Can Monkeys Make Good Pets?

The quick answer to this question is no! All wild animals are exactly that ~ wild. While it may seem like a really good idea to have a pet like a monkey, they rarely ever make good pets. It is cruel to force an animal such as a monkey, to live in a house and hardly have any freedom. They are used to wide, open spaces where they can roam around and do what they like.

Any wild animal's behaviour cannot be completely tamed. They will always be wild and they could attack you at any moment, even without meaning to. Many people see monkeys on TV living with humans and playing with humans, but they don't realise how much of a handful they are and that they aren't supposed to be kept as pets. While monkeys are generally friendly until they around two years of age, after that they are often given to animal sanctuaries or simply abandoned or killed.

So if you are looking for a pet it is best to settle for a more domestic one.

As someone who works in a research center/monkey facility, I can tell you first-hand: NO!  I am amazed that agencies have "trained" certain types of monkeys to work for the disabled, since these animals can attack without provocation.  Usually, as is with all primates, the first couple of years they can be sweet and loving when treated well, but then they hit the "juvenile stage" (monkey teenage years) where their hormones kick in and they start jockeying for hierarchy.  If you have children, they will be bitten & attacked without doubt, since the monkey will know they are at the lower end of the pole.  They are wild animals and should not be viewed as a possible pet.  There are many excellent websites where readers share their experiences of being primate owners and the regret of having them.  (along with graphic pictures of attacks AND many of these monkeys have had their teeth pulled to discourage even more gruesome attacks on owners but it does no good as they are STRONG…even the small ones)  As cute as they are, they are just as unpredictable and downright destructive.  PLUS, even if you were to acquire one, you'll be hard pressed to find a qualified vet to take care of it.  If you change your mind after having one in your home for a couple of years, a zoo will not accept the monkey as it will be killed by the others there.  Sanctuaries are more than full of these now-neurotic ex-pets who never learned to be a proper monkey and will turn yours away.  If you talk someone from a pet shop into taking it (which some unscrupulous pet shop owners will do), you have just dumped a scared animal into a new environment where it will go to a new home and continue acting like the wild animal it truly is.  Please, no, do not consider this an option.  You will be more than unhappy opening this Pandora's box.  Trust me on this one.

The simple answer is no.Monkeys can never be good pets.Wild animals can never be fully tamed.Even if the monkey was tamed from a young age,when they become older they start behaving like wild.They can bite the owners and the babies.Monkeys like the Howler monkeys make a lot of noise.Wild ones may even scratch our faces when we have a look at them.If monkeys are let loose in the house they create such a mess.