The Marmoset~Primate Rescue Centre.
Choosing A Monkey
Do you want a monkey? Primates are one of the most attractive animals in our animal kingdom. But, they are unpredictable, destructive, expensive and they need a lot of care and attention. Since some of them can live for over 40 years, they truly are a life-time commitment. Are you the person that is willing to spend most of your free time with you monkey? Before you consider buying a monkey, you have to learn as much as possible about them. Read books, use the internet, try to visit somebody who has primates at home so you can talk to people who have primates. You have to figure out which specie is perfect for you. Before buying a primate you have to be sure that it is legally allowed to keep primates where you live. Some places and councils don't allow you to keep certain or any primates, others need a permit. ( licence ) Like we said earlier, monkeys are very expensive animals. Buying your monkey is just a beginning. You'll have to build a large cage or better still a monkey house even if you buy a small monkey. Don't even think about buying a parrot cage. They are really to small and not really suitable for even the smallest monkey. You also need to provide cooling, heating and lights {UV lighting if kept inside}. A monkeys diet consists of commercial primate food, fresh food, fresh or cooked vegetables, and fresh fruit, cereal, eggs, grasshoppers, meal worm, locus, even small frogs and lizards meat, nuts, and Vitamins such as Vitamin D3 So, if you can't afford this for their care you should not buy one. Monkeys are very social animals. If you are not home all the time, you will have to buy a companion for himher as monkeys need a companion like us humans. Realize when you buy a monkey that it will be nearly impossible for you to travel since it is very hard to find somebody who can and will take care of your monkey. If you are going to let your monkey run around in your house you will have to keep an eye on them all the time. Larger monkeys are able to open refrigerators, doors even with a lock on it, turn over furniture, swing in curtains, open windows and escape .... All monkeys bite. I guess it is needles to say that a baboon will bite a lot harder than a marmoset. Even with reduced teeth it will still hurt. If you take your monkey out in public you have to realize that when it would bite someone else that it could result in the loss of your monkey. Make sure you find a vet specialized in primates before you buy your monkey. The first thing you should do after you buy your monkey is to take it to a primate vet for a check up. We hear to many times that people can't find a good vet for their monkey when they really need one. It's time for a reality check. Forget about those movies where you see a monkey perform all kinds of tricks. Unless you are a professional animal trainer you won't be able to teach your monkey a lot. If that is the reason why you want a monkey or if it is just to show-off with them, then you will probably be the first to get rid of them again. So why would anybody ever want a monkey after knowing all this ? Non-human primates are so close related to us that it scares and excites us at the same time. It is so incredible to see how they eat like we do, how they can climb, how they like to play hide and seek, how curious they are... Some monkey owners say their monkey is a family member, others talk about their children but they have all one thing in common : they love their monkeys so much that they will do the impossible for them!
Before you can buy a monkey, you will have to find out what monkey you really want. Are you looking for an intelligent monkey like a capuchin or a smaller monkey like a marmoset or a tamarin. Perhaps you are looking for something in between like a squirrel monkey ? Maybe you would rather like to have a mouse-sized monkey like a pygmy marmoset ? Hopefully the details and pictures below will help you to make the right decision. Here is a list of primates commonly kept in captivity : Capuchins Here is some global information for each specie : Capuchins :
Guenons :
Macaques :
Marmosets :
Squirrels :
Spiders :
Tamarins :
Purchasing a Primate
Breeders will always be there, nobody will ever change that! As far back as history goes, man always lived with pets - even exotics. Since there are breeders and there is no way that anyone is going to stop them, why not concentrate more on the actions of breeders and the people who purchase their animals? Do they truly care about the primates they are breeding, do they place them in homes that are proper for them, do they tell people the facts about the primates they are placing before they sell it to them? Are they interested in the welfare of the animal or is it the money or making a name for themselves that matters most? Do the people purchasing the animal know the proper care of that species, can they afford the vet care and housing requirements, why are they purchasing this type of animal?
Since people will always purchase primates, no matter how much anyone tries to talk them out of it, why not concentrate on educating owners and potential owners? That is a goal we have set for ourselves, to aide primate owners and to educate potential owners about primate ownership. We try to answer peoples' questions about all aspects of owning a primate and if We can't answer the question, we will direct them to someone who can answer either out of experience or expertise. We are still a beginners even after 30 years with juvenile primates, but I am willing to share what I have learned and experienced. Here are some guidelines about deciding who to purchase your primate from and things that you should do, before you purchase a primate: 1. I always try to buy directly from a breeder instead of going through a broker, this way you can obtain more information about your primate and learn more about it's history, you know exactly where it came from. Most brokers don't give you a lot of this information that might be useful should the animal ever get sick. 2. Is the breeder out just for your money or do they really care about where there monkey is going this is a must, it protects you and the primate. 3. If the breeder will sell or ship the primate, unescorted before the age of 8 weeks, find another breeder! we feel that shipping a primate before that age is dangerous to their health and if the primate gets delayed somewhere, nobody will feed it - ask the airline and they will confirm this. If you have to ship, find the fastest way possible. 4. Does the breeder answer all your questions truthfully such as the age of the primate, how to care for it and what might happen if it is not cared for properly? Do they mention that it can get aggressive when it matures and that it probably will not 'bond' with your human children? Do they mention that primates in pairs normally do much better than single pet primates? Do they mention the responsibility, money and time it takes to nurture a primate?. 5. Is the breeder pushing the sale or do they say that maybe you should go home and think about it a while longer? 6. Is this the right one for you? 7. Does the breeder ask you questions? If a breeder doesn't ask you about why you want a primate and how you plan to raise it, do you think they honestly care about the welfare of the primate or you? a responsible breeder cares! 8. Does the breeder mention cage requirements and talk to you about psychological well being needs? And social behaviour and diets, if you cannot meet these needs, you will not have a healthy, happy monkey no matter what anyone tells you! Primates need space and toys and your time. 9. Try to deal with a breeder that you have heard good things about from previous buyers. Be very careful, it's sad but there are a lot of scams going on out there! Be weary of breeders that want all the money upfront. Don’t part with your money until you have seen the monkey and then just leave a deposit until you collect your monkey. 10. Always try to buy in person so you can see exactly what it is that you are buying. If you can't do that, try to have the breeder escort the animal to you, it will cost you more, but it is well worth it. If they will do that, they care about the primate and where it is going and you can refuse delivery if something is wrong (age, health, etc) then you only will be out the airfare, but you will not be stuck with a primate that was misrepresented to you. As for the potential owners, here are a few things you should do: 1. Educate yourself about the type of primate you want, before the fact. I hope this helps potential owners in their search for a primate. If you do decide to get one we wish you luck and many years of happiness together. we can't stress enough how important it is to educate yourself before you get your primate and for the sake of both of you, continue that education for the life of your primate.
One section of our Marmoset Primate heated housing.
© Copyright 2007 Marmoset Diets All Rights Reserved.
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