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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel sorry for 'pet' monkeys?

73 replies

Sanctimummy · 21/08/2013 23:07

A FB friend acquaintance has posted pics of "Her new baby" that she is getting in a week or so from a work colleague. Including pictures of the cage she has set up at home. She has gone all out and must have bought every monkey toy out there and the cage isn't tiny or anything. But it's not huge either.

I was looking at the pics and just felt so sorry for the wee thing. It's a marmoset monkey, tiny, clasped onto it's mummy in the pictures. No idea that it's going to be taken from her very soon and never see another monkey again for the rest of it's life...

She has children and I guess it will get lots of attention. I still just don't think monkeys should be kept as pets. Really doesn't sit right with me at all. I read that they are very hard to look after properly and 99/100 times they end up aggressive in adulthood due to not being brought up naturally.

I see a very sad future for this wee thing.

AIBU?

OP posts:
mrsjay · 22/08/2013 10:15

oh and they bite they will bite her children

blizy · 22/08/2013 10:17

Oh, this is so sad. Poor little monkey. It really makes my blood boil keeping such animals as pets, selfish, selfish woman. I have no doubt that the little guy will soon be in a sanctuary.

I am so upset and disgusted about the person who plans to get her monkeys teeth extracted. It should be made illegal, I urge everyone to sign the petition by monkey world, mentioned up thread.

BuskersCat · 22/08/2013 10:18

See if I didn't have dd I'd love a pet monkey.

mrsjay · 22/08/2013 10:18

does she have all the vitamins the baby needs bet she doesn't they also eat a speiclised (sp) sap bet she hasn't got that either ,

Original poster
Sanctimummy · 22/08/2013 10:24

I was the one who put the link to the monkey world petition and info, there really is no point in me sending it to her, she is totally set on this.

Been saving up for ages for it (costs well over a £1000 just for the monkey) She already has the cage and every toy under the sun for it, you'd have to search for the monkey a lot there's that many toys and hammocks in there.

Yes she's visited the monkey a good few times since it has been born, she posted some pictures of 'her new baby' from one of the visits. Clinging onto it's mummy. She says it will be ready in a couple weeks to come to her.

OP posts:
mrsjay · 22/08/2013 10:29

Oh dear sorry was it I should have noticed it was you, I really fear this is going to go really wrong and the only one who will suffer is the monkey the humans are fine . dont support her on this dont coo over her baby and make sure she has all the vitamins that it needs or it will end up crippled and not be able to move about,

Original poster
Sanctimummy · 22/08/2013 10:29

I have no idea about the vitamins or sap. She is just an acquaintance and I have tried opening a dialogue (see first page) to see if I can get some information and gently broach the subject but she isn't forthcoming at all.

She has had lots of information from the breeder and done lots of reading up. She has special 'monkey food' and a UV light.

All this I have gathered from other comments on the pictures.

OP posts:
mrsjay · 22/08/2013 10:30

take her to monkey world they have dozens of disabled marmosets for her to see

Original poster
Sanctimummy · 22/08/2013 10:31

She lives in my hometown, I live miles away. I won't be visiting and as she is an acquaintance there's not much I can do or say to ensure anything unfortunately..

OP posts:
mrsjay · 22/08/2013 10:32

it is such a shame that people are so ignorant and think the cuteness outweighs the animals welfare I am sure she will love her monkey and not be cruel to it ,

slenderman · 22/08/2013 10:32

has she watched 'my monkey baby' actually she probably has if she has bought one, maybe the show made people actually want one.

humans are arseholes at times.

midori1999 · 22/08/2013 10:32

YANBU. I'm surprised it's even with it's mother though, most are taken very young to be hand reared. Sad

I have absolutely no problem with people keeping monkeys or any other exotic mammals if they are kept properly, but these species are not 'pets' in the true sense of the word, they are a hobby and if people are going to keep them, they need to keep them in suitable conditions and for monkeys that means large enclosures, bigger than most households can provide and family groups, not a poor single monkey in a cage with no other monkey company. Sad

mrsjay · 22/08/2013 10:34

whaTmidori said if people want to keep marmosets do it bloody properly and not in some hamster cage they are not pets Sad

SunshineMMum · 22/08/2013 12:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pigsDOfly · 22/08/2013 12:25

This is just wrong. How is it allowed to be legal.

She is going to be cruel to the poor thing Mrsjay, just by owning it. It's not her 'baby' it's a wild animal that need to be with it's own kind.

And if it becomes depressed and/or violent, she'll no doubt dump it on a sanctuary puzzled that it's failed to live up to her expectations because after all, she loved it and treated it like her 'baby'.

Silly, selfish woman.

Original poster
Sanctimummy · 22/08/2013 13:00

pigsdofly

Being dumped at a sanctuary at some point would be the lesser of possible outcomes for this monkey. At least then it may have the chance to lead some sort of normal life.

They are usually just never ever allowed out of the cage again if they show aggressive behaviour and end up spending the rest of their lives caged and solitary. It's so depressing.

She says she has done all this reading about them etc. I can't help thinking if she had done she would realise how bloody cruel it is, no matter how much you think you'll love them.

OP posts:
mrsjay · 22/08/2013 17:03

She is going to be cruel to the poor thing Mrsjay, just by owning it. It's not her 'baby' it's a wild animal that need to be with it's own kind.

oH yes I agree with you and buying it and keeping as her baby is cruel what i just meant is she is buying it to love it although she could kill it with kindness I am upset that this little monkey is just another in a long line of tiny primates being kept as pets in a hamster cage Sad

Alliwantisaroomsomewhere · 22/08/2013 17:36

That's awful! Poor animal Sad.

digerd · 22/08/2013 17:39

Marmosets live in extended family groups of typically 9. They are weaned at 3 months. At 5 months they engage in rough play with the other members to establish their staus in it .
At 15 months they are fully grown and sexually mature.
They are wild animals not domesticated pets and need to live with their own kind in a similar habitat- not on their own in a cage in a house .
Totally inappropriate and cruel.

Original poster
Sanctimummy · 22/08/2013 19:19

digerd

Totally agree.

OP posts:
Justforlaughs · 22/08/2013 19:25

I don't like the idea of keeping a monkey as pet at all, but out of interest, how is taking this baby monkey away from its mother any different to a puppy or kitten? Hmm or a lamb that we are going to eat etc, etc. Is it really any worse because it is a monkey?

LEMisdisappointed · 22/08/2013 19:30

Tell your friend this from me: Lady, you are a cunt. That is all.

FetaCheeny · 22/08/2013 19:32

I was a monkey mum for two rescued monkeys in Bolivia. It sickens me that people think keeping them as pets in cages is ok.

Original poster
Sanctimummy · 22/08/2013 19:41

Just4laughs

It's different because dogs/cats are domesticated animals, and are not caged for the majority of their life. They thrive in a domestic household. Monkeys do not.

OP posts:
FetaCheeny · 22/08/2013 19:50

Just4laughs - to a certain extent you have a point, I don't think many lambs thrive in an abattoir! Cats and dogs are suited to domestic life though, much more so than a monkey, and aren't (generally) kept in cages.