Exotic Pets and the Squirrel Monkey

Getting an exotic pet for your home can be a very exciting prospect. The choices are many but monkeys seem to be the pick of them. The squirrel monkey is the most popular pet right now. Don’t get swept away by how cute it looks; you take on a big responsibility by keep a squirrel monkey for your pet.

Personality

Squirrel monkeys are not indigenous to the USA. South America is their ancestral home; humans have brought them back to the States in their travels to the continent. Before keeping them as a pet there are a few considerations you should be aware of. First off, know that they are wild animals and will never be fully tamed; always remember this. This helps to keep everybody including the monkey safe. There is the very realistic possibility that you will get bitten by your pet at some point. If you get a squirrel monkey you should be mentally prepared for such an eventuality.

Diet

They are not like other domesticated pets and so their dietary requirements will be different. Depending on its age and weight, there are a number of methods to gradually transition your monkey from liquid foods to solid foods. Feeding the monkey baby milk for its first 2 years and then weaning it off is a practice adopted by some owners. For more developed monkeys, you can find dry food forms at pet shops. It is by no means the ideal nutrition; it is merely one way of ensuring that your monkey takes its vitamins. Fruits and vegetables are an easy method to supplement the nutritional value of your pet’s diet. These are just some of the things you can do to make your squirrel monkey happy and healthy.

Sexual Activity

Squirrel monkeys are highly excitable animals and you will have to keep them occupied everyday. Even then, getting your monkey spayed or neutered is something you might have to consider seriously. Monkeys can become very sexually active and hostile during certain periods of the month. Incidents of biting when this happens are not uncommon. Again, it helps to remember that your monkey is not a tamed, domesticated creature; it is a wild animal and caution is key when you deal with it.