How do I take care of a baby Capuchin monkey?

Bring your monkey home, play with him/her and be sure to study his/her actions to eventually understand what he/she wants. Until you learn his/her language, and he/she learns yours, keep putting supplies like food or toys in front of him/her until he/she calms down. The best food for monkeys are exactly what you eat. Fruits, vegetables, pasta, breads and rice. Do not feed them chocolate, avocado or other pet foods.

Begin training the monkey. Say his/her name often when feeding, or offering him/her a toy. Also, say his/her name when petting and loving him/her. When he/she responds to his/her name, give him/her a treat and praise him/her. When saying a command, act out how you want the monkey to act! So if you say “dance,” start hopping around! When he/she learns a trick, give him/her treats and praise him/her! Start with simple commands like “sit” and “stay”. Generally, monkeys are not “tricksters”. Sit would be a good command, but getting a monkey to stay in one place for more than a few seconds would be quite a feat.

Bathe your monkey in the shower with you - daily. You may use regular soaps and shampoos. When brushing, use a rubber brush for short hair and a wire for long. You can use lice shampoo if you feel he/she has been exposed. Use warm, not hot, water. Use small and safe scissors if hair cutting is necessary.

Teach your monkey to be housebroken. If you have purchased a baby, always keep them in a diaper and even a t-shirt or other “clothing”. As your monkey gets older, you can teach them to use the toilet. This is time consuming, but it can be done. Play as if he/she were a human! They love hearing your voice and they like things that are shiny, musical, and soft. You can find out just how social he/she is by putting him in front of a mirror to see how he/she reacts.

Finally, have fun with him/her, but remember that it’s more than just a pet, it’s a companion that you can’t get just to show off to your friends.