I've worked with primates for years. It is definantly something to consider carefully. You need to do a year or two of research at a minimum, the longer the better. Get personal experience. Learn the rules, the language, the mannerisms, the requirements, the handling and everything else. Get to know as many primate parents as you can. Not just people with babies (things go wrong after the 5 and 6 year mark usually when they start to mature and sometimes not until MUCH later), but people with primates. Watch how they have adapted THEIR lifestyles, homes and everything else in their life to living with a monkey. Talk to ones that USED to have primates. The ones that have had plastic surgery and otherwise when their 6, 7, 8,9,10 and so on sweet, never a problem, angel of a monkey turned on them all of the sudden one day (and when you have more than one it's usually the dominant and they ALL join in, it's how they work) since that's always a risk and you need to be prepared. The ones that have had their lips torn off (and other body parts), their arteries nicked and severed (boy does that spray), or chunks of their calves torn out or the ligaments in their hands ripped out and other things, the ones that went to the hospital 1,2,3,4,5,6 times and LIED about why they need stitches and kept trying until they just couldn't anymore (all true stories and I know PLENTY of people it happened to). Oh, and they fight dirty. They have 5 appendages they can grip with, are stronger than you would ever think since they are compact muscle, and have no problem going for the eyes and anything else they can get a hold of. Bites hurt more than a dog, it's their saliva. Volunteer at primate sanctuary's for that whole time so you can see firsthand WHAT happens and why they are being surrendered and what REALLY makes them tick and what they REALLY need. You don't work do you? Someone needs to be home. A cheap one? Those are usually scams. And they're not cheap to upkeep either. Diapers, proper diet, enrichments, the CONSTRUCTION on your home ( which is a requirement in many cases by law, they don't just stay in a cage you know, you need to alter a room to be safe, they can chew through walls and ceilings so you must alter the walls as well, and build a proper outdoor habitat and try to make your home as primate friendly and safe as possible), many do have a smaller cage as well as THEIR actual indoor outdoor habitats, they do need to be big enough to house one for a couple of hours and usually run a minimum of about $1000 and up. Many people also alter their regular living space. The vet, they get human sets of vaccines and tests like TB (and you better do it because YOU can catch it from them) and need specialized vets so it costs a ton and they HAVE to go a lot (zoonosis is common with primates, everything gets passed back and forth like the humans in the household but things that might just send us to bed for a few days can kill our monks). Many capuchins end up with Diabetes from improper diet. Can you afford the insulin too if you have to? Um, how about ANOTHER monkey? Oh, and the insurance and lawsuits? They start biting others very early on. There are rules to interacting with primates or someone get's bit (even people in the home). The hospital bills for people that live in the home? They have a complex social structure and you better know it before you bring one in your home. And a million more things. They are NEVER pets, it is different. They are companions. It is NOTHING like a dog or cat. They grow up, become teenagers and adults. Some species can't be housed together. Macaque's carry and shed the virus herpes B which is deadly to us (oh, and the rage syndrome). A lab worker died when a shedding macaque splashed water in her eye when it was shedding the virus. It's THAT easy. What if you HANDLE them and clean up after them daily. What if they get out (it happens more frequently than you think)? You face lawsuits, thousands of dollars to pay to house them when they confiscate them, and often they kill the monkey anyway. Or take them for good and do not tell you where they are and who you're paying. The court cases take forever. You must meet all city, state and federal requirements and get your licenses and deal with regular inspection. They can do things like turn on the garbage disposal and stick things down there, including their hands. Shut themselves in fridges and suffocate. Hang themselves on drapery cords. Similar to chasing around and CLEANING UP AFTER a two or three year old (but much smarter) for 40 or 50 years. Sound like fun and something you want to do and can afford? It's much more complex and there's a lot more involved than that since THEY are so complex but there a couple of basic and general things to think about. Those are realities. Some required reading: Next of Kin (yes, it's about chimps but gives a lot of insight), Raising Ziggy (fostering a helping hands monkey) - They can be a great place to start, look into what they require of the people who foster for them. - The Primate Care Handbook (make sure you join and get the updated journals :-) Here's some resources for you to begin with, study everything carefully and then decide if you want to continue with independent research and the rest of it. It's the monks that suffer when you don't (AND the humans after the monks begin to suffer). Meet some friends of mine: www.junglefriends.org www.monkeyhelpers.org www.monkeyzone.com www.simiansociety.org en.allexperts.com pin.primate.wisc.edu