Are pet monkeys legal in New England?

[redhen]

Just asking if anyone knows... And if maybe anyone knows any breeders?
Not saying i want one... just umm.. wondering...umm..cause a friend asked me... yeah...

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Monkeys live a good 30 years. They eat, poop, and can bite your finger off. Don't forget a chimp has the strength of more than 5 men. They can (like what happen in NY) rip your face off! Ever seen an animal show were the doc work on a monkey, chimp or ape without knocking it out??? There is a reason for that. An Orangutan can rip your are out of it's socket and then off of your body!

Not meaning to sound like a nasty Nellie, but I think some critters are meant to live in the wild, not in our homes.

 

[RabbitMage]

I sure hope not. Primates are amazing and intelligent with complex needs and social structures, which means they make terrible pets.

 

[reveriereptile]

If you or your friend

do decide to get one make sure you get a small one for the reasons of what other people have stated. Also the large primates even as babies from what I've heard like to hang on your arms and can cause damage when they get larger. It would be about like having a newborn baby to take care of.

 

[deerman]

Not sure , but its state by state.........I know a breeder, here in Ohio. Last ones I seen at MtHope auction , baby ones sold for $4,000


Check with your State

 

[welsummerchicks]

This lady was bitten on the face by a little capuchin monkey, it looks like about 20 stitches to close this one:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...9&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:80&biw=897&bih=363

I would regard anyone with a serious amount of suspicion, if they recommend anyone get a monkey as a pet.

Even smaller monkeys make very, very difficult pets. A few people manage to keep them while they are babies, though even as babies, they bite, throw and play with feces. Yes people often report they can diaper them or potty train them - usually, by adolescence, that is gone.

Too, you can bet that you will usually need to get rid of your other pets - practically speaking, there aren't enough hours in the day to take care of a monkey and take care of other pets too. Aside from that I doubt most people could afford another pet once they had a monkey. But there are other problems. Monkeys often are jealous of other pets - to say nothing of being jealous of other PEOPLE - they don't always adjust to new people well at all, even as babies. You have to work very hard to keep your monkey from getting attacked by your dogs, for example.

Additonally, the monkey will have to either be in a cage, or when out, on a leash that you are holding onto, that you're hanging onto. That might not be too convenient. If you think not, try having one loose in your house.

But when they become se*ually mature, they usually become unmanageable. Usually are rehomed several times then either wind up permanently in a cage/humanely destroyed; when placed in a zoo, they generally do terrible, as they have not been around other monkeys. A good many escape and are hit by cars or killed in other ways - they have no understanding of danger.

Another issue is life span. Even most of the smaller monkeys can live forty years or longer. Most people will need to make arrangements for the animal should anything happen to themselves.

One other issue is health. Monkeys can transmit Hepatitis A as well as the AIDS virus. Sources for pet monkeys, especially considering most states now ban them, are not always very good about getting the animals tested for Hepatitis or AIDS.

It's not just the human's health. There are very, very few vets in the US that are familiar with primate nutrition, or can treat diseases and injuries in them. Prepare for a very long drive to a primate vet and prepare to pay a very high premium for their services.

There are also legal issues. Very few areas allow monkeys to be kept as pets, many states have laws that completely ban having any primates as pets. Some states allow primates as pets but only to those with zoo or circus licenses.

New Hampshire bans all primate pets unconditionally. New Jersey allows them but only after making extensive, expensive alterations to the home and applying for and maintaining a special license. Massachusettes bans all 'wild animals' and primates are wild animals. Ohio, who was notorious for years for not restricting ownership, has a new law that just passed that heavily restricts exotic animal ownership. Rhode Island requires permits for primates, the permit involves expensive home modifications as well as specialized KNOWLEDGE. Vermont only allows exotics (including primates) for exhibition purposes, and even there, a person has to get and maintain a permit.

When they DO allow such animals as pets, your home is very often required to have expensive modifications, and must be inspected periodically.

A person can spend 24/7 providing all sorts of 'enriched environments' and a healthy diet*by the way that 'healthy diet' is very, very expensive), but what a person can never do, is take the place of an extended family group of monkeys. The monkey needs to be around other monkeys to develop normally.

When it hits adolescence, the monkey becomes, basically, a wild animal, but a wild animal with no idea of how its species behaves.

Nor is it true that 'well trained monkeys make good pets', there is no such thing. When they hit adolescence, it starts to show how horribly abnormal and messed up they are. They are frustrated and mixed up - they bite, attack and try desperately to find a se*ual partner, leading to all sorts of abberant behavior.

Even normal monkeys love to play with and throw feces and get into their urine.

Cost, of purchase and maintenance. Four thousand dollars hopefully is enough of a deterrant, at least, one can always hope it is.

Listening to what zoo staff ALWAYS tell people, or monkey rescues should be a deterrant.

But someone always thinks that even though no one else can do it, they can, or they just don't care about the monkey's mental health, misery or ultimate destination, they just want something exotic, that people will admire.

Very, very sad situations. I've seen a couple 'pet monkeys' living out their lives in solitary cages at rescue farms. They often can't be put in a group, so they just live out their lives in a cage, pacing, biting and abusing themselves. It's kind of horrible. Because of their cute appearance as babies, I think for some people, they fulfill a desire to have a human baby and there are some not so healthy results in the mental health of the person, as well as how the animal is treated when they try to pretend they are a human.

 

[sourland]

Do not do that.

 

[Dar]

Tony Stewart has a capuchin monkey ..... just sayin

 

[bagendhens]

no...
all new england states except PA have strict laws and regulations against the owning of monkey and primates, unless you are a zoo, rescue or educational situation, the usda will not even consider your aplication for special permits.

after working with monkey, i cant blame them,...they make TERRIBLE pets, they are messy, once they pass the cute baby stage even if spay/neutered they are unpredictable and agressive and moody, and even the smallest monkeys can do serious damage.

they are cute and fun to watch and i can see the draw, when i worked with them i could have sat for hours playing with them ect..., but as a pet...TERRIBLE choice.
i cant see why anyone would want an animal in their home that likes to finger paint with its own poop LOL

MOST pet monkey end up in rescue situations after maturity, zoos wont take pet monkeys and many rescues are full to breaking point over the past few years.
ALL monkey bite and scratch...a common "cure" for this is to remove the monkeys canines...this is a HORRIBLE practice...

 

[mom'sfolly]

I'm not sure about the legality but I'm not sure that a pet with hands is a good idea. Living with a pet monkey would be like living with a sexually mature, bad attitude two-year-old. They are smart, have hands, and generally do not have nice personalities. They cannot be reasoned with and are difficult to discipline. Like two-year-olds they get into everything, leak at both ends, are fussy eaters and think they come first in anybody's world. If you can face twenty or thirty years of the terrible twos, a monkey might be the pet for you.