any long-lived animal.

Primate ownership is governed at state and often county or city level, and the rules change. Some states ban all primates, some permit smaller species only, and some require a permit issued before purchase.

We check your jurisdiction with you before any reservation is accepted. If the law where you live says no, we will not sell to you. That protects you and the animal.

The purchase price is the smallest line in the budget. Housing, diet, supplements, enrichment, routine and emergency veterinary care, and the occasional replaced sofa add up over a twenty-to-forty-year life.

Plan for care after you. Many owners name a guardian in their will, because a capuchin bought at thirty may well outlive its owner’s ability to care for it.