Who else thinks owning a pet monkey should be considered animal cruelty?

I was just reading an article on exotic pets (I'm getting tarantulas) and I realized that only 9 states have a ban on owning non-human primates. Thinking that was wierd, I researched more. Not only are monkeys mostly legal pets, they can grow up to be viscious, and extremely problematic. So, in order to counter their nature, some breeders suggest removing finger nails and teeth (so they cant bite or scratch), confining them in small spaces, beatings, and even electrocution. Now I'm no expert in law or anything and I'm not again pets. But if you did that to your dog or your cat, you'd be arrested. Why does it seem to be alright to do this to a monkey? Thoughts? (source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0916_030916_primatepets.html)

 

it is cruel, and selfish to keep a wild animal as a pet

 

yep, definitely cruel

 

ooh, i finally agree with ohsodreadful about something

actually from what i've seen of monkeys in captivity, it's kinda cruel on the humans as well - monkeys can be quite a handful, picking locks and throwing poo

my personal stance on pets is that there are enough strays out there to make producing and buying animals as pets totally unnecessary - but that the more strays that get into good homes the better

i think very few of those strays are monkeys . . .

 

if it's not already domesticated... don't domesticate it...

monkeys or otherwise...

 

actually people have dogs and cats declawed/defanged. We had a cat many years ago that we got from somebody else. It was a crazy Siamese that was declawed (front) and defanged because it was ultra aggressive. Even still it managed to make hamburger out of my sisters arm with it's hind claws when she was petting it. After that my dad shot it. But measures like that are extreme and should only be done if the animal NEVER goes outside.

 

i know this chick who has a lemur
i want to punch her in the face every time i see her with that thing
its totally to get attention
yeah the little sucker is adorable but he's a wild animal
or he should be anyways

 

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/my-monkey-baby

This programme unleashed all of my fury. The most horrific part was when the cameras followed a couple on their trip to pick up their new "baby" from a breeder ..Holding the baby monkey, they then went into a room to see it's real mother, a monkey in a bare cage, CLEARLY agitated and trying to reach through the bars to get at HER CHILD!! While the humans cooed over the cuteness. YOU'RE STEALING HER BABY, YOU MORON. It made me want to cry, and in fact still does when I think about it. Extremely frustrating, and it's beyond my understanding that anyone could think it was okay.

 

It's very cruel to keep a wild animal. I also feel saying one "owns" an animal isn't nice either. I always call my dog my companion. I don't own her- she's not a thing one can possess.

 

I'm curious... what is the difference between this and someone who has a monkey saying that their monkey is their companion and that they don't own her?

 

Because a dog is a domesticated species that evolved from a wild animal (the wolf) while a monkey is a wild non domesticated species of animal.

 

No wild animal should be kept as a a pet , dressed up, taught to eat with spoon just for the amusement of the keepers .The "owners" forget these animals grow up and the are not so cute and cuddly when they are adult .Leave the apes and chimps were they belong -in the wild .

Imagine "Planet of the Apes" for real and then imagine if you would like to be treated as a possession .

 

i looked into this once when i wanted a pet monkey.. tiny little thing... so cute..
But it is cruel, they need space to explore and run around and swing off things!

also they're quite a handful, only way of controlling that is to keep them locked up somewhere, which isnt fair on them!!! so.. i say no to having monkeys as pets

 

If they are treated well and were born in captivity, than no. However taking something from the wild is a different story, I mean it'd literally be the same as taking someone from an uncontacted Brazilian tribe and having them come live in Manhattan. With other great apes you really can't have them as just a "pet", especially with chimps and bonobos, the most common kind kept, ability to interact with humans is far too vast to just consider them a pet.

On that note, that's why it should be illegal though. Not for reasons of animal cruelty, but really because unless you're a researcher or the like who spend a good deal of time with your ape, it's just not practical. These are intelligent social creatures, more importantly strong intelligent creatures.

 

When I was a kid you could go to any Woolworths Store and BUY a monkey. I vividly remember walking through the pet section and seeing monkeys wandering around. They let them loose for some odd reason.