is a pet monkey a bad idea?

Getting a monkey is a horrible idea!!! They can be very vicious, are too smart for their own good and extremely strong --even the small ones. They can be very dangerous and need around the clock care. They need to be kept in cages that need to be specially locked because they can figure out how to unlock them from the inside. They can also give really nasty bites. They also have to be taken care of like a baby-- lots of toys to keep them busy , and you have to keep a diaper on them. Also, very much unlike a baby , they can climb things and tear things a part and get into too much trouble.

Having a pet monkey is like having a very spoiled special-needs child for the next 40 years. They are cute as babies but then grow up into mean, aggressive, and more often then not neurotic adults. Being social creatures they need 24/7 interaction and will develop all sorts of emotional problems without it.

It's cruel to have a pet monkey, because they're naturally independant. They aren't a domesticated animal by any means, and raising them to be pets or entertainers is wrong. They need to be in a place where they can act as they were born to act. With other monkeys. Over the last number of years, countries have begun to crack down on illegal pet trades, and rightfully so.

Monkeys belong in the wild. It is a 24 hour committment, they are sometimes more demanding then children. They have many similar feature of human children and feel many of the same feelings..like neglect, love...Many also get aggressive and wild after sexual maturity. Unless his backyard is a vast forrest or jungle with the right habitat/climates and food supply where there are other monkey's i say NO!

Aside from being VERY expensive to purchase and feed. (they eat as much as people do!) They are VERY like a toddler. They need 24 hour attention and care. Plus they bite and scratch and do through poop. A 40 pound toddler that is as strong as a full grown man? Yeah NOT a good idea!

My cousin had a baby orangutan and when it pooed, he smeared the doo doo all over the bathroom walls .... it was everywhere!

My cousin had a bad monkey!!

Its a bad idea, monkeys are brutes, wild animals, loud, can be aggressive(some), destructive(if in a home).

They easily get into trouble, but i advise you too visit them at the zoo, not to have as a pet in your home.

He first has to make sure that he is the right person for a monkey. The most common species of monkey kept is the capuchin all though spider monkeys and macaques are also commonly kept. Here are some site that may help.

http://www.monkeymaddness.com/

http://www.monkeymatters.com/

http://monkeyzone.com/

http://simiansociety.org/

http://simply-simian.com/

I also have a yahoo group for exotic pet owners called "You Have A What?"

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/you-have-a-what...

There are several monkey owners there that would love to help help him/you.

It's a VERY BAD idea. It's going to be like having a toddler like you said. Changing diaper, feces throwing, biting, making a mess not to mention the psychological needs they have. They are very smart and social and need companionship. He will end up getting rid of his pet as soon as it matures and becomes overwhelming for him to take care of and probably wind up in a research lab because zoo's won't except it. Beg him not to do it.

I wanted one at one point but the expenses and I don't know any vets that are good at treating monkey...if he got sick...I wouldn't know what to do. So I never got one. You might want to have him do some research on how to take care of a monkey and the amount of work involved. When you have facts, hopefully your friend will listen.

worse then having a toddler. They barely listen. They masturbate on everything. They tare everything to shreds, and they do 1's and 2's where ever it is the most difficult to clean. You would have to have a cage the size of a bedroom or two to keep him in. I think they are meant for the wild and should stay there.